She Thought Picture This Was Just a Phrase Until One Question Changed Everything

What If “Picture This” Doesn’t Work for You?

What if the way I’ve been told to think, remember, or heal was built for a different kind of mind?

In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Paulina Trevenna to talk about ADHD, aphantasia, memory, and why so many therapy and hypnosis methods quietly assume that everyone can visualize. If you’ve ever felt like certain tools just don’t land for you, this episode may help you see why.

We talk about the moment Paulina realized people really do “see” images in their minds, how that changed her understanding of imagination, and why that discovery led her into research. We also get into the hidden gap between common hypnosis techniques and neurodivergent inner experiences, including what can happen when practitioners mistake difference for resistance.

You’ll hear why this matters for people with ADHD, autism, aphantasia, and anyone supporting neurodivergent people. More importantly, I’m sharing a conversation that asks a bigger question: how many systems were built around one kind of brain?

About the Guest

Dr. Paulina Trevenna is a researcher, speaker, and hypnotherapist focused on aphantasia, hypnosis, and neurodivergence. She also leads the Aphantasia World community and teaches practitioners how to better support people who can’t visualize in the usual way.

Timestamps

0:02 - I welcome Dr. Paulina Trevenna1:35 - Feeling different before having the words for it7:40 - The therapy session that revealed aphantasia13:43 - Entering hypnosis without visualization22:50 - What happens when standard techniques don’t work32:50 - The two big research questions Paulina set out to answer36:05 - What thinking feels like without mental images47:20 - Why therapy and meditation often miss neurodivergent minds55:17 - Adapting hypnosis for different inner experiences66:40 - What aphantasia reveals about human thinking70:14 - Where to find Paulina online

If this episode speaks to you, listen through and share it with someone who’s been told they’re “doing it wrong” when they may just be wired differently.

#Aphantasia #ADHD #Neurodivergent #Hypnosis #MentalHealth

Hosted by Reid Miles.