Hyperphantasia
Hyperphantasia is characterized by an abundance of mental imagery. Or in other words, a very vivid imagination. People with hyperphantasia can create clear and detailed images in their minds, often to the point where these mental images have a 'lifelike' quality. It is the opposite of aphantasia, where mental imagery is absent. This phenomenon doesn't just impact visual imagination. It can extend to other senses, such as auditory (sound), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), tactile (bodily sensation), and motor (movement) imagination. In addition to vividness and clarity, mental imagery could also vary in mode. Projectors perceive their mental image as superimposed onto their visual experience, whereas, associators do not “see” mental images but can nevertheless have a clear visual representation in their mind. Discover and learn more about hyperphantasia.
State but not trait measures of vividness relate to memory accuracy
Researchers found that trial-by-trial vividness predicts memory accuracy, but trait-level measures like the VVIQ do not. This suggests that moment-to-moment imagery fluctuations are more vital for memory than general imagery ability.
Duckett, W., & Simons, J. S. (2026). State but not trait measures of vividness relate to memory accuracy. Neuropsychologia, 224, 109399. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109399
The Nexus of Hoarding and Mental Imagery Extremes: Exploring Hoarding Tendencies in Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia
Aphantasics showed no increased hoarding symptoms, while hyperphantasics exhibited significantly lower tendencies than typical visualizers. This suggests that vivid mental imagery may protect against the development of hoarding behaviors.
Sabel, I., Kay, L., Pearson, J., & Grisham, J. (2026). The nexus of hoarding and mental imagery extremes: exploring hoarding tendencies in aphantasia and hyperphantasia. Psychological Reports. doi:10.1177/00332941261425581
AI-generated inspiration for the design process: effects across the vividness of visual imagery spectrum
AI-generated inspiration removed the link between high visual imagery and better design user experience. This suggests AI tools can level the playing field for people with aphantasia by providing the visual starting points they lack.
Lebron Flores, M. O., & Moacdieh, N. M. (2026). Ai-generated inspiration for the design process: effects across the vividness of visual imagery spectrum. International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation, 1–19. doi:10.1080/21650349.2026.2629810
The Art of Seeing Differently: How Aphantasic Artists Challenge the Myth of the Visualizing Genius
Art historian Matthew MacKisack's research reveals that aphantasic artists create stunning work through external composition—challenging centuries of assumptions about creativity and imagination.
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
Alexander of Aphrodisias: The Ancient Philosopher Who Mapped Mental Imagery
This piece explores recently published philosophical research on Alexander of Aphrodisias (c. 200 AD) and its relevance to understanding aphantasia. While ancient philosophers couldn't have known about cognitive diversity as we understand it today, their assumptions about universal mental processes help us appreciate how differently minds can work.
Do low imagers know more words? examining the association between mental imagery and vocabulary size
Low-imagery individuals outperformed high imagers when matching highly concrete words to precise definitions. This suggests that vivid mental imagery can sometimes interfere with the analytical processing required for specific linguistic tasks.
Yavuz, M., & Nazir, T. A. (2026). Do low imagers know more words? examining the association between mental imagery and vocabulary size. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 1–14. doi:10.1080/23273798.2026.2614588
Multisensory Imagery Enhances the Aesthetic Evaluation of Paintings: A Virtual Reality Study
Multisensory mental imagery enhances the aesthetic appeal of paintings by increasing imagery vividness and emotional arousal. This suggests that intentional imagery can be used as a cognitive strategy to deepen aesthetic experiences.
Chen, Z., Han, Z., Wu, L., & Huang, J. (2026). Multisensory imagery enhances the aesthetic evaluation of paintings: a virtual reality study. Empirical Studies of the Arts. doi:10.1177/02762374251412761
Comparing the characteristics of hallucinations and mental imagery: a large cross-sectional study in the general population
Researchers found that hallucinations and involuntary imagery share features but differ in vividness, agency, and distress. This supports a shared experiential continuum, helping to distinguish normal from pathological inner experiences.
Pepin, G., Lœvenbruck, H., Chauvin, A., Jacquet, C., Eichenlaub, J.-B., & Bortolon, C. (2026). Comparing the characteristics of hallucinations and mental imagery: a large cross-sectional study in the general population. Consciousness and Cognition, 137, 103974. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2025.103974
Is aphantasia a neurological deficit? An event-related potentials entropy study on perception and mental imagery interaction
Aphantasics showed higher brain entropy in frontal and temporal lobes and improved accuracy on specific trials. This indicates aphantasia is a distinct cognitive processing mode rather than a neurological deficit.
Wymark, D., Jani, V., Sheculski, M., & D'Angiulli, A. (2025). Is aphantasia a neurological deficit? an event-related potentials entropy study on perception and mental imagery interaction. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 480, 125361. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2025.125361
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
The Aphantasia-Hyperphantasia spectrum
Aphantasia is a heterogeneous phenomenon involving multiple distinct spectrums rather than a single monolithic condition. This suggests that studying the entire spectrum is key to understanding individual differences in cognition and emotion.
Nanay, B. (2025). The aphantasia-hyperphantasia spectrum. Neuropsychologia, 109293. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109293
A decade of aphantasia research – and still going!
A decade of research shows aphantasia is a heterogeneous condition with five dimensions of variation, including sensory reach and spatial imagery. This suggests it is a diverse spectrum of abstract rather than experiential cognitive styles.
Zeman, A. (2025). A decade of aphantasia research – and still going!. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109278. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109278
Aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample
Aphantasia and hyperphantasia were found across diverse cultures, with Middle Eastern groups reporting lower imagery scores than Western samples. This suggests that cultural or environmental factors may influence mental imagery development.
Bruder, J., & Zehra, M. (2025). Aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample. Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science, 9(3), 465–481. doi:10.1007/s41809-025-00184-8
The Shape of Things Unseen: Conversation with Dr. Adam Zeman On The New Science of Imagination
What if everything you thought you knew about creativity was wrong? The scientist who discovered aphantasia unveils the "new science of imagination" and explains why visualization might not be essential to human creativity.
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
Ekphrasis: The Ancient Art of Evoking Vivid Mental Images
Did the ancient Greeks know some people can’t create mental images? The forgotten history of ekphrasis challenges our assumptions about imagination and offers surprising insights into our image-saturated world.
Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia: What We Know After a Decade of Research
Since 2015, "aphantasia" has reshaped our understanding of imagination, revealing that not everyone visualizes mentally. This discovery, along with "hyperphantasia," highlights the diverse nature of human imagination.
Rethinking Hyperphantasia: Why "Extreme" Mental Imagery Might Be Two Different Phenomena
A neuroscientist's research reveals that people with hyperphantasia may actually experience fundamentally different types of "extreme" mental imagery - challenging our understanding of vivid visualization.
The Power of Abstract Thinking in Aphantasia
The concept of 'tokens' and 'types' helped me understand how we think differently: visualizers use specific imagery, while aphantasics excel in abstract thinking.