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Normal imagination isn't one score—it's a range on each of six senses. Most people sit mid-range (phantasia) on some senses and higher or lower on others. In Imagination Index data, the overall median is ~53/100; auditory imagery averages higher than smell or taste. Wide variation across people is itself normal.
Last updated: May 20, 2026
There's no single 'normal' imagination. Typical profiles are mid-range on most senses with substantial individual variation across people and across senses within a single person.
Researchers often use the term 'phantasia' for the middle of the imagination spectrum—between aphantasia (low) and hyperphantasia (very vivid). Most people fall in this middle band most of the time, on most senses.
Each sense has its own spectrum. You might be low visual, high auditory, and mid motor—all normal combinations. There is no 'correct' profile; there are profiles that fit particular tasks and contexts better than others.
Research consistently shows wide individual variation in imagery ability across the population. This variation appears stable across most of adult life, with modest changes possible through sustained practice or after significant life events.
Normal includes aphantasia at the low end (~2–5% of the population for visual) and hyperphantasia at the high end (also a few percent). These are not disorders—they're the ends of a continuous trait distribution that includes everyone in between.
It is also normal to have very different scores on different senses. The 'matched profile' (similar score on all six) is less common than mixed profiles where one or two senses stand out.
Generally no. Both aphantasia and hyperphantasia describe stable cognitive traits, not deficits or superpowers requiring treatment. They affect how you do things, not whether you can do them. The most actionable information is your profile shape and how it fits your life and goals.
Phantasia means moderate, typical imagery—not necessarily exactly median on every sense. It's the middle of the spectrum between aphantasia and hyperphantasia, with significant variation in 'typical' from person to person.
Population-wide, olfactory and gustatory imagery are harder to simulate vividly than visual or auditory. The reasons include lower daily practice (we don't deliberately exercise smell imagination), evolutionary differences, and likely also item difficulty in self-report scales.
Not necessarily. The shape of your profile across senses often tells you more than the overall number. Two people with the same overall can have very different cognitive strategies and strengths.
Free core assessment · about 12 minutes · no credit card required. See your six-sense Imagery Profile and optional percentile ranking.
