Can you "see" images in your mind? Some people can't - Adam Zeman

Summary

The concept of aphantasia is explored through the lens of visualizing literature in the mind's eye. Aphantasia is an inability to visualize images consciously, affecting around 4% of the population. It sits on a spectrum opposite 'hyperphantasia,' where imagery is vividly clear. Studies show that aphantasia involves differences in brain function, particularly in pupil reflexes and brain pathways utilized for visualization versus dreaming. Familial links imply a genetic component, and while not a disorder, aphantasia can influence life experiences significantly, including career paths.

Highlights

• While most people visualize vividly, some can't form mental images, a condition called aphantasia. 🖼️
• Aphantasia and hyperphantasia vary in vividness and affect brain function differently. 🧠
• Pupil reflexes in response to imagined light differ in people with and without aphantasia. 👁️
• Intriguingly, aphantasia might guard against negative mental imagery disorders like PTSD. 🔒
• People in STEM often have aphantasia, while those in arts may experience hyperphantasia. 🎨

Key Takeaways

• Aphantasia affects about 4% of the population and inhibits the ability to visualize images in the mind. 🌌
• People with hyperphantasia experience vivid imagery, sometimes as real as seeing. 🌈
• Eye reflex studies and brain imaging reveal insights into the different mental experiences. 🧠
• Aphantasia may offer protection against some mental health disorders. 🛡️
• Career choices can be influenced by one's position on the mental imagery spectrum. 💼

Overview

Imagine reading a novel and clearly seeing every scene play out in your mind—This is a common experience for many, but not for those with aphantasia, a condition where the mind’s eye remains closed. Affecting about 4% of the global population, aphantasia means individuals can't conjure visual images like most can. This inability is contrasted by hyperphantasia, where mental imagery is impressively vivid, creating a spectrum of visualization abilities that researchers are only beginning to understand.

Scientists have delved into the mysteries of the mind's eye by studying eye reflexes and brain-imaging results, revealing that our brains work quite differently depending on where we fall on the aphantasia-hyperphantasia spectrum. For instance, while most people's pupils will adjust merely by imagining light, those with aphantasia experience no such change. How people dream versus visualize consciously also differs, showcasing just how intriguing human brain diversity can be.

Interestingly, aphantasia isn't just a curious trait but can significantly color one's life experiences, including career preferences. Surveys indicate that those with aphantasia often lean towards STEM fields, potentially due to reduced emotional imagery interference, whereas individuals with rich imaginations might flock to creative roles in arts and media. Fascinatingly, there's a hint that aphantasia might offer some protective benefits against disorders such as PTSD, demonstrating how unique cognitive landscapes contribute to our diverse human experience.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Mental Imagery The chapter 'Introduction to Mental Imagery' explores how individuals visualize scenes when reading, using Lewis Carroll’s 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland' as an example, specifically the Queen's croquet game. Readers might imagine the live hedgehogs as balls and flamingos as mallets, demonstrating the concept of mental imagery and how it enriches the reading experience. Some might visualize these scenes in vivid detail, illustrating variations in how mental imagery manifests across different individuals.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Aphantasia and its Discovery The chapter 'Aphantasia and its Discovery' explores the concept of aphantasia, a condition where individuals are unable to visualize images in their mind's eye. It affects approximately 4% of the global population. The inability to visualize is contrasted with the vivid imaginations of others, highlighting the varying mental experiences of different people. The condition was first identified by a psychologist in the 19th century.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Spectrum of Mental Imagery The chapter titled 'Spectrum of Mental Imagery' discusses a study where participants were asked to visualize their breakfast table and rate the vividness and color of the resulting mental image. The findings revealed that mental imagery exists on a spectrum. On one extreme is aphantasia, where individuals cannot form mental images, and on the other is hyperphantasia, where imagery is so vivid that it rivals actual sight. Most individuals fall somewhere between these two extremes. The chapter raises the question of how to determine if someone has aphantasia.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Measuring Mental Imagery The chapter titled 'Measuring Mental Imagery' delves into the challenge of objectively measuring mental imagery and experiences. It discusses a study where scientists sought to find clues in the eyes of individuals. The focus was on the pupillary light reflexes—how pupils constrict in response to light—and the finding that merely imagining looking into a light can cause pupil constriction. This suggests that mental imagery can have measurable physiological responses.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Dreams and Different Brain Pathways The chapter explores the concept of mental imagery and its relation to conditions like aphantasia. It discusses how people with aphantasia, who typically do not experience mental imagery, can still see mental images in their dreams. The text suggests that this could be due to the different neural pathways involved in deliberate visualization versus dreaming. Brain-imaging studies are highlighted as a tool that might help in understanding these differences.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Causes and Inheritance of Imagery Spectrum The chapter discusses the mechanisms behind mental imagery, especially focusing on the differences between hyperphantasia and aphantasia. It explains that actively trying to visualize an object involves cognitive control regions which then activate memory and vision areas, resulting in a mental picture. It also touches on the concept of dreaming, suggesting it is produced through a different pathway.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Intriguing Variations and Implications The chapter titled 'Intriguing Variations and Implications' explores the nature of mental imagery and its development. It discusses how deep brain activity can spontaneously activate visual and memory systems, raising questions about the range of mental imagery experienced by individuals. The text highlights aphantasia, a condition characterized by a lack of mental imagery, noting that it often runs in families, implicating a genetic influence. Additionally, while most individuals with aphantasia have the condition lifelong, it can also develop later in life due to brain injuries or psychological factors.
• 04:30 - 05:00: Career Influence and Conclusion The chapter explores how imagery extremes, such as vivid visualization and aphantasia, are not typically seen as disorders but as fascinating aspects of human experience.

Can you "see" images in your mind? Some people can't - Adam Zeman Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 When reading Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” most readers visualize the Queen's croquet game play out in their heads. “...it was all ridges and furrows; the balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingos, and the soldiers had to double themselves up and to stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.” A few might see vivid details,
• 00:30 - 01:00 such as the pattern of the hedgehog's quills or the flush of the queen's face. However, a small fraction of readers have a drastically different experience. As the scene plays out on the page, within their heads, they “see” absolutely nothing. This inability to clearly visualize images in the mind’s eye is known as aphantasia, and it applies to around 4% of the world’s population. It was first characterized by a psychologist in the 19th century,
• 01:00 - 01:30 who asked study participants to visualize their breakfast table and then rate the vividness and color of this mental picture. He determined that mental imagery exists on a spectrum. At one end are people with aphantasia, and at the other are people with hyperphantasia, with imagery so real, it rivals seeing. And most people land somewhere in between these two extremes. But how do we know if someone with aphantasia
• 01:30 - 02:00 isn’t describing the same experience as someone with mental imagery, just in different terms? In other words, how does one objectively measure what’s going on in someone else’s mind? In one study, scientists looked for clues in people's eyes. They investigated differences in pupillary light reflexes, or how the pupil automatically constricts in response to light. Even just imagining that you are looking into a light will cause the pupil to narrow—
• 02:00 - 02:30 or at least it will if you have mental imagery. They found that the eyes of people with aphantasia don’t constrict when imagining light. Brain-imaging studies may help decipher another perplexing phenomenon: people with aphantasia can see mental imagery when they dream. How this happens is likely explained by the contrasting ways the brain generates deliberate visualization versus dream imagery. Typically, conjuring a mental image involves multiple brain regions,
• 02:30 - 03:00 and is sometimes referred to as a top-down process. First, actively trying to visualize an object activates cognitive control regions of our brain. This then drives activity in regions of the brain associated with memory and vision, creating a mental picture. People with hyperphantasia tend to have stronger connections between these regions compared to those with aphantasia. As for dreaming, many scientists believe this imagery is produced by a different bottom-up pathway,
• 03:00 - 03:30 through activity deep in the brain spontaneously activating visual and memory systems. So, what causes the spectrum of mental imagery to develop? Aphantasia often runs in families, suggesting that the vividness of your mental canvas may be influenced by your genes. While most people with aphantasia have it their entire lives, some people can develop it later in life— often due to brain injury or psychological conditions.
• 03:30 - 04:00 But in most cases, imagery extremes aren’t considered disorders in need of treatment, but rather intriguing variations in human experience. For example, for those with a mind's eye, the excitement of a thrilling story will cause them to sweat a little, even if they don't notice it. People with aphantasia, however, lack this sweat response— presumably because it depends on the emotional effect of imagining the the storyline.
• 04:00 - 04:30 At the same time, scientists have speculated that aphantasia may be protective against certain mental health disorders, specifically those related to negative imagery, like PTSD— though more research is needed. Recalling details, like the food served at last year’s holiday party, may not be as difficult for people with hyperphantasia, as they tend to have a richer memory of past events and can “relive” these experiences in greater detail. Differences in mental imagery may even influence your career choice.
• 04:30 - 05:00 A survey of over 2,000 people found that those with aphantasia are more likely to work in STEM professions, while people with hyperphantasia tend to gravitate towards jobs in the arts, media, and design. We may never be able to fully understand what’s happening in another person's mind. The inner worlds of those around you might be quite different from your own.