#55 The Blind Mind’s Eye: How Aphantasia Is Rewriting Consciousness ! Dr Adam Zeman

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The Giants Shoulder

Evan McGloughlin

73 episodes

3 days ago

A Neuroscience podcast. Each week I talk with experts on a range of topics from consciousness and neuroplasticity to evolution and everything in between. I have a particular interest in consciousness and understanding our inner subjective conscious experience. Evan has a Neuroscience degree from Trinity College Dublin and is the co-founder of 2 (failed) edtech startups. He is a professional tennis coach and Triathlete enthusiast.

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#55 The Blind Mind’s Eye: How Aphantasia Is Rewriting Consciousness ! Dr Adam Zeman

The Giants Shoulder

1 hour 31 minutes 1 second

1 month ago

#55 The Blind Mind’s Eye: How Aphantasia Is Rewriting Consciousness ! Dr Adam Zeman

Professor Adam Zeman is a Neurologist at the University of Exeter and the scientist who coined the term aphantasia — the “blind mind’s eye” — after a patient suddenly lost the ability to visualize following heart surgery.Since then, he has led the global investigation into why some minds picture nothing while others see in IMAX 8K, uncovering what this hidden spectrum of imagination reveals about memory, dreams, emotion, creativity, and even consciousness itself. He is also the author of Consciousness: A User’s Guide, A Portrait of the Brain, and The Shape of Things Unseen.Expect to learn why up to 5% of people can’t form mental images, how hyperphantasia floods the mind with cinema-like detail, why imagination is our brain’s “default mode,” how differences in the mind’s eye shape autobiographical memory and emotional vividness, why aphantasics still dream in pictures, what hallucinations and delusions reveal about the creative brain, how imagination connects to empathy and storytelling, the cultural impact of naming aphantasia, and much more…Timestamps: 00:00 Intro02:25 The Birth of Aphantasia05:32 The Journey to Recognition10:08 Understanding Aphantasia's Prevalence12:44 The Implications of Labeling14:33 The Complexity of Imagery18:10 Variability in Inner Experience22:31 Acquired vs. Congenital Aphantasia29:54 Neural Mechanisms of Aphantasia30:44 Spectrum of Aphantasia33:02 Exploring the Genetic Basis of Aphantasia37:31 Developmental Insights into Aphantasia42:13 The Complexity of Mental Imagery49:10 The Co-evolution of Perception and Imagery52:16 Potential Benefits of Aphantasia57:29 The Trainability of Visualization Skills01:02:48 The Nature of Memory and Imagination01:06:07 Aphantasia and Autobiographical Memory01:08:48 Emotional Memory and Aphantasia01:12:42 Aphantasia in Therapy and Education01:18:05 Aphantasia and Consciousness01:23:39 Future Directions in Aphantasia Research...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Shape of Things Unseen: A New Science of Imagination …Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249