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The Phenomenology of Offline Perception: Multisensory Profiles of Voluntary Mental Imagery and Dream Imagery.

Maren Bilzer, Merlin Monzel

Vision (Basel, Switzerland) April 21, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/vision9020037 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 226
Population Participants who completed questionnaires on mental imagery and dream imagery
Duration Four-week follow-up
Topics Dreaming Lucid dreaming Philosophy of mind
Keywords Dream imagery Multisensory imagery Offline perception Phantom perception Voluntary mental imagery Mental visualization Dream memory
Citations 6
Key findings Correlations between sensory modalities within waking or dreaming states were significantly stronger than across states, but the association between vividness of voluntary and dream imagery was moderated by dream recall frequency and lucid dreaming.

Abstract

Both voluntary mental imagery and dream imagery involve multisensory representations without externally present stimuli that can be categorized as offline perceptions. Due to common mechanisms, correlations between multisensory dream imagery profiles and multisensory voluntary mental imagery profiles were hypothesized. In a sample of 226 participants, correlations within the respective state of consciousness were significantly bigger than across, favouring two distinct networks. However, the association between the vividness of voluntary mental imagery and vividness of dream imagery was moderated by the frequency of dream recall and lucid dreaming, suggesting that both networks become increasingly similar when higher metacognition is involved. Additionally, the vividness of emotional and visual imagery was significantly higher for dream imagery than for voluntary mental imagery, reflecting the immersive nature of dreams and the continuity of visual dominance while being awake and asleep. In contrast, the vividness of auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile imagery was higher for voluntary mental imagery, probably due to higher cognitive control while being awake. Most results were replicated four weeks later, weakening the notion of state influences. Overall, our results indicate similarities between dream imagery and voluntary mental imagery that justify a common classification as offline perception, but also highlight important differences.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The phenomenology of near-death experiences Subjects who reported near-death experiences 1980 Retrospective study n = 78
Visual Phenomenology of the LSD Flashback Persons with a history of LSD use 1983 Observational cohort n = 123
The neurophenomenology of neutral hypnosis. Individuals of high, medium, and low hypnotizability 2013 Observational cohort n = 37
The Phenomenology of Acute Organic Psychosis Patients with acute organic psychosis and acute schizophrenics 1987 Observational cohort n = 148
EEG oscillatory states as neuro-phenomenology of consciousness as revealed from patients in vegetative and minimally conscious states. Brain-damaged patients with disorders of consciousness and healthy-conscious subjects 2012 Observational cohort

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Dreaming Lucid dreaming Philosophy of mind