In their study, published in Current Biology, the group conducted experiments with people undergoing fMRI scans. The brain disorder known as aphantasia presents as an inability to conjure images ...

Both groups underwent tests of visual imagery before having a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan of ... parts of the brain. Analysis showed that those with aphantasia had a reduced ...

This worked in both groups, suggesting "there's a reliable signal in that part of the brain, that primary visual cortex, which is pictorial," even among people with aphantasia, Pearson said.

Those who fall part of the latter group have what is known as “aphantasia,” a phenomenon where the mind lacks the ability to conjure mental images. While many effortlessly visualize scenes ...