麻豆传媒

Why can鈥檛 we conjure up smell and touch in our heads, but we can 鈥渓isten鈥� to music when nothing is coming through our ears? (cont.)

James Northover
Poole, Dorset, UK

This surely must vary from person to person in the same way some individuals are unable to visualise images in their head, often referred to as aphantasia. The vividness of these virtual senses may be correlated with each other, as a 2020 study suggests that people with aphantasia often report decreased mental 鈥渋magery鈥� in the other senses.

Speaking for myself, I have no difficulty in conjuring up sensations of touch and odours in my head, including of things that don鈥檛 exist in our reality. This comes in handy as a writer of fiction.

Pauline Fothergill
Pocklington, East Yorkshire, UK

But I do! Flavours too. I never thought anything of it. I thought everyone was able to. So, now I need to know 鈥� is this my latest trivial superpower?

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