Researcher pathways
Three ways to engage with aphantasia research on the Network.
AphantasiaResearch
Explore a comprehensive collection of academic papers, research studies, and scientific publications about aphantasia, imagery, and cognitive neuroscience.
Aphantasia and visual working memory: No direct evidence of impaired visual working memory in aphantasics, either in behavioral performance or the accuracy of a multivoxel pattern classifier
Aphantasics showed normal visual working memory performance and decodable neural representations in the visual cortex. This suggests aphantasia is a lack of conscious awareness rather than an inability to generate or store visual information.
Knight, K. F., Milton, F., & Zeman, A. (2026). Aphantasia and visual working memory: no direct evidence of impaired visual working memory in aphantasics, either in behavioral performance or the accuracy of a multivoxel pattern classifier. Neuropsychologia, 226, 109430. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109430
Influences of mental imagery at different stages of Atkinson’s and Shiffrin’s modal model: Visual imagery is associated with enhanced iconic memory performance
Aphantasics performed worse on iconic memory tasks but showed no deficits in working memory compared to controls. This suggests that mental imagery enhances early sensory processing before non-visual strategies can be effectively applied.
Monzel, M., Yang, C., Plancher, G., Milton, F., & Reuter, M. (2026). Influences of mental imagery at different stages of atkinson’s and shiffrin’s modal model: visual imagery is associated with enhanced iconic memory performance. Cortex. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2026.04.011
Multimodal mental comparisons in those with and without aphantasia
People with aphantasia were more accurate but slower than controls on multimodal mental comparison tasks. This suggests that sensory cognition can be successfully achieved through propositional rather than imagistic strategies.
Suggate, S. P., Milton, F., & Tree, J. (2026). Multimodal mental comparisons in those with and without aphantasia. Neuropsychologia, 222, 109373. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109373
Seeing through the static: Reduced imagery vividness in aphantasia is associated with impaired temporal lobe signal complexity
Aphantasia is linked to reduced neural signal complexity in the ventral temporal lobes and abnormal brain network connectivity. This suggests the visual system fails to distinguish specific imagery signals from background noise.
Noble, C., Taylor, N. L., Milton, F., Fulford, J., Tan, J. B., O'Callaghan, C., Zeman, A., & Shine, J. M. (2026). Seeing through the static: reduced imagery vividness in aphantasia is associated with impaired temporal lobe signal complexity. Neuropsychologia, 221, 109322. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109322
Mental imagery: The role of primary visual cortex in aphantasia
Aphantasia is linked to disrupted sensory representations in the primary visual cortex during voluntary imagery. This suggests the condition involves a breakdown in feedback pathways from higher-level brain regions to the visual cortex.
Milton, F. (2024). Mental imagery: the role of primary visual cortex in aphantasia. Current Biology, 34(21), R1088–R1090. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.09.076
Behavioral and Neural Signatures of Visual Imagery Vividness Extremes: Aphantasia versus Hyperphantasia
Aphantasia is linked to reduced autobiographical memory and weaker connectivity between prefrontal and visual brain networks. This validates aphantasia as a distinct neurobiological condition with measurable behavioral and neural signatures.
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
Phantasia–The psychological significance of lifelong visual imagery vividness extremes
Aphantasia is linked to scientific careers and memory deficits, while hyperphantasia correlates with creative roles and synaesthesia. This suggests that imagery extremes are heritable variations with broad psychological significance.
Zeman, A., Milton, F., Della Sala, S., Dewar, M., Frayling, T., Gaddum, J., Hattersley, A., Heuerman-Williamson, B., Jones, K., MacKisack, M., & Winlove, C. (2020). Phantasia–the psychological significance of lifelong visual imagery vividness extremes. Cortex, 130, 426–440. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2020.04.003
The neural correlates of visual imagery vividness – An fMRI study and literature review
Researchers found that lower imagery vividness correlates with higher frontal activity and lower posterior activation. This suggests that weak imagery may rely on more effortful, non-visual cognitive control.
Fulford, J., Milton, F., Salas, D., Smith, A., Simler, A., Winlove, C., & Zeman, A. (2018). The neural correlates of visual imagery vividness – an fmri study and literature review. Cortex, 105, 26–40. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2017.09.014
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