Involuntary Imagery

Involuntary imagery shows up unbidden: in dreams, flashbacks, or a sudden memory. Some with aphantasia experience this despite lacking voluntary imagery.

Involuntary Imagery

Involuntary imagery shows up unbidden: in dreams, flashbacks, or a sudden memory. Some with aphantasia experience this despite lacking voluntary imagery.

Reference

Pupil changes to voluntary and involuntary visual imagery: A unified paradigm with implications for aphantasia research

Pupillometry showed that imagined brightness modulates pupil size, but these changes did not correlate with individual self-reported imagery vividness. This suggests a dissociation between subjective reports and objective physiological measures of imagery.

Vanbuckhave, C., Huson, N., Lœvenbruck, H., Guyader, N., & Chauvin, A. (2026). Pupil changes to voluntary and involuntary visual imagery: a unified paradigm with implications for aphantasia research. Neuropsychologia, 223, 109378. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109378

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Reference

An inwardly focused cognitive style links mental imagery and mental health

Vivid mental imagery is linked to an inwardly focused cognitive style involving interoceptive awareness and mindful presence. This suggests that imagery ability influences mental health by mediating emotional processing and memory.

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

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Reference

Comparing the characteristics of hallucinations and mental imagery: a large cross-sectional study in the general population

Involuntary mental imagery is more frequent and vivid than hallucinations, though both share similar phenomenological traits. This suggests these inner experiences exist on a continuum rather than being entirely distinct phenomena.

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

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Reference

Varieties of aphantasia

Aphantasia is a heterogeneous condition with distinct subtypes, including variations in voluntary control and sensory modalities. Recognizing these differences is essential for developing accurate experimental methodologies and explanations.

Nanay, B. (2025). Varieties of aphantasia. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 29(11), 965–966. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2025.06.008

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Video

The Body-Mind Disconnect: How Your Autonomic Nervous System Shapes Mental Imagery

What if the key to understanding mental imagery differences isn't in your brain's visual centers? New research reveals why your ability to visualize may depend on something unexpected: how well you sense your own body.

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Reference

A decade of aphantasia research – and still going!

A decade of research shows aphantasia is a heterogeneous condition with varying subtypes and preserved cognitive performance. This suggests that conscious visual imagery is not required for complex tasks like memory and spatial reasoning.

Zeman, A. (2025). A decade of aphantasia research – and still going!. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109278. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109278

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Reference

Mental imagery, predictive processing, aphantasia, and the interaction between philosophy and cognitive science: Responses to Amy Kind, Christian Scholz, and Neil Van Leeuwen

Aphantasia is not a monolithic condition, as many individuals retain involuntary imagery like dreams despite lacking voluntary control. This suggests that mental imagery relies on multiple distinct processes that can break down independently.

Nanay, B. (2025). Mental imagery, predictive processing, aphantasia, and the interaction between philosophy and cognitive science: responses to <scp>amy kind</scp>, <scp>christian scholz</scp>, and <scp>neil van leeuwen</scp>. Mind & Language, 40(3), 333–340. doi:10.1111/mila.12561

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Reference

Don't think of a pink elephant: Individual differences in visualisation predict involuntary imagery and its neural correlates

Researchers found that individuals with weak or absent visual imagery are more resistant to involuntary mental visualizations. This suggests that aphantasia may provide a natural defense against intrusive thoughts and sensory-based distractions.

Arnold, D. H., Hutchinson, M., Bouyer, L. N., Schwarzkopf, D. S., Pellicano, E., & Saurels, B. W. (2025). Don't think of a pink elephant: individual differences in visualisation predict involuntary imagery and its neural correlates. Cortex, 183, 53–65. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2024.10.020

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Discussion

On the verge of sleep

recentlyTravis

Have you experienced vivid mental images just before sleep? I'm curious if this is a common occurrence for others in our community.

aphantasia definition, aphantasia definitions

Article

Expanding Aphantasia Definition: Researchers Propose New Boundaries

Researchers expand aphantasia definition beyond "inability to visualize." This broader framework impacts how we understand and identify with the condition.

recentlyby Tom Ebeyer and

Article

Intrusive Thoughts Without Imagery

People with aphantasia can’t visualize, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts without imagery can be a whole-body, terrifying experience.

recentlyby Liana Scott

Reference

Aphantasia and involuntary imagery

Aphantasics reported significantly less intense afterimages and fewer, less vivid dreams than controls. This suggests aphantasia is a general deficit in forming mental imagery, whether voluntary or involuntary, rather than a purely volitional one.

Krempel, R., & Monzel, M. (2024). Aphantasia and involuntary imagery. Consciousness and Cognition, 120, 103679. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2024.103679

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Article

Impact of Aphantasia on the Reading Experience

Does aphantasia impact the reading experience? Exploring the relationship between reading preferences and mental imagery.

recentlyby Rosina Williams

Article

Hypnopompia: Between Sleep and Awake Where Someone with Aphantasia May “See” Imagery

On rare occasions in the morning, between sleep and awake, when the images from my dreams float behind my eyes, that’s when I revel in what it must be like to “see” imagery.

recentlyby Liana Scott

Article

Pseudo-Hallucinations and Aphantasia

Ganzflicker is known to elicit the experience of pseudo-hallucinations... But how is it that some people see complex hallucinations such as "old stone castles"?

recentlyby Reshanne Reeder

Reference

Aphantasia, imagination and dreaming

Aphantasics report visual dreams despite lacking voluntary mental imagery, challenging the idea that dreaming is a form of imagination. This suggests that dreaming and voluntary imagery may rely on distinct cognitive and neural mechanisms.

Whiteley, C. M. K. (2021). Aphantasia, imagination and dreaming. Philosophical Studies, 178(6), 2111–2132. doi:https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11098-020-01526-8

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Discussion

anyone else get flashes of images?

recentlypuro

Do you experience fleeting images that appear and fade away, despite not having a visual imagination? Let's share our experiences!

Article

Do Aphantasic Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Discovering I have aphantasia at 46 was a revelation. How one aphantasic's journey led to serendipitous discoveries and unconventional paths.

recentlyby Rob B

Reference

Phantom perception: voluntary and involuntary nonretinal vision

Researchers propose a dichotomous framework for phantom perception, distinguishing between voluntary mental imagery and involuntary experiences like illusions or synesthesia. This classification helps unify diverse sensory phenomena and provides a roadmap for studying the neural mechanisms of constructive perception.

Pearson, J., & Westbrook, F. (2015). Phantom perception: voluntary and involuntary nonretinal vision. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(5), 278–284. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2015.03.004

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