Rethinking modality-specificity in mental imagery

Abstract

Despite recent attention to multimodal imagery, the field remains dominated by the traditional view that mental imagery is divided by sensory modality. However, growing evidence from neuroscience challenges this view, showing that brain areas traditionally thought to be modality-specific actually process sensory information (e.g. shape, motion, or speech) independently from modality, even in sensory-deprived individuals. This paper argues that the assumption of modality-specificity in mental imagery should be significantly revised, if not abandoned. Instead, it proposes a shift in perspective: mental imagery may be better understood in terms of modality-invariant properties, such as shape or frequency, rather than sensory-based divisions.

Authors

• Fabrizio Calzavarini1

Rethinking modality-specificity in mental imagery

Abstract

Despite recent attention to multimodal imagery, the field remains dominated by the traditional view that mental imagery is divided by sensory modality. However, growing evidence from neuroscience challenges this view, showing that brain areas traditionally thought to be modality-specific actually process sensory information (e.g. shape, motion, or speech) independently from modality, even in sensory-deprived individuals. This paper argues that the assumption of modality-specificity in mental imagery should be significantly revised, if not abandoned. Instead, it proposes a shift in perspective: mental imagery may be better understood in terms of modality-invariant properties, such as shape or frequency, rather than sensory-based divisions.

Authors

• Fabrizio Calzavarini1