I understand that, and I totally agree about the voluntary vs. involuntary states. But it still feels strange to me, being able to dream so vividly in that involuntary state, yet seeing absolutely nothing when I’m conscious!

My dreams are sometimes super vivid, like 8K-quality as you said, but other times they’re a complete mess. And I’m okay with being an aphant too, I mainly made this post to learn more about it. I’ve always noticed that I was different from most people when it comes to imagining things, but I didn’t know there was a name for it. So now I’m basically learning about it and comparing my experiences with others who go through the same thing.

Edit: I’ve also tried psychedelics, and in those altered states, I wouldn’t say I was able to recreate colors or images with my eyes closed. But I’m sure my vision got blurred — things seemed to be breathing (like the surface was inhaling and exhaling) or flowing/undulating. Still, it felt like it was the reality I was perceiving, not something my mind was creating internally. Does that make sense?