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Phantom perception: voluntary and involuntary nonretinal vision

DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.03.004
Pearson, J., & Westbrook, F. (2015). Phantom perception: voluntary and involuntary nonretinal vision. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(5), 278–284. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2015.03.004

Abstract

Hallucinations, mental imagery, synesthesia, perceptual filling-in, and many illusions are conscious visual experiences without a corresponding retinal stimulus: what we call ‘phantom perception’. Such percepts show that our experience of the world is not solely determined by direct sensory input. Some phantom percepts are voluntary, whereas others are involuntarily, occurring automatically. Here, by way of review, we compare and contrast these two types of phantom perception and their neural representations. We propose a dichotomous framework for phantom vision, analogous to the subtypes of attention: endogenous and exogenous. This framework unifies findings from different fields and species, providing a guide to study the constructive nature of conscious sensory perception.

Authors

  • Joel Pearson28
  • Fred Westbrook1

Understanding Phantom Perception: A New Framework for Visual Experiences

Overview/Introduction

Have you ever experienced seeing something that wasn't really there, like a vivid daydream or a colorful illusion? These experiences are called phantom perceptions—visual experiences without a corresponding stimulus from the outside world. This research explores how these perceptions occur and proposes a new framework to understand them, distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary phantom perceptions.

Methodology

The researchers conducted a comprehensive review of existing studies on phantom perceptions, focusing on how these experiences are represented in the brain. They compared voluntary perceptions, like mental imagery, with involuntary ones, such as visual illusions, to propose a framework similar to how we understand attention in the brain.

Key Findings

  • Voluntary Phantom Perception: This includes mental imagery, where individuals consciously create images in their minds. Research shows that these images activate the same brain areas as actual visual experiences, particularly the primary visual cortex (V1).
  • Involuntary Phantom Perception: These occur automatically, like illusions or hallucinations, and are often triggered by learned associations. For example, seeing a color when looking at a grayscale image of a fruit known for that color.
  • Both types of phantom perceptions involve activity in the brain's visual areas, suggesting some overlap in the mechanisms that produce them.

Implications

  • Mental Health: Understanding phantom perceptions can help in treating conditions like PTSD or schizophrenia, where individuals experience involuntary images or hallucinations.
  • Learning and Memory: Insights into how the brain creates these perceptions can improve techniques in education and memory enhancement.
  • Technology and Design: This research could influence virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, making them more immersive by understanding how the brain fills in visual gaps.

Limitations

While the framework offers a new way to look at phantom perceptions, it is based on existing studies and requires further experimental research to fully validate and refine it. Future studies should aim to directly compare voluntary and involuntary perceptions to better understand their neural underpinnings.
In summary, this research provides a new perspective on how our brains create visual experiences without direct sensory input, offering potential applications in various fields from mental health to technology.