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Deep Aphantasia: a visual brain with minimal influence from priors or inhibitory feedback?

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1374349
Bouyer, L. N., & Arnold, D. H. (2024). Deep aphantasia: a visual brain with minimal influence from priors or inhibitory feedback?. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1374349

Abstract

The authors are both self-described congenital aphantasics, who feel they have never been able to have volitional imagined visual experiences during their waking lives. In addition, Loren has atypical experiences of a number of visual phenomena that involve an extrapolation or integration of visual information across space. In this perspective, we describe Loren’s atypical experiences of a number of visual phenomena, and we suggest these ensue because her visual experiences are not strongly shaped by inhibitory feedback or by prior expectations. We describe Loren as having Deep Aphantasia, and Derek as shallow, as for both a paucity of feedback might prevent the generation of imagined visual experiences, but for Loren this additionally seems to disrupt activity at a sufficiently early locus to cause atypical experiences of actual visual inputs. Our purpose in describing these subjective experiences is to alert others to the possibility of there being sub-classes of congenital aphantasia, one of which—Deep Aphantasia, would be characterized by atypical experiences of actual visual inputs.

Authors

  • Loren N. Bouyer5
  • Derek H. Arnold5

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to know if having aphantasia—the inability to visualize or "picture" things in your mind—also changes how a person sees the real world. They explored whether some people’s brains process vision in a "raw" way, without using the usual mental shortcuts or expectations that most of us rely on.

How They Studied It

This was a deep-dive "case study" into the experiences of two people, Loren and Derek, who both have aphantasia. The researchers compared their personal experiences and tested how they reacted to various optical illusions. These illusions (like seeing a 3D cube in a 2D drawing) usually work because the brain "fills in the blanks" based on what it expects to see.

What They Found

The researchers discovered that aphantasia might come in different "flavors." They labeled Derek’s version as "Shallow Aphantasia" because while he can’t imagine pictures, he sees the real world and optical illusions normally.
However, they called Loren’s version "Deep Aphantasia." Her experience is much rarer:
  • No "Filling in": She doesn't see many common illusions. For example, she doesn't see "faces" in clouds or the 3D effect in certain drawings.
  • Raw Vision: Her brain seems to skip the "guessing" part of vision. While most brains act like an editor adding special effects to a movie, Loren’s brain acts more like a raw camera feed.
  • Visual Snow: She sees constant tiny flickering dots (like static on an old TV), which might be a sign of her brain being extra sensitive to raw data.

What This Might Mean

This suggests that aphantasia isn't just one single condition. Instead, it might be a spectrum. In "Deep" cases, the connection between the part of the brain that sees and the part that remembers or expects things might be much quieter.
A note of caution: Because this study focused heavily on just one person’s unique experience, we can’t say for sure that all aphantasics fit into these categories. It’s a fascinating starting point, but we need larger studies to prove these "sub-types" exist in the general population.

One Interesting Detail

Even though Loren has "Deep Aphantasia" and cannot picture anything in her head, she is a highly skilled artist! She can draw incredibly realistic portraits, but there’s a catch: she can only do it if the person is sitting right in front of her. She cannot draw anything at all from memory.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Always refer to the original paper for accuracy.