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Synesthesia as (Multimodal) Mental Imagery.
1Centre for Philosophical Psychology, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 15, Antwerp 2000, Belgium.
Multisensory Research
|March 11, 2021
Summary
Synesthesia involves unique mental imagery. Viewing synesthesia as a form of mental imagery offers new explanations, particularly for non-sensory triggered synesthetic experiences.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Synesthesia is often linked to unusual mental imagery.
- The precise relationship between synesthesia and mental imagery remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate that all synesthesia forms are types of mental imagery.
- To highlight the explanatory advantages of conceptualizing synesthesia as mental imagery.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of synesthesia and mental imagery.
- Examination of existing literature on synesthesia, focusing on less typical cases.
Main Results:
- All forms of synesthesia can be understood as manifestations of mental imagery.
- This perspective provides significant explanatory benefits for various synesthesia types.
Conclusions:
- Synesthesia is fundamentally a form of mental imagery.
- Viewing synesthesia through the lens of mental imagery enhances understanding, especially for cases not triggered by sensory input.
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