What is the relationship between Aphantasia, Synaesthesia and Autism?
Open accessAbstract
For people with aphantasia, visual imagery is absent or markedly impaired. Here, we investigated the relationship between aphantasia and two other neurodevelopmental conditions also linked to imagery differences: synaesthesia, and autism. In Experiment 1a and 1b, we asked whether aphantasia and synaesthesia can co-occur, an important question given that synaesthesia is linked to strong imagery. Taking grapheme-colour synaesthesia as a test case, we found that synaesthesia can be objectively diagnosed in aphantasics, suggesting visual imagery is not necessary for synaesthesia to occur. However, aphantasia influenced the type of synaesthesia experienced (favouring 'associator' over 'projector' synaesthesia - a distinction tied to the phenomenology of the synaesthetic experience). In Experiment 2, we asked whether aphantasics have traits associated with autism, an important question given that autism - like aphantasia - is linked to weak imagery. We found that aphantasics reported more autistic traits than controls, with weaknesses in imagination and social skills.
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Synaesthesia among people with aphantasia had a more 'associative' and less 'projective' quality than among non-aphantasic synaesthetes.
“However, synaesthesia among people with aphantasia had a more 'associative' and less 'projective' quality than among non-aphantasic synaesthetes”
From Aphantasia and hyperphantasia: exploring imagery vividness extremes (2024) · cites this paper as [70]
One study found no reduction in the frequency of grapheme-colour synaesthesia overall among people with aphantasia.
“one study found no reduction in its frequency overall among people with aphantasia [70”
From Aphantasia and hyperphantasia: exploring imagery vividness extremes (2024) · cites this paper as [70]
First-person reports of synaesthesia are not always supported by objective evidence.
“first-person reports of synaesthesia are not always supported by objective evidence [70”
From Aphantasia and hyperphantasia: exploring imagery vividness extremes (2024) · cites this paper as [70]
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References 118 · Cited by 89
- Authors
- Dance, C. J., Jaquiery, M., Eagleman, D. M., Porteous, D., Zeman, A., & Simner, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Sussex (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Stanford Medicine (US)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Dance, C.J.
- Venue
- Consciousness and Cognition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-03
- Volume
- 89
- Pages
- 103087
- ISSN
- 1053-8100 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3127010054
- Cited by
- 89
- References
- 118
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 12.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- Consciousness and Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Sussex Research Online (University of Sussex) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- European Research Council
- Scottish Funding Council
- Leverhulme Trust
- Arts and Humanities Research Council
- Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Multisensory perception and integration
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Keywords
- aphantasia, synesthesia, autism spectrum disorder, visual imagery, grapheme-colour synaesthesia, autistic traits, imagination, social skills, neurodevelopmental disorders
- MeSH terms
- Synesthesia, Autistic Disorder, Humans, Imagination, Imagery, Psychotherapy, Social Skills
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