I consider myself to have aphantasia, but I have one singular experience of having seen things in my minds eye in a waking state, during meditation. I wish there was research into what might trigger this, and how, as I've not been able to repeat it.

(I'm sure I wasn't asleep as I both never remember my dreams, but have distinct memories of how "fuzzy" and ethereal the imagery in my dreams feel, while this imagery during meditation was crystal clear and I was fully lucid)