Aphantasia can also be very handy for an artist. "I'm a musician," Ashley says, "but I cannot hear music in my head at all. Even if it's a song I've heard a million times." This has helped him develop a rather unique sound. "While the genres I produce in are pretty much identifiable, the style itself isn't copying or imitating anyone else. I literally couldn't, even if I tried to."
And because aphantasia sometimes erases your memory of an event as soon as it's over like in an episode of Doctor Who, it can also be helpful if you're suffering from PTSD, like Ashley. "I actually have post-traumatic stress disorder thanks to a very painful event, but my aphantasia helps me deal with it, because I can't relive it in my head," he says. "Someone on the aphantasia forums once made a post about being an EMT and not suffering from burnout due to not having to deal with any horrific imagery."
Sure, you may forget the face, the voice, or the smell of a loved one, but at least you're not haunted by that time you walked in on your parents having sex. After a costume party. While still dressed as Mario and Luigi.
If you like techno make sure to check out Ashley's Soundcloud. Cezary Jan Strusiewicz is a Cracked columnist, interviewer, and editor. Contact him at c.j.strusiewicz@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter.
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