Neurodiversity in mental imagery: Aphantasia reveals systemic gaps in understanding consciousness
Original framing: “Audio long read: Many people have no mental imagery. What’s going on in their brains?” — Nature
The original framing omits the role of indigenous and non-Western epistemologies in understanding consciousness, the historical exclusion of neurodivergent voices from cognitive science, and the structural barriers faced by individuals with aphantasia in education and professional settings. It also lacks a discussion of how mental imagery is culturally constructed and varies across societies.
Medium structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
This narrative is produced by Western scientific institutions and media outlets, primarily for audiences who align with dominant neurotypical norms. The framing serves to reinforce the idea that typical mental imagery is the standard, obscuring the power structures that marginalize neurodivergent experiences. It also obscures the role of colonial science in defining what is 'normal' in cognition.
The concept of mental imagery has evolved through Western philosophical traditions, from Descartes to modern cognitive science. The marginalization of aphantasia reflects a long-standing bias toward visual-centric models of thought, which have roots in Enlightenment-era epistemology and colonial science.
Aphantasia is not merely a neurological curiosity but a systemic challenge to dominant models of cognition and consciousness.