Mental images are neither seen nor unseen: demystifying quasi-sensory experience
May 23, 2025 Alexander A Sulfaro 1 citation preprint
Mental images have a distinctive, ethereal appearance that is neither clearly visible nor invisible. This article proposes that mental images involve quasi-sensory experiences of thought content without experiencing basic visual features like color or shape. Quasi-sensory experiences are common in everyday perception, such as the fluctuating experience when viewing bistable illusions like the rabbit-duck, or the inaccessible features in associative agnosia. These experiences are conscious, somewhat visual (occurring within the visual field), yet distinct from perceiving basic visual features. Viewing mental imagery as quasi-sensory aligns with neuropsychological evidence showing it requires mid- and late-stage visual processing, not early-stage. This account may help individuals differentiate whether they experience typical mental images or define them differently.