When your “mind’s eye” is blank: Understanding aphantasia, with Joel Pearson, PhD

People with aphantasia can’t visualize images in their mind’s eye. Ask them to picture an apple and they see a blank screen. Aphantasia researcher Joel Pearson, PhD, discusses how scientists are developing new methods to measure aphantasia beyond self-reports; how aphantasia may affect people’s memory and emotions; the link between aphantasia and creativity; the opposite condition of hyperphantasia, or extraordinarily vivid mental imagery; and what these differences in our internal mental experiences can teach us about consciousness and neurodiversity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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When your “mind’s eye” is blank: Understanding aphantasia, with Joel Pearson, PhD is an episode from Speaking of Psychology by Kim Mills.

This episode is 40:11 long.

This episode was published on Jan 28, 2026.

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