Spatial Imagery
Spatial imagery is a sub-type of mental imagery and refers to the ability to manipulate and locate objects in space. While people with aphantasia may have difficulty with visualizing objects, they seem to have higher spatial accuracy. Resources available for further reading.
Aphantasia is associated with spatial memory and navigation difficulties in complex virtual environments
Visual imagery features centrally in many theories of spatial navigation, yet its contribution to wayfinding is unclear. Sea Hero Quest (SHQ), a navigation game for mobile devices that assesses spatial learning via visual maps and virtual environments, is well-suited to investigate the role of imagery in wayfinding. We examined if participants with aphantasia who report experiencing a lack of visual imagery would display greater difficulties navigating relative to controls on SHQ as demands on encoding complex visual information increase. Aphantasic participants (n=63, Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire <32) and controls (n=99, VVIQ=33-80) completed self-report measures of navigation, memory, and 8 SHQ levels varying in path complexity, destinations, and map characteristics. To estimate performance on the SHQ, trajectory length and completion time were normalised to thousands of controls (n=1203 to 246,329), comparable to each participant in terms of age and gender, and group difference and correlation analyses were conducted for self-report measures and SHQ metrics. Aphantasic participants scored significantly lower on self-report spatial and memory measures and took substantially more time than both control groups to complete high-difficulty levels, but not training or low-difficulty levels, relative to controls. Imagery ability was associated with performance on difficult levels as well as self-reported spatial ability and memory. Map viewing duration was not significantly associated with any variable. The findings indicate that visual imagery plays a central role in spatial navigation when recall of complex visual information is necessary. Wayfinding difficulties observed in the aphantasic individuals appear to be robust to alternative strategies, such as verbal encoding, which is unlikely sufficient to integrate across path length and circuitousness, decision points, and visibility factors that define environmental complexity.
Li, A., Coutrot, A., Faromika, T. I., Spiers, H. J., & Shayna Rosenbaum, R. (2026). Aphantasia is associated with spatial memory and navigation difficulties in complex virtual environments. Neuropsychologia, 109517. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109517
When Mental Images Get in the Way: How Aphantasia Reveals a Hidden Advantage in Reasoning
New research from the University of Lyon suggests that people with aphantasia may actually reason faster on certain logic problems—a finding that challenges the long-held assumption that mental imagery helps us think.
State but not trait measures of vividness relate to memory accuracy
Researchers found that trial-by-trial vividness predicts memory accuracy, but trait-level measures like the VVIQ do not. This suggests that moment-to-moment imagery fluctuations are more vital for memory than general imagery ability.
Duckett, W., & Simons, J. S. (2026). State but not trait measures of vividness relate to memory accuracy. Neuropsychologia, 224, 109399. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109399
Congenital aphantasia is not imagery blindsight
Aphantasia differs from blindsight because individuals retain conscious access to visual information via non-visual routes. This suggests the condition is a selective inability to format knowledge into quasi-visual experiences.
Bartolomeo, P., & Arcangeli, M. (2026). Congenital aphantasia is not imagery blindsight. Cortex, 197, 112–114. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2026.02.009
Pictures Without Mental Pictures: How Aphantasia Is Rewriting a 50-Year-Old Theory of Memory
New research from Wilma Bainbridge and her team at the University of Chicago reveals that people with aphantasia still remember pictures better than words—a finding that upends one of psychology's most influential theories about how memory works.
Unsupervised clustering reveals spatial and verbal cognitive profiles in aphantasia and typical imagery
Researchers identified two aphantasia subgroups: "spatialisers" with high spatial imagery and "verbalisers" with high verbal reliance. This shows aphantasia is a heterogeneous condition that requires a multidimensional cognitive framework.
Delem, M., Turkben, S., Cavalli, E., Cousineau, D., & Plancher, G. (2025). Unsupervised clustering reveals spatial and verbal cognitive profiles in aphantasia and typical imagery. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109279. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109279
Varieties of aphantasia
Aphantasia is a heterogeneous condition with distinct subtypes involving voluntary imagery, sensory modalities, and spatial versus object details. This diversity suggests that monolithic definitions hinder accurate diagnosis and research.
Nanay, B. (2025). Varieties of aphantasia. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 29(11), 965–966. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2025.06.008
When Memory Feels Vivid: Why the Moment Matters More Than the Trait
For years, researchers asked how vivid people's mental images are in general. William Duckett asked a different question—and discovered something that's reshaping how we understand imagery and memory.
Physics versus graphics as an organizing dichotomy in cognition
Researchers propose that aphantasia reflects a broken rendering process within a cognitive split between physical simulation and graphics. This explains why spatial reasoning remains functional despite the lack of visual mental imagery.
Balaban, H., & Ullman, T. D. (2025). Physics versus graphics as an organizing dichotomy in cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 29(11), 985–996. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2025.05.003
A decade of aphantasia research – and still going!
A decade of research shows aphantasia is a heterogeneous condition with five dimensions of variation, including sensory reach and spatial imagery. This suggests it is a diverse spectrum of abstract rather than experiential cognitive styles.
Zeman, A. (2025). A decade of aphantasia research – and still going!. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109278. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109278
Why indecisive trials matter: Improving the binocular rivalry imagery priming score for the assessment of aphantasia
Researchers discovered that incorporating mixed trials into binocular rivalry scores increases the task's predictive validity for mental imagery. This provides a more reliable and efficient objective measure for identifying individuals with aphantasia.
Monzel, M., Scholz, C. O., Pearson, J., & Reuter, M. (2025). Why indecisive trials matter: improving the binocular rivalry imagery priming score for the assessment of aphantasia. Behavior Research Methods, 57(9). doi:10.3758/s13428-025-02780-6
The Shape of Things Unseen: Conversation with Dr. Adam Zeman On The New Science of Imagination
What if everything you thought you knew about creativity was wrong? The scientist who discovered aphantasia unveils the "new science of imagination" and explains why visualization might not be essential to human creativity.
Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia: What We Know After a Decade of Research
Since 2015, "aphantasia" has reshaped our understanding of imagination, revealing that not everyone visualizes mentally. This discovery, along with "hyperphantasia," highlights the diverse nature of human imagination.
Which characteristics are due to aphantasia?
What traits do you think stem from limited mental imagery versus natural skill differences? Join the conversation!
Quantifying Aphantasia Through Drawing
Wilma Bainbridge shares insight into how we can use drawings to uncover what's inside the memory of people with aphantasia in this presentation from the 2021 Extreme Imagination Conference.
Near total aphantasia w/ hyper-realistic spatial awareness
Despite having no visual imagination, I navigate spaces with remarkable spatial awareness, relying on memory alone. Curious if others relate!
Sense of direction and Aphantasia
Do others struggle with getting lost and following directions due to their unique mental imagery experiences?
Aphantasia Explained: Some People Can’t Form Mental Pictures
How do you draw from memory if you can't form mental pictures? Evidently, you don’t need to “see” with the mind’s eye to carry-out these tasks.
Mental Rotation Tasks: The Surprising Advantage of Aphantasia
Discover how people with aphantasia excel at mental rotation despite having no visual imagery. Complete these mental rotation tasks and explore the fascinating cognitive differences.
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