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Psychology professor explains: Voices are disappearing from imagination

byadmin
December 22, 2024

Scientists at the University of Auckland are studying anauralia, a rare condition that affects individuals who cannot imagine sounds. This condition, commonly known as the “silent mind”, refers to a mental structure in which people cannot experience inner voices or imaginary music.

The conference titled “Mind’s Ear and Inner Voice” to be held in Auckland between April 14-16 aims to create an interdisciplinary discussion platform on anauralia and its opposite, hyperauralia. Scientists, artists, musicians and philosophers will attend the conference to discuss the inner voice phenomenon.
Anauralia means a lack of auditory imagination. This condition is characterized by people being unable to imagine a dog barking, a song, or any other sound experience in their mind.
Anauralia, which is usually associated with aphantasia, a condition in which visual imagination is lacking, affects only 1% of the population and does not pose any disadvantages and may provide potential benefits such as increased attention levels.
Auckland University Psychology Professor Tony Lambert points out that this issue has an important place in the creative process, especially for writers, musicians and poets. “How does the brain produce or not produce imaginary sounds? “This can be the key to the creative process for artists,” says Lambert, emphasizing the importance of an interdisciplinary perspective.
The conference will discuss not only silent minds but also hyperauralia, a condition characterized by extremely vivid auditory imagery. Individuals with hyperauralia report being able to visualize a symphony in full detail in their minds or experiencing very powerful auditory imagery.
Auckland University student Sang Hyun Kim, who experiences hyperauralia, says he finds the idea of ​​hearing other people’s imaginary voices “weird” and is very excited about research in this area. The conference will discuss personal experiences as well as the psychological and creative effects of these situations.
Although auditory imagery has not received as much attention as visual imagery in recent years, Lambert believes that this is changing. Lambert, who stated that he became interested in the subject after meeting Adam Zeman, the scientist who coined the term aphantasia, said, “We now have good answers about how common a silent inner world is. But understanding its psychological effects will take longer,” he says.
The conference is seen as an important step towards understanding the effects of silent minds and vivid auditory imagery on human experience by bringing together the fields of science as well as art and philosophy. Understanding how such rare mental structures affect creative processes and human perception in a broader context continues to be of great interest to both scientific and artistic circles.
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