Inner Speech
Inner speech, the voice in your head, is a form of auditory imagery. Auditory aphantasia may be linked to differences in how people experience it.
Reference
Seeing Scent in Sound: Exploratory Spontaneous Visual and Olfactory Mental Imagery Elicited by Musical Modes
Researchers found that Western musical modes elicit systematic patterns of visual and olfactory imagery. This indicates musical modes are associated with multiple sensory representations extending beyond simple feature-level correspondences.
Pimentel Aldaz, O., & Spence, C. (2026). Seeing scent in sound: exploratory spontaneous visual and olfactory mental imagery elicited by musical modes. Multisensory Research, 1–45. doi:10.1163/22134808-bja10200
Reference
Musical Reasoning without a Mind’s Ear: A Comparative Case Study
Musicians with anauralia use kinesthetic, visual, and analytical strategies to perform complex tasks without inner hearing. This shows that auditory imagery is not essential for musical reasoning, suggesting a need for inclusive pedagogy.
Tolman, D. (2026). Musical reasoning without a mind’s ear: a comparative case study. Auditory Perception & Cognition, 1–14. doi:10.1080/25742442.2026.2640817
Reference
Redefining the Distinction Between the Mind’s Ear and the Inner Voice
Auditory verbal imagery involves both the mind's ear and the inner voice, which can be selectively disrupted by external sounds or subvocalization. This suggests that auditory and motor processes provide distinct but overlapping pathways for mental speech.
Hubbard, T. L. (2026). Redefining the distinction between the mind’s ear and the inner voice. Auditory Perception & Cognition, 9(1), 7–33. doi:10.1080/25742442.2026.2625168
Reference
“Unseen strategies” what can the experience of Aphantasia teach us about cognitive strategies in memory?
Aphantasics use compensatory strategies like semantic reliance, condensed inner speech, and external recoding to manage memory and imagery deficits. This suggests that individuals naturally develop non-visual cognitive workarounds to navigate daily life effectively.
Hayes, S. J., Miles, G. E., & Evans, S.-A. (2026). “unseen strategies” what can the experience of aphantasia teach us about cognitive strategies in memory?. New Ideas in Psychology, 80, 101215. doi:/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2025.101215
Reference
Not Everybody Has an Inner Voice: Behavioral Consequences of Anendophasia
Individuals with low inner speech, or anendophasia, performed worse on verbal working memory and rhyme tasks. This suggests that inner speech serves as a vital cognitive tool for processing and retaining verbal information.
Nedergaard, J. S. K., & Lupyan, G. (2024). Not everybody has an inner voice: behavioral consequences of anendophasia. Psychological Science, 35(7), 780–797. doi:10.1177/09567976241243004
Reference
The Experience of Music in Aphantasia: Emotion, Reward, and Everyday Functions
Aphantasics reported lower emotional intensity and fewer music-linked memories despite normal emotion discrimination and musical reward. This suggests visual imagery is a key mechanism for amplifying emotional and mnemonic experiences in music.
Hashim, S., Pulcini, C., Jansari, A., Küssner, M. B., & Omigie, D. (2024). The experience of music in aphantasia: emotion, reward, and everyday functions. Music & Science, 7. doi:10.1177/20592043231216259
