Perception

Imagery and perception feel similar but aren't. Research into aphantasia is helping explain where the two diverge.

Disordered, Deficient, Dehumanized: How the Language of Aphantasia Research Shapes What We Think About It

A new paper in the Journal of Mad Studies argues that aphantasia research has a blind spot: it quietly treats visual imagery as the norm and aphantasia as the defect—shaping the questions scientists ask before anyone notices the assumption is there.

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Reference

Alexander of Aphrodisias on Mental Representation

Alexander of Aphrodisias defines phantasia as a physiological process where residues from past perceptions trigger involuntary mental pictures of absent objects. This suggests that mental imagery is rooted in physical changes rather than direct sensory input.

Hangai, A. (2025). Alexander of aphrodisias on mental representation. Rhizomata, 13(2), 183–223. doi:10.1515/rhiz-2025-0007

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Discussion

Article 'What it is like to visualize' with Apple Illusion

recentlyRon

After staring at an apple, I saw only a blank wall. How many others have experienced this struggle with visualization?

Video

When Your Brain Runs in Reverse: A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Aphantasia

What happens when a neuroscientist studying visual hallucinations discovers he can't visualize at all? Mac Shine's personal revelation led to groundbreaking insights about how our brains create—and fail to create—mental imagery.

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Reference

Probing the unimaginable: The impact of aphantasia on distinct domains of visual mental imagery and visual perception

People with aphantasia were as accurate as typical and vivid imagers on imagery and perception tasks, but slower. The authors suggest visual knowledge is still reached without a conscious image, or through other strategies.

Liu, J., & Bartolomeo, P. (2023). Probing the unimaginable: the impact of aphantasia on distinct domains of visual mental imagery and visual perception. Cortex, 166, 338–347. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2023.06.003

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Video

Why Don't We Hallucinate Our Mental Images?

Have you ever wondered why mental images aren't as vivid as real images? What's the difference between imagining something and hallucinating it? Alexander Sulfaro joins Aphantasia Network to discuss this and more.

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Discussion

perception vs memory

recentlyE.

Can neural pathways for visual perception differ from those for memory retrieval, particularly for individuals with unique visual processing?

Article

Shocking Insights: What Electrical Stimulation Tells Us About How We Visualize

Why might your mind's eye be blind while your friend can picture crystal-clear images? Shocking insights into the known neurodifferences in imagery vividness.

recentlyby Mike Perrotta

You've reached the end of content in the perception topic.

Video

Disordered, Deficient, Dehumanized: How the Language of Aphantasia Research Shapes What We Think About It

A new paper in the Journal of Mad Studies argues that aphantasia research has a blind spot: it quietly treats visual imagery as the norm and aphantasia as the defect—shaping the questions scientists ask before anyone notices the assumption is there.

recently

Reference

Alexander of Aphrodisias on Mental Representation

Alexander of Aphrodisias defines phantasia as a physiological process where residues from past perceptions trigger involuntary mental pictures of absent objects. This suggests that mental imagery is rooted in physical changes rather than direct sensory input.

Hangai, A. (2025). Alexander of aphrodisias on mental representation. Rhizomata, 13(2), 183–223. doi:10.1515/rhiz-2025-0007

recently

Discussion

Article 'What it is like to visualize' with Apple Illusion

recentlyRon

After staring at an apple, I saw only a blank wall. How many others have experienced this struggle with visualization?

Video

When Your Brain Runs in Reverse: A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Aphantasia

What happens when a neuroscientist studying visual hallucinations discovers he can't visualize at all? Mac Shine's personal revelation led to groundbreaking insights about how our brains create—and fail to create—mental imagery.

recently

Reference

Probing the unimaginable: The impact of aphantasia on distinct domains of visual mental imagery and visual perception

People with aphantasia were as accurate as typical and vivid imagers on imagery and perception tasks, but slower. The authors suggest visual knowledge is still reached without a conscious image, or through other strategies.

Liu, J., & Bartolomeo, P. (2023). Probing the unimaginable: the impact of aphantasia on distinct domains of visual mental imagery and visual perception. Cortex, 166, 338–347. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2023.06.003

recently

Video

Why Don't We Hallucinate Our Mental Images?

Have you ever wondered why mental images aren't as vivid as real images? What's the difference between imagining something and hallucinating it? Alexander Sulfaro joins Aphantasia Network to discuss this and more.

recently

Discussion

perception vs memory

recentlyE.

Can neural pathways for visual perception differ from those for memory retrieval, particularly for individuals with unique visual processing?

Article

Shocking Insights: What Electrical Stimulation Tells Us About How We Visualize

Why might your mind's eye be blind while your friend can picture crystal-clear images? Shocking insights into the known neurodifferences in imagery vividness.

recentlyby Mike Perrotta

You've reached the end of content in the perception topic.

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