AphantasiaResearch
Explore a comprehensive collection of academic papers, research studies, and scientific publications about aphantasia, imagery, and cognitive neuroscience.
The potential risks of opening the mind’s eye with psychedelic therapies
Psychedelics may trigger visual imagery in people with aphantasia by reconfiguring brain networks. This suggests a need for informed consent as gaining imagery may increase risks for intrusive thoughts and mental distress.
Koenig-Robert, R., Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2025). The potential risks of opening the mind’s eye with psychedelic therapies. Cortex, 191, 167–171. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2025.08.002
Why indecisive trials matter: Improving the binocular rivalry imagery priming score for the assessment of aphantasia
Researchers discovered that incorporating mixed trials into binocular rivalry scores increases the task's predictive validity for mental imagery. This provides a more reliable and efficient objective measure for identifying individuals with aphantasia.
Monzel, M., Scholz, C. O., Pearson, J., & Reuter, M. (2025). Why indecisive trials matter: improving the binocular rivalry imagery priming score for the assessment of aphantasia. Behavior Research Methods, 57(9). doi:10.3758/s13428-025-02780-6
Imageless imagery in aphantasia revealed by early visual cortex decoding
Researchers decoded imagery content from the visual cortex of aphantasics, though the neural patterns differed from perception. This suggests that early visual activity is not sufficient to generate conscious sensory experience.
Chang, S., Zhang, X., Cao, Y., Pearson, J., & Meng, M. (2025). Imageless imagery in aphantasia revealed by early visual cortex decoding. Current Biology, 35(3), 591–599.e4. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.012
Definition: Aphantasia
Researchers defined aphantasia as the absence of imagery and proposed specific labels for deficits across various sensory modalities. This provides a standardized framework to improve consistency in scientific research and clinical diagnosis.
Zeman, A., Monzel, M., Pearson, J., Scholz, C. O., & Simner, J. (2025). Definition: aphantasia. Cortex, 182, 212–213. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2024.07.019
Slower but more accurate mental rotation performance in aphantasia linked to differences in cognitive strategies
People with aphantasia were slower but more accurate on mental rotation tasks, favoring analytic strategies over holistic imagery. This shows visual imagery is not essential for spatial reasoning, as alternative cognitive tools can be used instead.
Kay, L., Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2024). Slower but more accurate mental rotation performance in aphantasia linked to differences in cognitive strategies. Consciousness and Cognition, 121, 103694. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2024.103694
Multisensory subtypes of aphantasia: Mental imagery as supramodal perception in reverse
Researchers found that aphantasia is heterogeneous, with 24% of individuals lacking imagery across all sensory modalities. This suggests the condition can involve a global, supramodal deficit in top-down sensory processing.
Dawes, A. J., Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2024). Multisensory subtypes of aphantasia: mental imagery as supramodal perception in reverse. Neuroscience Research, 201, 50–59. doi:10.1016/j.neures.2023.11.009
Revisiting the blind mind: Still no evidence for sensory visual imagery in individuals with aphantasia
A large study found people with aphantasia lack sensory visual imagery during binocular rivalry tasks. This confirms aphantasia is a genuine lack of sensory-level imagery rather than a difference in metacognitive self-reporting.
Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2024). Revisiting the blind mind: still no evidence for sensory visual imagery in individuals with aphantasia. Neuroscience Research, 201, 27–30. doi:10.1016/j.neures.2024.01.008
Different Mechanisms for Supporting Mental Imagery and Perceptual Representations: Modulation Versus Excitation
Researchers found that mental imagery relies on inhibitory modulation of non-imagined content rather than the excitatory activity used by perception. This explains why mental images are inherently less vivid than real-world perception.
Pace, T., Koenig-Robert, R., & Pearson, J. (2023). Different mechanisms for supporting mental imagery and perceptual representations: modulation versus excitation. Psychological Science, 34(11), 1229–1243. doi:10.1177/09567976231198435
Imageless imagery in aphantasia: decoding non-sensory imagery in aphantasia
Aphantasics generate reliable but non-sensory neural patterns in the visual cortex during imagery attempts. This challenges the view that early visual cortex activity must result in conscious sensory experience.
Meng, M., Chang, S., Zhang, X., & Pearson, J. (n.d.). Imageless imagery in aphantasia: decoding non-sensory imagery in aphantasia. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3162223/v1
Fewer intrusive memories in aphantasia: using the trauma film paradigm as a laboratory model of PTSD
People with aphantasia reported fewer and more verbal intrusive memories after viewing traumatic films. This suggests visual imagery is a key driver of PTSD and its absence may reduce susceptibility to developing the disorder.
Keogh, R., Wicken, M., & Pearson, J. (n.d.). Fewer intrusive memories in aphantasia: using the trauma film paradigm as a laboratory model of ptsd. doi:10.31234/osf.io/7zqfe
Memories with a blind mind: Remembering the past and imagining the future with aphantasia
People with aphantasia generated fewer episodic details when remembering the past or imagining the future, especially visual ones. This indicates that visual imagery is a key cognitive tool for the rich mental simulation of personal events.
Dawes, A. J., Keogh, R., Robuck, S., & Pearson, J. (2022). Memories with a blind mind: remembering the past and imagining the future with aphantasia. Cognition, 227, 105192. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105192
Proposal for a consistent definition of aphantasia and hyperphantasia: A response to Lambert and Sibley (2022) and Simner and Dance (2022)
Researchers propose defining aphantasia as the absence of voluntary sensory imagery across any modality. This unified terminology avoids confusing new jargon while acknowledging that imagery extremes often affect multiple 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 argue that aphantasia should be the universal term for lacking mental imagery across all sensory modalities. This unified terminology prevents confusion and facilitates clearer communication within the scientific community.
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 pupillary light response as a physiological index of aphantasia, sensory and phenomenological imagery strength
Aphantasic individuals lack the involuntary pupillary light response that typically occurs when imagining bright or dark stimuli. This provides the first objective physiological index to validate aphantasia and measure mental imagery strength.
Kay, L., Keogh, R., Andrillon, T., & Pearson, J. (2022). The pupillary light response as a physiological index of aphantasia, sensory and phenomenological imagery strength. eLife, 11. doi:10.7554/eLife.72484
Visual working memory in aphantasia: Retained accuracy and capacity with a different strategy
Aphantasics performed as well as controls on visual working memory tasks by using non-visual strategies like verbal labeling. This shows that visual imagery and working memory are distinct processes rather than the same cognitive function.
Keogh, R., Wicken, M., & Pearson, J. (2021). Visual working memory in aphantasia: retained accuracy and capacity with a different strategy. Cortex, 143, 237–253. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2021.07.012
Aphantasia: The science of visual imagery extremes
Researchers found that aphantasics use non-visual labeling strategies to succeed on tasks typically associated with mental imagery. This demonstrates the brain's multirepresentational nature and proves visualization is not required for complex thought.
Keogh, R., Pearson, J., & Zeman, A. (n.d.). Aphantasia: the science of visual imagery extremes. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 277–296. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-821377-3.00012-X
The critical role of mental imagery in human emotion: insights from fear-based imagery and aphantasia
Aphantasic individuals showed flat-line physiological fear when reading scary stories but normal responses to scary images. This suggests mental imagery acts as an emotional amplifier for thoughts.
Wicken, M., Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2021). The critical role of mental imagery in human emotion: insights from fear-based imagery and aphantasia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1946), 20210267. doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.0267
A cognitive profile of multi-sensory imagery, memory and dreaming in aphantasia
Aphantasia involves reduced imagery across all sensory domains and less vivid memories and dreams, while spatial skills remain intact. This suggests visual imagery is a normative representational tool for many wider cognitive processes.
Dawes, A. J., Keogh, R., Andrillon, T., & Pearson, J. (2020). A cognitive profile of multi-sensory imagery, memory and dreaming in aphantasia. Scientific Reports, 10(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-020-65705-7
Cortical excitability controls the strength of mental imagery
Researchers found that lower visual cortex excitability and higher prefrontal activity predict stronger mental imagery. This identifies a causative neural mechanism for imagery strength and provides a tool for modulating imagination.
Keogh, R., Bergmann, J., & Pearson, J. (2020). Cortical excitability controls the strength of mental imagery. eLife, 9. doi:10.7554/eLife.50232
The human imagination: the cognitive neuroscience of visual mental imagery
Researchers found that aphantasia impairs voluntary visual imagery while leaving spatial skills and involuntary imagery intact. This suggests that spatial cognition and different imagery types rely on distinct neural mechanisms.
Pearson, J. (2019). The human imagination: the cognitive neuroscience of visual mental imagery. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 20(10), 624–634. doi:10.1038/s41583-019-0202-9