AphantasiaResearch
Explore a comprehensive collection of academic papers, research studies, and scientific publications about aphantasia, imagery, and cognitive neuroscience.
The role of mental imagery in worry: Insights from aphantasia
People with aphantasia lack visual imagery but experience similar levels of worry, yet show protection against catastrophizing and cognitive avoidance. Their worry manifests as abstract thought and somatic sensations rather than imagery or words.
Dance, C., Meeten, F., & Simner, J. (2025). The role of mental imagery in worry: insights from aphantasia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 193, 104838. doi:/10.1016/j.brat.2025.104838
Sensory representations in primary visual cortex are not sufficient for subjective imagery
Aphantasics generate V1 sensory representations spontaneously without conscious imagery experience. This explains their preserved performance on objective imagery tasks despite lacking subjective visual imagery.
Cabbai, G., Racey, C., Simner, J., Dance, C., Ward, J., & Forster, S. (n.d.). Sensory representations in primary visual cortex are not sufficient for subjective imagery. doi:10.1101/2024.01.10.574972
Mental imagery and visual attentional templates: A dissociation
Aphantasic individuals without visual imagery still show normal attentional capture effects, proving mental imagery isn't required for visual attention guidance. This dissociates imagery ability from attentional template implementation.
Cabbai, G., Brown, C. R., Dance, C., Simner, J., & Forster, S. (2023). Mental imagery and visual attentional templates: a dissociation. Cortex, 169, 259–278. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2023.09.014
The role of visual imagery in face recognition and the construction of facial composites. Evidence from Aphantasia
People with aphantasia lack visual imagery but produce equally accurate facial composites as people with intact imagery. However, aphantasics show weaker face recognition abilities overall.
Dance, C. J., Hole, G., & Simner, J. (2023). The role of visual imagery in face recognition and the construction of facial composites. evidence from aphantasia. Cortex, 167, 318–334. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2023.06.015
Aphantasia within the framework of neurodivergence: Some preliminary data and the curse of the confidence gap
Aphantasia, the inability to visualize mentally, should be classified as neutral neurodivergence rather than a disorder, as people with it perform well academically with compensatory strategies. The paper argues that labeling it a disorder causes harmful stigma and a confidence gap despite objective performance being adequate.
Monzel, M., Dance, C., Azañón, E., & Simner, J. (2023). Aphantasia within the framework of neurodivergence: some preliminary data and the curse of the confidence gap. Consciousness and Cognition, 115, 103567. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2023.103567
Proposal for a consistent definition of aphantasia and hyperphantasia: A response to Lambert and Sibley (2022) and Simner and Dance (2022)
Researchers defend unified terminology (aphantasia/hyperphantasia) for mental imagery extremes across all sensory modalities. They argue this avoids confusing proliferation of terms while accommodating dissociations between individual senses.
Monzel, M., Mitchell, D., Macpherson, F., Pearson, J., & Zeman, A. (2022). Proposal for a consistent definition of aphantasia and hyperphantasia: a response to lambert and sibley (2022) and simner and dance (2022). Cortex, 152, 74–76. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2022.04.003
Aphantasia, dysikonesia, anauralia: call for a single term for the lack of mental imagery–Commentary on Dance et al. (2021) and Hinwar and Lambert (2021)
Researchers advocate adopting "aphantasia" as the single unified term for lacking mental imagery across all sensory modalities. The term is already widely used in research and public discourse, making standardization efficient for communication and literature searches.
Monzel, M., Mitchell, D., Macpherson, F., Pearson, J., & Zeman, A. (2022). Aphantasia, dysikonesia, anauralia: call for a single term for the lack of mental imagery–commentary on dance et al. (2021) and hinwar and lambert (2021). Cortex, 150, 149–152. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2022.02.002
The prevalence of aphantasia (imagery weakness) in the general population
This study estimates aphantasia prevalence at 3.9% in the general population using the VVIQ questionnaire across two samples. Aphantasia represents a genuine neurological deficit in visual imagery, not merely a metacognitive reporting problem.
Dance, C., Ipser, A., & Simner, J. (2022). The prevalence of aphantasia (imagery weakness) in the general population. Consciousness and Cognition, 97, 103243. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2021.103243
What is the Link Between Mental Imagery and Sensory Sensitivity? Insights from Aphantasia
Aphantasia involves multi-modal imagery deficits across all senses, not just visual imagery loss. Lower cortical excitability may underlie these widespread imagery impairments and link to reduced sensory sensitivity.
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
Imagine, and you will find – Lack of attentional guidance through visual imagery in aphantasics
People with aphantasia lack visual imagery but show impaired attentional guidance compared to controls. This supports that mental images influence information processing, not merely epiphenomena.
Monzel, M., Keidel, K., & Reuter, M. (2021). Imagine, and you will find – lack of attentional guidance through visual imagery in aphantasics. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 83(6), 2486–2497. doi:10.3758/s13414-021-02307-z
Behavioral and Neural Signatures of Visual Imagery Vividness Extremes: Aphantasia versus Hyperphantasia
This study compares aphantasia (no visual imagery) and hyperphantasia (vivid imagery), finding that imagery vividness correlates with autobiographical memory and imagination abilities. Brain imaging reveals structural and functional differences between these groups, validating visual imagery as a measurable dimension of individual difference.
Milton, F., Fulford, J., Dance, C., Gaddum, J., Heuerman-Williamson, B., Jones, K., Knight, K. F., MacKisack, M., Winlove, C., & Zeman, A. (2021). Behavioral and neural signatures of visual imagery vividness extremes: aphantasia versus hyperphantasia. Cerebral Cortex Communications, 2(2). doi:10.1093/texcom/tgab035
What is the relationship between Aphantasia, Synaesthesia and Autism?
People with aphantasia lack visual imagery yet can still experience synaesthesia and show autistic traits. This reveals that visual imagery isn't necessary for these neurodevelopmental conditions to occur.
Dance, C., Jaquiery, M., Eagleman, D., Porteous, D., Zeman, A., & Simner, J. (2021). What is the relationship between aphantasia, synaesthesia and autism?. Consciousness and Cognition, 89, 103087. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2021.103087
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