Think about your breakfast. Can you picture the coffee mug or the toast? Most people can, but about 4% of the population struggles with this. They can think about a familiar object, but when asked to visualize it, they often describe their mind as empty or dark.
Systems neuroscientist Mac Shine from the University of Sydney first discovered this about himself in 2013 while researching hallucinations. He shared his experience with co-workers, who were surprised. They hadn’t realized that mental imagery varied so much from person to person.
This phenomenon is known as aphantasia, a term that emerged about ten years ago. It describes those who can’t form mental images, sparking interest in how our minds work. Aphantasia is often studied alongside conditions like synesthesia, where senses intertwine, and prosopagnosia, or face blindness.
Research reveals that mental imagery isn’t the same for everyone. Early studies focused on describing aphantasia, but recent work investigates how the brains of those affected differ. For instance, cognitive neuroscientist Giulia Cabbai from University College London, who has very vivid mental imagery herself, is intrigued by how aphantasia might relate to emotions and memory.
Neurologist Adam Zeman from the University of Exeter began exploring aphantasia after meeting a patient who lost his ability to visualize following a heart procedure. This led Zeman to coin the term in a 2015 paper. Since then, he has been contacted by over 20,000 people sharing their experiences, surprising him with the overwhelming interest.
Researchers have found that while aphantasia is not a disorder, it can vary greatly in its effects. Some people with aphantasia also struggle with sensory experiences beyond vision, while others may still dream in images. Additionally, a genetic link appears to exist; if someone has a sibling with aphantasia, their likelihood of also having it increases tenfold.
Interestingly, many individuals with aphantasia perform well on cognitive tests. They can solve problems and play sports just fine. Shine himself mentions that he can draw brain diagrams but struggles to visualize a purple dinosaur juggling. This raises questions about how the brain functions normally in many aspects despite a lack of this particular ability.
Efforts to measure the strength of mental imagery are ongoing. For example, scientists discovered that when two different visuals are presented to each eye, a person’s perception toggles between them. If someone with strong imagery imagines one of those visuals beforehand, they are more likely to see it. However, those with aphantasia do not show this preference.
A decade of research has not only established aphantasia as a legitimate phenomenon but also brought to light its complexity. For instance, while these individuals can perform cognitive tasks, they can report lacking imagery altogether when asked to visualize something. This intriguing aspect raises questions about the brain’s representation of visual experiences, even if they remain unconscious.
In summary, aphantasia provides valuable insight into the workings of the mind. It shows us that our inner experiences can be much more varied than we once thought. Understanding this condition can also illuminate broader aspects of consciousness and perception.
For further reading, you can check out resources like Nature and Cortex that discuss aphantasia in detail.
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Brain,Neuroscience,Psychology,Sensory systems,Science,Humanities and Social Sciences,multidisciplinary
