According to scientists, at least 2% of people suffer from aphantasy — a psychophysical state that does not allow visual images to be recreated in memory. They can hardly describe the appearance of another person and do not know how to count sheep before going to bed. However, such people also have an advantage: they are not so easily scared. /wp-content/uploads/2023/03/88dc12b9af8f5b1f0b3d2d44ec0ab31c.jpg» />
The new study, which was conducted by scientists from Australia, involved 22 people with aphantasy and 24 people with a normal ability to visualize images (control group). Volunteers were offered to watch several videos and attached to their skin a few special electrodes. It is known that the skin conducts electricity better during experiences of strong emotions, including fear.
When the participants were left alone in a dark room, the text of various “horror stories” appeared on the screen. They started out pretty neutral: “imagine you are lying on a beach by the sea” or “imagine you are on an airplane.” Gradually, the plot became more and more disturbing: for example, a dark flash appeared on the horizon, and the plane began to shake violently. The researchers found in volunteers in the control group changes in skin reactions that are characteristic of fear and anxiety. At the same time, people with aphantasy did not have these changes.
In the second part of the experiment, volunteers in both groups were shown a series of photographs in a dark room instead of text: a corpse, snakes with sharp fangs. This time, the level of fear was the same in people in both groups.
In aphantasy, people do not remember what objects look like, but they can recognize them
The researchers clarified , what memory impairments are people with afantasy — a rare disorder that does not allow visual images to be reproduced in the mind.
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Our results show that aphantasy is not associated with a decrease in emotional intelligence in general. Visual images are an amplifier of any emotion,” the scientists said. that in people with aphantasia, only the visual representation of various images is disturbed. At the same time, they have normal spatial memory, which is responsible for orientation in space. A similar combination — lack of visual representations, but normal spatial memory — occurs in people with congenital blindness. They are able to describe the layout of a familiar room, but they cannot provide details.