The phenomenon know as aphantasia – which refers to a completelack of visual imagery – was first report in the 1880s , yet was n’t recognise by the scientific community of interests until as recently as 2015 , when Professor Adam Zeman of Exeter University finally coin the terminal figure . Now that the precondition is know , investigator are keen to understand what causes it , which is why Zeman and his colleagues have just print the first ever study looking into brain connectivity pattern among aphantasics .
Presenting their piece of work in the journalCerebral Cortex Communications , the field authors explicate how they scanned the brains of 24 hoi polloi withaphantasiaalong with 25 soul with a particularly vivid psyche ’s eye – a precondition they refer to as hyperphantasia – and 20 controls with average mental imaging . work participant also took part in a range of cognitive and personality trial , thereby allowing the researchers to link certain character traits with the wit connectivity data they memorialise .
Several interesting observations are report , the first of which is that connectivity between the visual cortex and the decision - making region of the frontal cortex is observably stronger among hyperhpantasics than aphantasics . According to the authors , this may explain why those with aphantasia are unable to will themselves to see images in their heads , despite the fact that they are “ adequate to of experiencing imagery when the essential for voluntary imaging generation is removed , ” such as when dreaming .
The two groups do equally well on standard memory trial run , indicate that aphantasia is not affiliate with pathetic recall power , yet those withno creative thinker ’s eyeachieved lower scores for autobiographical memories than either hyperphantasics or controls . Aphantasics were also less able to imagine future scenarios or recognize face , although they did tend to have a marginally higher intelligence quotient than those in either of the other two groups .
In term of personality , the report generator found aphantasics to be more self-examining than those with a functioning thinker ’s eye , while hyperphantasics rack up higher for the graphic symbol trait of ‘ receptiveness ’ , which denote a keenness for raw experiences and a broad range of pursuit . the great unwashed with aphantasia were also more likely to display trait associated with autism spectrum disorder .
“ Our inquiry indicates for the first time that a faint connexion between the part of the brain responsible for sight and frontal regions involve in decision - making and attention leads to aphantasia , ” explained Zeman in astatement .
“ However , this should n’t be viewed as a disadvantage – it ’s a different means of experiencing the world . Many aphantasics are extremely high - achieving , and we ’re now exquisite to explore whether the personality and storage remainder we observed bespeak contrasting ways of processing information , linked to visual imaging power . ”
So , if you have aphantasia and revere you are missing out , do n’t . Previous studies have shown that not receive a idea ’s eye not only means you areharder to spook with scary storieswhich swear on your imagining the unfit , but there is also a well chance it could be anadvantageous superpowerif you happen to be a scientist .
