Research library
Papers about aphantasia and mental imagery, with summaries in plain words. The summaries are generated by AI and may contain errors.
Want to take part? See the studies you can join.
Running a study? We can help you recruit participants.
Koenig-Robert, Pace and Pearson · Psychological Review
Researchers propose that imagery reshapes spontaneous neural activity via inhibitory feedback rather than driving new spikes in early visual areas. This suggests the spectrum from aphantasia to hyperphantasia is driven by the strength of cortical inhibition.
Koenig-Robert, Keogh and Pearson · Cortex
Some people with aphantasia report gaining visual imagery after using psychedelics, possibly due to increased neural plasticity and connectivity. This sudden onset of imagery could increase the risk of intrusive thoughts and other mental health challenges.
Pace, Koenig-Robert and Pearson · Psychological Science
Mental imagery reversed the suppressive effects of visual adaptation, unlike weak perception which increased them. This suggests that imagery and perception rely on different neural mechanisms, with imagery likely acting through inhibitory modulation.
Kwok and colleagues · Psychological Science
Suppressed visual thoughts form sensory traces in the early visual cortex even when individuals report successful suppression. This provides an objective way to measure how nonconscious representations trigger thought-control failure.