The Case of The Blind Man's Eye
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Close your eyes and think of a giraffe. Can you see it? I mean, *really* see it - in rich, vivid detail? If not - you aren\\u2019t alone!
We\\u2019ve had scores of messages from listeners who report having a \\u2018blind mind\\u2019s eye\\u2019. They don\\u2019t see mental images at all and they want to know why. Jude from Perth wants to know what makes her brain different, and Diane from Scotland wonders whether it affectes her ability to remember family holidays.
Our sleuths learn that this is a condition recently termed \\u2018aphantasia\\u2019. They meet the chap who came up with the name, Professor Adam Zeman, a neurologist from the University of Exeter, and quiz him on the brain mechanisms behind this mystery.
Professor Julia Simner - a psychologist who, herself, doesn\\u2019t see mental images - shares the surprising research into how aphants differ slightly from others in a range of cognitive skills. We also hear about the world class artists and animators who can\\u2019t visualise - but can create beautiful, imaginary worlds.
Philosophy professor Fiona Macpherson from the University of Glasgow, deepens the mystery: perhaps this largely hidden phenomenon is behind some of the most profound disagreements in the history of psychology. Our mental experiences are all very different - maybe that\\u2019s why thinkers have come up with such different theories about how our minds work.
Search for the \\u201cVVIQ\\u201d or Vividness of Visual Imagery questionnaire to take the test yourself. Look for \\u201cThe Perception Census\\u201d to take part in this massive online study of perceptual variation. And look up the 'Aphtantasia Network' if you're curious to find out more.
Presenters: Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford\\nContributors: Professor Adam Zeman, Professor Julia Simner, Professor Fiona Macpherson
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