mental imagery

This shows different images of the same woman

·November 12, 2021·4 min read

Psychologists Reveal How We Truly See Ourselves by Generating ‘Mental Selfies’

Researchers have devised a method to access people's mental images of themselves and compare this mental image against a realistic image of the person. The study revealed people's mental images of themselves are not necessarily true to life, but are influenced by the kind of personality the individual believes themselves to have.

This is a drawing of a head with a spider crawling on it

Featured Neuroscience Psychology Visual Neuroscience

·October 29, 2021·5 min read

Not Spooked by Halloween Ghost Stories? You May Have Aphantasia

Do you experience difficulties conjuring up visual images in your mind while listening to spooky stories? You may have aphantasia, researchers report.

This shows models of halloween skeletons lit up with neon lights

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 10, 2021·6 min read

I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts: People With Mind-Blindness Not So Easily Spooked

Horror writers may have a hard time attracting those with aphantasia to read their spooky stories. A new study reveals those with aphantasia, a disorder marked by an inability to visualize mental imagery, have a hard time getting spooked by creepy stories. Findings suggest mental imagery may have a closer link to emotional processing and expression than previously believed.

This shows a woman surrounded by various objects like clocks and smoke

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Visual Neuroscience

·May 6, 2020·6 min read

How strong is your mental imagery? It might depend on how ‘excitable’ your neurons are

The strength of a person's mental imagery is associated with excitability in the prefrontal cortex and visual cortex. Highly excitable neurons in the visual cortex may reduce a person's ability to imagine mental images. The findings shed light on how aphantasia, a condition where a person can not imaging mental images, may occur.