I fully agree, and that is my experience. I am just grappling with what looks like quite a bit of misunderstanding around aphantasia. Some people make it sound like it involves imaginary objects in the visual field, causing other people (who probably don't have aphantasia) to start suspecting that they too have aphantasia, because when they close their eyes they can't see vivid images on the backs of their eyelids.
My wife really sees 'extra' images when imagining with eyes open and closed.
I can imagine very well but don't see anything, so no visualisation.
With eyes open I see what is in front in me, and imagine (ltterlaly) what I am thinking about. This can be in high visual detail, but with no picture. With eyes closed it is strange enough harder te imagine, because the black is all consuming.
Long story short:
I think you might have aphantasia but don't know or acknowledge it yet...
