AphantasiaResearch
Explore a comprehensive collection of academic papers, research studies, and scientific publications about aphantasia, imagery, and cognitive neuroscience.
An integration model of mental imagery and aphantasia: Conceptual framework, neuromechanistic pathways, and clinical implications
Researchers found that neural activity in aphantasia represents rudimentary sensory precursors rather than unconscious imagery. This suggests the condition stems from a failure in multi-stage integration and helps categorize distinct subtypes.
Scholz, C. O., Monzel, M., Kvamme, T. L., Liu, J., & Silvanto, J. (2026). An integration model of mental imagery and aphantasia: conceptual framework, neuromechanistic pathways, and clinical implications. Neuropsychologia, 225, 109401. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109401
An inwardly focused cognitive style links mental imagery and mental health
Mental imagery vividness is part of an inwardly focused cognitive style linked to interoception and mindfulness. This trait mediates the relationship between imagery and mental health by shaping emotional awareness and regulation.
Kvamme, T. L., Rutiku, R., Wierzchoń, M., Griskova-Bulanova, I., Fardo, F., Barzykowski, K., Sandberg, K., & Silvanto, J. (2026). An inwardly focused cognitive style links mental imagery and mental health. Heliyon, 12(2), e44433. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e44433
Autonomic, neurodevelopmental, and early adversity correlates of acquired aphantasia
Acquired aphantasia is linked to childhood trauma, autonomic reactivity, and neurodevelopmental traits like ADHD. This suggests an affective-autonomic pathway where emotional and physiological distress can disrupt mental imagery generation.
Gao, W., Nagai, Y., & Silvanto, J. (2025). Autonomic, neurodevelopmental, and early adversity correlates of acquired aphantasia. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109272. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109272
The role of subjective interoception in autobiographical deficits in aphantasia
Autobiographical memory deficits are well-documented in aphantasia, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Emerging models suggest that interoception plays a crucial role in mental imagery, a key component of memory retrieval. In this study, we investigate the relationship between self-reported interoception, mental imagery, and autobiographical memory, with a specific focus on aphantasia. First, we examined whether interoceptive awareness and autobiographical memory differ between individuals with core aphantasia ( n = 69), hypophantasia ( n = 266) and typical imagers ( n = 133). Our findings reveal that aphantasics report significantly lower autobiographical memory as well as subjective interoceptive awareness across key subscales, including emotional awareness and noticing. Secondly, a mediation analysis reveals that mental imagery mediates the relationship between the emotional awareness subscale of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) questionnaire and autobiographical memory, suggesting that subjective interoception may contribute to memory recall indirectly through its influence on imagery. These findings provide novel empirical support for the idea that interoception is linked to both mental imagery and memory retrieval. The reduced interoceptive awareness observed in aphantasia may contribute to their known deficits in autobiographical memory, positioning aphantasia as a condition that extends beyond a lack of mental imagery to include altered interoceptive processing.
Monzel, M., Nagai, Y., & Silvanto, J. (2025). The role of subjective interoception in autobiographical deficits in aphantasia. Scientific Reports, 15(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-23270-x
Neural network topologies supporting individual variations in vividness of visual imagery
Vivid imagery is linked to local efficiency in the left fusiform gyrus and structural segregation in the occipital network. This suggests vividness emerges from the interplay of sensory processing and higher-order regulatory hubs.
Kvamme, T. L., Lumaca, M., Bajada, C. J., Gregersen, S. D., Hobot, J., Paunovic, D., Wierzchon, M., Zana, B., Silvanto, J., & Sandberg, K. (2025). Neural network topologies supporting individual variations in vividness of visual imagery. NeuroImage, 321, 121520. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121520
Interoception, insula, and agency: a predictive coding account of aphantasia
Aphantasia may stem from reduced interoceptive precision in the insula, weakening top-down signals required for conscious imagery. This suggests that internal bodily awareness is essential for the voluntary generation of mental images.
Silvanto, J. (2025). Interoception, insula, and agency: a predictive coding account of aphantasia. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1564251
How Interoception and the Insula Shape Mental Imagery and Aphantasia
Researchers propose that mental imagery requires the integration of sensory data with interoceptive signals via the insula. This suggests aphantasia may stem from a failure to ground mental images in physiological and emotional states.
Silvanto, J., & Nagai, Y. (2025). How interoception and the insula shape mental imagery and aphantasia. Brain Topography, 38(2). doi:10.1007/s10548-025-01101-6
Mental imagery as part of an ‘inwardly focused’ cognitive style
Researchers identified mental imagery as part of an inwardly focused cognitive style linked to interoception and emotional awareness. This suggests imagery vividness reflects a broader propensity to prioritize internal signals.
Kvamme, T. L., Sandberg, K., & Silvanto, J. (2024). Mental imagery as part of an ‘inwardly focused’ cognitive style. Neuropsychologia, 204, 108988. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108988
Only minimal differences between individuals with congenital aphantasia and those with typical imagery on neuropsychological tasks that involve imagery
People with aphantasia perform as accurately as typical imagers on neuropsychological tasks despite lacking visual imagery experience. Response time differences suggest they may use alternative cognitive strategies to complete these tasks.
Pounder, Z., Jacob, J., Evans, S., Loveday, C., Eardley, A. F., & Silvanto, J. (2022). Only minimal differences between individuals with congenital aphantasia and those with typical imagery on neuropsychological tasks that involve imagery. Cortex, 148, 180–192. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2021.12.010
Visual working memory performance in aphantasia
An individual with aphantasia performed worse on high-precision visual working memory tasks despite compensating on other imagery tasks. This indicates mental imagery is functionally necessary for high-detail visual cognition.
Jacobs, C., Schwarzkopf, D. S., & Silvanto, J. (2018). Visual working memory performance in aphantasia. Cortex, 105, 61–73. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2017.10.014
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