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The Nexus of Hoarding and Mental Imagery Extremes: Exploring Hoarding Tendencies in Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia

DOI: 10.31124/advance.175507979.94103201/v1
Tags:
HyperphantasiaMental HealthPhantasia
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Sabel, I., Kay, L., Pearson, J., & Grisham, J. (2026). The nexus of hoarding and mental imagery extremes: exploring hoarding tendencies in aphantasia and hyperphantasia. Psychological Reports. doi:10.1177/00332941261425581

Abstract

Having attenuated visualization has been proposed to confer vulnerability to hoarding, although some studies have found no differences in visualizing between individuals who hoard and controls. To clarify this, we investigated the presence and severity of hoarding symptoms and beliefs in a specialist sample of aphantasics (those without imagery) and hyperphantasics (those with extremely vivid imagery), compared to mid-range/typical visualizers, while controlling for confounds (i.e., age and depression levels). Bayesian analysis revealed stronger evidence favouring a lack of difference in hoarding symptoms between aphantasics ( n = 58) and case-matched typical visualizers, although we found moderately strong evidence to suggest aphantasics were more inclined to report using objects as memory aids; a hoarding specific coping strategy. We also found moderately strong evidence to suggest hyperphantasics ( n = 23) had lower hoarding symptoms compared to case-matched typical visualizers and were less likely to live in cluttered homes, whereas evidence was weaker/inconclusive regarding differences in hoarding beliefs. Overall, findings suggest attenuated visualization does not necessarily predispose hoarding, but enhanced visualizing capacities may protect against hoarding symptom development.

Authors

  • Isaac Sabel1
  • Lachlan Kay4
  • Joel Pearson33
  • Jessica Grisham1

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to know if the way we "see" things in our minds affects how we hold onto physical objects. They investigated whether having no mental imagery makes someone more likely to struggle with hoarding.

How They Studied It

The team compared three different groups of people:
  • 58 people with aphantasia: People who have a "blind mind’s eye" and cannot create mental imagery (the ability to picture things in your head).
  • 23 people with hyperphantasia: People who have "super-powered" mental imagery that is as vivid as real life.
  • A "typical" group: People with average visualization skills to act as a baseline.
Participants answered detailed surveys about their home environments, how much clutter they had, and how emotionally attached they felt to their belongings.

What They Found

The biggest surprise? Having aphantasia does not make you more likely to hoard. People with no mental imagery had about the same amount of "stuff" as typical visualizers. However, the researchers found that aphantasics often use physical objects as "memory anchors." Because they can't "see" a past event in their heads, they might keep a physical souvenir to help them remember it.
The most interesting discovery was about the "super-visualizers" (hyperphantasics). They actually had significantly *lower* hoarding symptoms and lived in less cluttered homes. It’s almost like their ability to see things clearly in their minds acts as a shield against needing to keep too many physical objects.

What This Might Mean

This suggests that being able to vividly imagine things might actually help people stay organized. If you can perfectly "see" a clear, clean room in your head—or perfectly recall a memory without needing a prop—it might be easier to let go of physical clutter.
We should be careful, though: the group of hyperphantasics was quite small (only 23 people), so we can't say for certain that vivid imagery *causes* less hoarding. It’s a fascinating link that needs more study!

One Interesting Detail

Even though the "super-visualizers" hoarded less, they were actually more likely to anthropomorphize their belongings. This means they were more likely to give human-like personalities to objects—like thinking a car has a "soul" or a toaster is "lonely"—even though they were better at throwing things away!
This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Always refer to the original paper for accuracy.