Cognitive Mechanisms of Visual Mental Imagery
Summary
Visual mental imagery refers to the generation and manipulation of visual-like experiences in the absence of corresponding sensory input. It relies on distributed brain networks that overlap with those engaged during perception, engaging early visual cortices alongside higher‐order regions in frontal and parietal lobes. Top‐down signals from prefrontal and parietal areas modulate activity in primary visual cortex (V1), reconstructing internal representations that mirror perceptual processes. These internally generated signals vary in strength and vividness across individuals, forming a continuum from aphantasia (little or no imagery) to hyperphantasia (exceptionally vivid imagery). Imagery supports memory retrieval, planning, problem solving and creative thought, but also presents a challenge to the mind’s ability to distinguish self‐generated content from external reality. Understanding the balance between bottom‐up and top‐down influences has illuminated how the brain sets a threshold for reality judgements, how individual differences arise from network connectivity, and how imagery can both aid cognition and contribute to clinical symptoms when dysregulated.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have demonstrated that imagined and perceived signals are not strictly segregated in the brain but are interwoven into a common neural code. Judgements about reality emerge when the combined signal strength across visual processing stages crosses a threshold, explaining why sufficiently vivid imagery can be mistaken for genuine perception. Complementing this account, investigations into individuals lacking voluntary imagery have revealed a distinct cognitive fingerprint: those with aphantasia show reduced multisensory simulations, less vivid autobiographical memory and impoverished dreaming, yet maintain spatial abilities. Differences in connectivity between fronto‐parietal control regions and visual networks appear to underpin these individual profiles, highlighting how variable network dynamics shape the subjective quality and functional role of imagery.
Cognitive Mechanisms of Visual Mental Imagery publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in cognitive mechanisms of visual mental imagery across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Visual mental imagery: Generation of visual-like experiences without external visual input.
Reality threshold: The minimum combined sensory signal strength required for an internal image to be judged as perceptually real.
Top‐down processing: Modulation of sensory cortices by higher-order cognitive regions to reconstruct internal representations.
Aphantasia: Condition characterised by little or no ability to generate voluntary visual imagery.
Hyperphantasia: Condition marked by exceptionally vivid and lifelike mental imagery.
References
- Subjective signal strength distinguishes reality from imagination. Nature Communications (2023).
- Aphantasia and hyperphantasia: exploring imagery vividness extremes. Trends in Cognitive Sciences (2024).
- A cognitive profile of multi-sensory imagery, memory and dreaming in aphantasia. Scientific Reports (2020).
- Distinct Top-down and Bottom-up Brain Connectivity During Visual Perception and Imagery. Scientific Reports (2017).
- Mental Imagery: Functional Mechanisms and Clinical Applications. Trends in Cognitive Sciences (2015).
- The neural correlates of visual imagery: A co-ordinate-based meta-analysis. Cortex (2018).
- Behavioral and Neural Signatures of Visual Imagery Vividness Extremes: Aphantasia versus Hyperphantasia. Cerebral Cortex Communications (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.