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Memory Without Imagery: Episodic Recall And Meta-Cognitive Performance in Individuals with Aphantasia

Poster Session A - Saturday, March 7, 2026, 3:00 – 5:00 pm PST, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballrooms

Anjou Sharma¹, Andrea Blomkvist², Raquel Krempel³, Emily Walsh⁴, Katherine Boere⁵, Felipe DeBrigard¹; ¹Duke University, ²University of Glasgow, ³Federal University of ABC, ⁴University of Central Florida, ⁵University of Victoria

Visual imagery is thought to enhance episodic memory retrieval, yet individuals with aphantasia—the inability to generate visual mental images—challenge this notion. This study examined memory performance in aphantasic individuals following immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences. Participants (N = 62; 23 aphantasic, 20 hypophantasic, 14 control, 5 hyperphantasic) explored two photorealistic VR environments for 5 minutes. Memory was assessed via free recall immediately or after a 24-hour delay. Mixed-effects analyses revealed environment was the strongest predictor of memory performance, accounting for 19-33% of variance on accuracy measures (p < .001). Group differences emerged with marginal to significant effects: aphantasic and hypophantasic participants differed from controls in item accuracy (p = .038), while hyperphantasic individuals demonstrated paradoxically lower confidence despite vivid imagery (p = .033). A significant three-way interaction (Group × Recall Type × Environment, p = .024, η²p = .14) revealed imagery ability groups responded differently to immediate versus delayed testing depending on environment. Critically, groups did not significantly differ in total incorrect items (p = .738), indicating overall accuracy is maintained despite variability during retrieval. Thus, visual imagery does not determine memory performance, as individuals with aphantasia retrieve memories effectively under varying environmental and retrieval conditions. The three-way interaction indicates distinct encoding mechanisms across imagery phenotypes. Aphantasic individuals may achieve accurate recall through compensatory mechanisms, while hyperphantasic individuals' lower confidence suggests a dissociation between vivid phenomenology and metacognitive accuracy. Results challenge unitary accounts of episodic memory, suggesting instead multiple, dissociable memory systems adaptable to individual cognitive profiles and environmental demands.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Episodic