Can you "see" images in your mind? Some people can't - Adam Zeman

翻译人员: Marie Li 校对人员: Bruce Wang

When reading Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,”

在阅读刘易斯·卡罗尔的 《爱丽丝梦游仙境》时，

most readers visualize the Queen's croquet game play out in their heads.

大多数读者在脑海中幻想 着红桃王后槌球比赛的画面。

“...it was all ridges and furrows;

“…到处都是山脊和沟壑；

the balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingos,

球是活的刺猬，木槌是活的火烈鸟，

and the soldiers had to double themselves up and to stand on their hands and feet,

纸牌兵们不得不弯曲自己 努力用手和脚站立，

to make the arches.”

做拱门。”

A few might see vivid details,

少数人可能会看到生动的细节，

such as the pattern of the hedgehog's quills or the flush of the queen's face.

比如刺猬羽毛笔的图案 或是红桃王后脸上的红晕。

However, a small fraction of readers have a drastically different experience.

但是，一小部分读者的体验截然不同。

As the scene plays out on the page, within their heads,

当这一幕在纸上上演时， 在他们的头脑中，

they “see” absolutely nothing.

他们什么都没有 “看见”。

This inability to clearly visualize images in the mind’s eye

这种无法在大脑 中清晰地可视化图像的现象被

is known as aphantasia,

称为心盲症，

and it applies to around 4% of the world’s population.

世界上约4％的人口拥有这种症状。

It was first characterized by a psychologist in the 19th century,

它最初的特点是19世纪 的心理学家发现的，

who asked study participants to visualize their breakfast table

他要求研究参与者 将他们的早餐桌可视化，

and then rate the vividness and color of this mental picture.

然后对这幅心理画面的 生动和色彩进行评分。

He determined that mental imagery exists on a spectrum.

他将心理意象排列在光谱上。

At one end are people with aphantasia,

一端是心盲症患者，

and at the other are people with hyperphantasia,

另一端是高幻觉症患者，

with imagery so real, it rivals seeing.

其图像如此真实，可与现实媲美。

And most people land somewhere in between these two extremes.

而且大多数人处于这两个极端之间。

But how do we know if someone with aphantasia

但是我们怎么知道有些心盲症的

isn’t describing the same experience as someone with mental imagery,

患者描述的经历是 与具有高幻觉症的人相同的，

just in different terms?

只是用不同的术语来描述呢？

In other words, how does one objectively measure

换句话说，一个人如何客观地衡量

what’s going on in someone else’s mind?

他人脑海中正在发生的事情？

In one study, scientists looked for clues in people's eyes.

在一项研究中， 科学家们在人们的眼中寻找线索。

They investigated differences in pupillary light reflexes,

他们研究了瞳孔光反射的差异，

or how the pupil automatically constricts in response to light.

或者瞳孔如何根据光线自动收缩。

Even just imagining that you are looking into a light

即使只是想象你在看强光

will cause the pupil to narrow—

也会导致瞳孔变窄——

or at least it will if you have mental imagery.

或者至少如果你有 心理意象的话，会导致瞳孔变窄。

They found that the eyes of people with aphantasia don’t constrict

他们发现，心盲症患者的眼睛在想象

when imagining light.

光线时不会收缩。

Brain-imaging studies may help decipher another perplexing phenomenon:

脑成像研究可能有助于解读 另一种令人困惑的现象：

people with aphantasia can see mental imagery when they dream.

心盲症患者在做梦时可以看到心理意象。

How this happens is likely explained by the contrasting ways

这种情况是如何发生的，

the brain generates deliberate visualization versus dream imagery.

可以用大脑生成刻意可视化 与梦境图像截然不同的方式来解释。

Typically, conjuring a mental image involves multiple brain regions,

通常，召唤一个心理图像 涉及多个大脑区域，

and is sometimes referred to as a top-down process.

有时被称为自上而下的过程。

First, actively trying to visualize an object

首先，积极尝试对物体进行可视化

activates cognitive control regions of our brain.

会激活我们大脑的认知控制区域。

This then drives activity in regions of the brain

然后，这会推动与记忆和视觉

associated with memory and vision, creating a mental picture.

相关的大脑区域的活动， 从而形成心理画面。

People with hyperphantasia tend to have stronger connections between these regions

与心盲症患者相比， 高幻觉症患者在这些区域之间的联系

compared to those with aphantasia.

往往更强。

As for dreaming,

至于做梦，

many scientists believe this imagery is produced by a different bottom-up pathway,

许多科学家认为，这种图像是 由不同的自下而上途径产生的，

through activity deep in the brain

通过大脑深处的活动

spontaneously activating visual and memory systems.

自发地激活视觉和记忆系统。

So, what causes the spectrum of mental imagery to develop?

那是什么导致心理意象范围的发展呢？

Aphantasia often runs in families,

心盲症通常是家族遗传性的，

suggesting that the vividness of your mental canvas

这表明你的心理画布的生动性

may be influenced by your genes.

可能会受到基因的影响。

While most people with aphantasia have it their entire lives,

虽然大多数心盲症都会伴随患者的一生，

some people can develop it later in life—

但有人可能会在生命的中途患上心盲症，

often due to brain injury or psychological conditions.

通常是由于脑损伤或心理状况造成的。

But in most cases, imagery extremes aren’t considered disorders

但是在大多数情况下， 极端幻想不被视为

in need of treatment,

需要治疗的疾病，

but rather intriguing variations in human experience.

而是人类体验的有趣差异。

For example, for those with a mind's eye,

例如，对于那些有想象力的人来说，

the excitement of a thrilling story will cause them to sweat a little,

一个惊险故事的兴奋会让他们流点汗，

even if they don't notice it.

即使他们没有注意到。

People with aphantasia, however, lack this sweat response—

但是，心盲症患者 缺乏这种流汗的反应——

presumably because it depends on the emotional effect

大概是因为这取决于想象故事情节

of imagining the the storyline.

的情感影响。

At the same time, scientists have speculated that aphantasia

同时，科学家推测，心盲症可以预防

may be protective against certain mental health disorders,

某些心理健康障碍，特别是那些与负面

specifically those related to negative imagery, like PTSD—

意象相关的疾病，例如创伤后应激障碍，

though more research is needed.

尽管这还需要更多的研究。

Recalling details, like the food served at last year’s holiday party,

回忆细节，例如去年节日聚 会上供应的食物， 对于高幻觉症患者来说

may not be as difficult for people with hyperphantasia,

可能并不困难，

as they tend to have a richer memory of past events

因为他们往往对过去的事件 有着更丰富多彩的记忆，

and can “relive” these experiences in greater detail.

并可以更详细地 “重温” 这些经历。

Differences in mental imagery may even influence your career choice.

心理意象的差异 甚至可能影响你的职业选择。

A survey of over 2,000 people found that those with aphantasia

一项针对2,000多人的调查 发现，心盲症患者们

are more likely to work in STEM professions,

更有可能从事STEM专业，

while people with hyperphantasia tend to gravitate towards jobs

而高幻觉症患者往往倾 向于在艺术、媒体和设计

in the arts, media, and design.

领域工作。

We may never be able to fully understand what’s happening

我们可能永远无法完全理解他人脑海

in another person's mind.

中正在发生的事情。

The inner worlds of those around you might be quite different from your own.

你周围的人的内心世界 可能与你自己的世界大不相同。