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What is the Link Between Mental Imagery and Sensory Sensitivity? Insights from Aphantasia

DOI: 10.1177/03010066211042186
Dance, C. J., Ward, J., & Simner, J. (2021). What is the link between mental imagery and sensory sensitivity? insights from aphantasia. Perception, 50(9), 757–782. doi:10.1177/03010066211042186

Abstract

People with aphantasia have impoverished visual imagery so struggle to form mental pictures in the mind's eye. By testing people with and without aphantasia, we investigate the relationship between sensory imagery and sensory sensitivity (i.e., hyper- or hypo-reactivity to incoming signals through the sense organs). In Experiment 1 we first show that people with aphantasia report impaired imagery across multiple domains (e.g., olfactory, gustatory etc.) rather than simply vision. Importantly, we also show that imagery is related to sensory sensitivity: aphantasics reported not only lower imagery, but also lower sensory sensitivity. In Experiment 2, we showed a similar relationship between imagery and sensitivity in the general population. Finally, in Experiment 3 we found behavioural corroboration in a Pattern Glare Task, in which aphantasics experienced less visual discomfort and fewer visual distortions typically associated with sensory sensitivity. Our results suggest for the very first time that sensory imagery and sensory sensitivity are related, and that aphantasics are characterised by both lower imagery, and lower sensitivity. Our results also suggest that aphantasia (absence of visual imagery) may be more accurately defined as a subtype of a broader imagery deficit we name dysikonesia, in which weak or absent imagery occurs across multiple senses.

Authors

  • Carla Dance10
  • Jamie Ward2
  • Julia Simner8

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to know if aphantasia—the inability to picture things in your mind—affects more than just vision. They also looked at whether having a "blind mind's eye" changes how you experience the real world, like how much you're bothered by bright lights or loud noises.

How They Studied It

The team conducted three experiments involving hundreds of people. They compared a group of "aphantasics" (people who cannot create mental imagery, or internal pictures) with a "control group" of people with typical imagery.
  • Participants filled out detailed surveys about their ability to imagine sounds, smells, and tastes.
  • They answered questions about their sensory sensitivity (how strongly they react to real-world triggers like itchy fabrics or bright sun).
  • In a lab test, they looked at high-contrast striped patterns designed to make the brain feel "dazzled" or uncomfortable to see who was more sensitive to the glare.

What They Found

Aphantasia is rarely just about vision! The study found that 97% of aphantasic participants also had trouble imagining other senses, like the "sound" of a favorite song or the "smell" of a flower.
Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that people with aphantasia are generally less sensitive to the real world. While a typical person might find a flickering fluorescent light or a loud siren overwhelming, people with aphantasia were much more likely to find these things tolerable. In the striped-pattern test, aphantasics reported significantly less eye strain and fewer "glitchy" visual distortions (like shimmering or flickering) than the control group.

What This Might Mean

This suggests that aphantasia might be caused by a "quieter" brain. Think of the brain’s sensory zones like a radio: in aphantasics, the volume might be turned down low. This makes it harder to "play" a mental image, but it also means real-world "noise" doesn't feel as loud or overwhelming.
Because much of this study relied on people describing their own experiences (self-reporting), we have to be careful. People aren't always perfect at measuring their own internal worlds! More "hands-on" lab tests will help confirm if this "low volume" theory is the definitive cause.

One Interesting Detail

The researchers proposed a new word to describe this: dysikonesia. While "aphantasia" specifically means "no image," this new term describes the broader experience of having "quiet" or absent imagery across all the senses.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Always refer to the original paper for accuracy.