Aphantasia (the inability to voluntarily generate mental imagery) has traditionally been studied as a congenital or neurological condition. However, h…

We live much of our lives in our heads, detached from the here and now – as when we recollect the past, anticipate future possibilities, lose ourselves in a daydream, a novel, or our favourite corner of science [1]: ‘what sets us apart is…a life in the mind, the ability to imagine’ [2]. For most of us, sensory imagery, which allows us to experience the sensory properties of objects in their absence, is a central element of our imaginings [3]. The realisation that ~4% of people lack visual imagery, facilitated by a term with which to describe this, aphantasia [4], while an even higher proportion, with hyperphantasia, enjoy imagery rivalling the vividness of perception, has triggered a recent surge of research.

PDF | Subjective imagery refers to one’s quasi-perceptual experience in the absence of direct external input. Yet around 4% of individuals with... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Re...