The Apple Test: Discover Your Hidden Mind Type
Finally, The Reason Why Traditional Productivity Advice Hasn't Worked For You..
Close Your Eyes and Picture a Red Apple
Take a moment. Really try.
What did you experience?
If you saw a clear, detailed apple with crisp edges, maybe even water droplets, perfect red color - you can stop reading. This isn't for you.
But if you saw darkness...
vague shapes... or absolutely nothing at all...
Keep reading, you NEED to know this.
EVERYTHING IS ABOUT TO MAKE SENSE
Let me guess...
For years, you've tried to follow success advice that sounds like this:
"Visualize your goals"
"Picture yourself succeeding"
"See your ideal future"
"Imagine how good it will feel when you're done"
And every time, you've felt confused. Frustrated. Maybe even that there's something wrong with you?
Seemingly, everyone else could do something that was impossible for you.
In case nobody has told you yet..
The majority of people can create vivid images in their mind's eye. They close their eyes (or keep them open) and can create life-like, detailed, moveable images.
They can picture their friends and loved-ones faces as if seeing a photo.
They can replay past memories and re-live that same experience as if they were there again with complete detail.
They can picture future events that could happen, see themselves in different scenarios, play through situations and replay over and over.
But YOU, when it comes to even basic 'image conjuring' - it's a weak or faint outline at best, most times it's a concept rather than an image.
You KNOW what an apple is, you KNOW what it looks like, and how it feels and tastes.. but that internal image just isn't there.
Your brain doesn't seem to work like people say it should.
Or perhaps you already knew something was missing or different..
Here's what nobody told you until now:
Those common self improvement techniques only work for those people who can create vivid mental pictures.
If your brain doesn't work that way, those strategies don't just fail - they make everything harder.
Through years of studying research I found there's a very specific step in everyone's action taking process that requires visual imagery to proceed.
For normal people, that's no issue - they can create crystal clear pictures easily.
They can 'step into' their created movie scenes, feel the air on their faces, live the pride and achievement as if it was real experience - over and over until they have the unstoppable confidence, self-assurance and risk-aversion to easily take actions towards a big goal.
But for people like us?
No Visuals = No Action
And when you can't take action, you get stuck / paralyzed / trapped (which can show up in a few different ways.. but ultimately, you're not making the progress towards your vision of a better life.)
Most people will be trapped in this cycle over and over for their entire life.
Blaming themselves and regretting not doing 'more'..
You're likely familiar with those feelings of wasted time and wasted potential.
But you know what?
It's not your fault.
Your brain is literally different to others.
But nobody told you this, because hardly anyone knows about this stuff.
Until now.
Today is the day you discover your brain is different. And without sounding dramatic - this will change everything about the way you approach your life - work, relationships, goals, plans.
Your brain process for action taking & decision making is missing a crucial 'visual evidence' step that you'll never be able to give it.
This explains so much:
✗ Why you start projects with enthusiasm then mysteriously lose momentum
✗ Why "motivation" feels unreliable and you can't seem to maintain it
✗ Why you're always hopping from idea to idea, never making enough progress
✗ Why you know exactly what you should be doing but can't make yourself do it consistently
✗ Why planning systems and goal-setting leave you feeling more confused than inspired
✗ Why you've secretly wondered if you're just lazy or lack willpower
✗ Why you get blocked or frozen by an invisible force when trying to make life-changing progress
✗ Why you get trapped in a life that doesn't match your drive, intelligence and potential
You need to hear this:
You're not broken.
You're not lazy.
You don't lack discipline. You're not unmotivated.
You don't have a "fear of failure" or "fear of success".
It's not your fault.
You have a different type of brain - one that thinks without pictures.
You're a logical, conceptual and analytical thinker (rather than a visual one!)
That's why you're such a great problem solver
That's why you can plan and strategize with the best of them
That's why you're so incredible once you're in 'flow' - although getting started can be the hard part.
And once you understand how your mind actually works, everything becomes easier.
Hi, I'm Gavin Bannerman
and I'm Aphantasic (Non-Visual)
I discovered this about myself five years ago. Same experience as many others - i'd struggled my whole life with visualization exercises.
When I was a kid, my parents got divorced and sent me to a hypnotherapist to help.
The guy told me to imagine scenes from my past, scenes in the future..all that usual stuff.
And when I told him I couldn't 'see' anything, he thought I was being 'difficult' - and told my mother the same.
That experience started a sense of disappointment around my supposed lack of effort that would follow me for the next 20+ years.
I'd try self-hypnosis and self-help for the majority of my life. Things like NLP, CBT, a bunch of 'methods' that were created for people with different brains.
I tried:
Tony Robbins
Marissa Peer
Paul McKenna
And other so called 'experts'..
Nothing worked for me.
Throughout my 20's and 30's I was consistently trying to create a better life or myself - vision boards, affirmations, regressions, more 'picture this' therapy.. i tried it ALL!
I finally landed on the reason (or excuse) that my visual skills weren't good enough.
And it was while googling 'how to improve visualization' when i found out this condition has a name...
Aphantasia
The inability to create visual imagery in the mind.
Around 1 in 25 people have a variation of it.
Like you today, I discovered was built different.
Suddenly, everything clicked.
All those Tony Robbins visualization exercises never worked because I literally couldn't visualize anything.
I discovered other people could create anything in their minds.
And it's not like I didn't have my successes - I operated one of the largest online fabric stores at the time doing 7-figures.
I've had high paying business consultancy contracts, i've worked with celebrities and industry names.
My strategic planning & analytical thinking skills have helped me create a successful career through business and brand consulting.
So it's not like I couldn't do anything..
But I couldn't seem to do it for myself.
Or at least..
I couldn't figure out why some times i'd be unstoppable, and some times i'd be dragging myself through mud to write a simple email.
And I couldn't trigger that positive 'feeling' that helped me get through the tough days, when motivation was low, and the doubt crept in.
And despite my intentions, and having all the knowledge in the world, I couldn't take action steps.
I'd punish myself.
I'd feel so much guilt & shame.
But I couldn't figure out what was stopping me.
I'd got used to relying on guilt-based pressure situations to 'force' me to take action.
And when I was being 'productive', I'd be doing 'busy work' for months, over-planning, analyzing, strategizing..
Trapped in a loop of 'doing' things that didn't really move the needle..
Never making actual progress towards any worthwhile goal.
I was drowning in this cycle for years, despite knowing I was capable, smart, trustworthy, honest.
I had burnout twice, and regular bouts of depression.
I felt I could do anything.
But I couldn't do anything.
Talk about a block, eh?
I've since spoken to hundreds of other people who felt exactly the same (or similar)
Could my brain type be the 'thing' keeping me stuck?
I was on a mission..
A mission to answer the question of why I was encountering these blocks.
The target was simple. I wanted to unlock a way to fuel my best life, take action with purpose, follow through on my ideas and change MY world.
Through trial and error I found a daily routine that worked for me.
I was able to keep going on tasks without motivation.
I was able to push through afternoon (and morning) energy crashes.
I was able to get so much stuff done that I felt unstoppable - like I was tumbling down a mountain, but in a good way..
I'd unlocked MOMENTUM.
At age 41 I'd finally found the right instruction manual for my brain type. Through trial and error.
But i'm not an expert or anything, i'm a normal guy.
So I had to find out WHY this routine worked before I could share it with others.
I trawled through the little research conducted on brains like ours.
(PS: Aphantasia was only coined as a term in 2015! - we're right at the start of this.)
I researched and tested until I found out WHY it worked.
I found actual science-based research studies to ensure nothing was 'woo woo' - it had to made logical sense.
Since then, the difference in my life has been dramatic.
Once I stopped trying to force visual strategies and started working with my actual brain type, I was able to:
Build consistent productivity without relying on "motivation"
Make decisions faster by trusting my logical processing instead of trying to "picture" outcomes
Stick to challenging projects by using momentum systems instead of visualization
Feel genuinely confident because my strategies actually matched how my mind operates
Push through blockages, sticking points, low energy, lack of motivation.
I was ignoring my brain and trusting my body (this is key!)
But here's the thing - I've never found comprehensive resources for people like us.
Everything is still designed for visual thinkers. And as we're a small minority - we're not exactly the focus..
And when I do find information, it treats Aphantasia as a disability rather than a gift.. how wrong they are!
So I'm constantly researching how other non-visual minds navigate success differently.
And for the last 15 months i've been sharing what I discover with people who've been struggling with the wrong tools for too long.
And it's working for others!
Like, really fucking well..
But I know that we're all different. Some of us have an inner voice, some don't, some can use other senses in their mind, some can't.
That's why I want you to join in on the experiment and put my method to the test.
The goal is simple:
To create momentum and productive energy on-demand.
To bring those impactful but hidden business ideas out of notebooks and into to the world.
To help others understand their mind type and how to leverage their strengths.
And that's my story so far.
Your journey is just beginning!
First, let's figure out exactly how your mind works:
Take this 90-Second Quiz & Finally Get Some Answers:
This quick assessment will reveal:
Your specific thinking style and why traditional advice hasn't worked
The type of strategies that WILL actually make sense for your brain
Whether you're dealing with the same challenges other non-visual minds face
It takes less than 90 seconds, and the insights could change everything.
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