Imagery and perception feel similar but aren't. Research into aphantasia is helping explain where the two diverge.
Hangai · Rhizomata
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.
Liu and Bartolomeo · Cortex
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.
