Aphantasia as suboptimal interoception and emotion processing

Studies on mental imagery often rely on low-level, easily quantifiable stimuli to measure specific sensory features. However, this approach may not capture the rich, multisensory nature of real-world imagery, which integrates sensory details with emotions and bodily sensations. It is proposed that this broader perspective on internal states is crucial for understanding aphantasia—the inability to create vivid mental images. Our preliminary evidence suggests that aphantasia is linked to reduced interoceptive attention, raising the possibility that aphantasia reflects suboptimal ability to attend to and engage with internal signals, which are necessary for normal imagery experience. This conceptualisation of aphantasia in terms of interoception explains its links with alexithymia and autobiographical deficits.