Many people have no mental imagery. What’s going on in their brains?

3 min read Original article ↗
  • NEWS FEATURE

People with aphantasia are offering a window into consciousness.

By

  1. Elizabeth Quill
    1. Elizabeth Quill is an editor for Nature in Washington DC.

Conceptual illustration showing disordered fragments of objects inside persons head.

Illustration by Ada Zielińska

Think about your breakfast this morning. Can you imagine the pattern on your coffee mug? The sheen of the jam on your half-eaten toast?

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Nature 650, 20-23 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00311-7

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