Measurement & Assessment

Imaginary Presence—Merleau-Ponty and Mental Imagery

Deery · Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences

This philosophy paper asks how Merleau-Ponty's ideas would explain the perception-like feel of mental images. It argues that neither the view of images as perceptual representations nor the view of them as simulations explains that feel, and proposes instead that imagining something means partly taking up the bodily stance one would have if it were really there, bringing a vague sense of how it could look. In a footnote, the author suggests that people with aphantasia keep this capacity for perception but cannot use it on purpose to make absent things appear, while calling aphantasia beyond the paper's scope.

Imagery in affective and neurodevelopmental conditions: an insula-based interoceptive framework

Kvamme, Nagai and Silvanto · Trends Open

In this opinion article, the authors propose that the brain's processing of body signals, centered on the anterior insula, is a shared source of both mental imagery and emotion. On this view, conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, autism and ADHD change imagery because they disturb this same system, and body-focused treatments might help restore imagery. The authors say the causal direction has not yet been shown and call for long-term and treatment studies to test it.

Seeing without eyes: Relation between visual mental imagery and visual hallucinations

Panigutti and colleagues · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

This systematic review found only 11 studies on imagery and hallucinations in Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia, and none in Lewy body dementia. Seven reported a link and four did not, so the evidence is indecisive.

The perspective-simulating mind: internal representations in moral judgment and action

Ernst, Kronbichler and Meyer · Scientific Reports

In an online study of 156 young adults judging one trolley dilemma each, those who said afterwards they had pictured the footbridge version as an onlooker more often called pushing the man acceptable (33% against 12% of those who pictured it through their own eyes). There was no such link for the lever version or for willingness to act, and vividness showed no clear effect. More than one in five said they used no visual imagery when judging acceptability. Because people reported their viewpoint after deciding, the authors cannot say whether it shaped the judgment or was reconstructed afterwards.

What is "mental image" in visualization section

How do we define "mental image" in visualization, and how does personal interpretation affect generated images?

Victor · 8 July 2026 · 1 reply

Marketing designed for Neurotypicals

Marketing often targets neurotypicals, leaving others feeling misled. How can we create strategies that resonate with diverse cognitive experiences?

Josh · 3 March 2026 · 2 replies

Just Stumbled on this Article in Inverse

Exploring how mental imagery works and its implications for understanding human cognition. Check out the fascinating article!

Mark · 4 September 2024 · No replies yet

DNA Testing

Curious if anyone has explored potential DNA links to hereditary traits, inspired by unexpected findings from genetic testing.

Phedre · 14 January 2022 · 5 replies

Interoceptive Attention Scale

A self-report measure of attention towards internal bodily sensations.

Interoceptive Accuracy Scale

Understanding your beliefs about how accurately you perceive your body's signals.

Body Perceptions Questionnaire Short Form

Explore your awareness of bodily sensations and physical reactions.

Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness

Understand how you sense and respond to signals from your body.