Researchers report on why some people experience aphantasia, the inability to imagine in images.
Using visual imagery can help people to develop new interests. When girls visualize activities from a first-person perspective, positive memories associated with participating in that activity return. Researchers say, if applied to scientific activities, visualization could help females to develop a vested interest in STEM subjects.
DMT alters electrical activity in the brain. The compound significantly decreases alpha wave activity, the dominant rhythm associated with wakefulness, and increases theta waves, associated with dreaming. Overall brain activity becomes more chaotic and less predictable. The findings advance the understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of immersive states of consciousness.
People with hyperphantasia, the ability to visualize vividly, have stronger connections between their visual brain network and decision-making networks. By contrast, those with aphantasia, an inability to visualize, have weaker connections between the brain regions.
