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Spiking the mind: Rethinking the role of cortical feedback in visual mental imagery
Roger Koenig-Robert1, Thomas Pace1, Joel Pearson1
1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales.
Psychological Review
|April 13, 2026
Summary
Visual mental imagery and perception share similarities, but new research suggests imagery reshapes spontaneous brain activity instead of directly activating early visual areas. This offers a novel framework for understanding brain feedback mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Visual Processing
Background:
- Visual mental imagery and perception exhibit functional and neural similarities.
- Cortical feedback mechanisms are thought to support visual imagery, potentially reversing perceptual processes.
- Existing evidence on feedback's role in visual imagery is inconclusive, showing modulatory effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and synthesize current understanding of feedback mechanisms in visual imagery.
- To integrate functional effects and neural correlates of visual imagery feedback.
- To propose a new hypothesis on how visual imagery influences neural activity.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on visual imagery and feedback.
- Analysis of functional interactions between visual imagery and perception.
- Interpretation of neural correlates, including cortical feedback pathways.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests feedback mechanisms in visual imagery primarily modulate sensory areas, rather than directly driving action potentials.
- A new hypothesis is proposed: visual imagery reshapes spontaneous neural activity.
- This reshaping, rather than direct spiking, may explain imagery properties.
Conclusions:
- Visual imagery may not be 'perception in reverse' but rather a process that alters ongoing neural dynamics.
- The proposed framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of visual imagery and brain feedback.
- This research opens avenues for new testable predictions regarding brain function and imagery.
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