[ad_1]
Research has found that people with little or no ability to visualize mental images are more likely to work in the scientific and mathematical industries than in the creative sector.
A study led by the University of Exeter examined people with aphantasia, which describes when people can’t visualize in the mind.
The phenomenon is the opposite of hyperfantasia, where people have particularly vivid mental images, which have been shown to be more common in creative professions.
Adam Zeman, professor of cognitive and behavioral neurology, initially coined the phrase aphantasia in 2015.
“This discovery adds significantly to our understanding of aphantasia,” said Professor Zeman.
“Our research shows that afantasia has certain benefits for people working in technical sectors, while hyperfantasia predisposes people to work in the arts.
“While this is the general trend, we know that there are many exceptions, for example, we recently hosted an art exhibition created by fantasy artists that was exhibited in Exeter and Glasgow in 2019.”
The research involved 2,000 people with afantasia, 200 with hyperfantasia and 200 mid-range imaging intensity control participants.
More than 20% of people with aphantasia worked in science, computer science, or mathematics.
In those with hyperfantasy, more than 25% worked in the arts, design, entertainment, and other creative industries.
Professor Craig Venter, who led the team reporting the first draft of the human genome sequence, has aphantasia.
“As a scientific leader, I discovered that aphantasia greatly assimilates complex information into new ideas and approaches,” said Professor Venter.
“By understanding concepts versus memorizing facts, you could lead complex, multidisciplinary teams without knowing their level of detail.”
The research was led by the University of Exeter with collaborators from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University.
The article is published in Cortex magazine.
[ad_2]