5th November 2023

Mental Imagery

Imagery can be described as the internal mental representation of the world that is actively drawn from memory. It is distinct from perception because it does not involve any external stimulus or the perception of an actual object, but rather, it is essentially a product of our imagination or fantasy. Imagery involves voluntary production of images with full awareness that they are mental and not external phenomena. When you think about your favourite meal and try to remember all the details, the texture, the colours, the taste, this is an example of mental imagery.

In his book General Psychopathology, Karl Jaspers argued that images are not just simple representations of external objects or events, but rather, they are subjective constructions that are influenced by our individual experiences and perspectives. According to Jaspers, images can take many forms, including not only visual representations but also sounds, smells, and other sensory experiences.

Jaspers described the formal characteristics of images as follows:

• Images are figurative and have a character of subjectivity.
• They appear in inner subjective space.
• They are not clearly delineated and come before us incomplete.
• Although sensory elements are individually equal to those in perception, they are mostly insufficient.
• Images dissipate and always have to be recreated.
• Images are actively created and are dependent on our will.

Images of obsessional thinking

Although this topic of thinking isn’t commonly asked about in Paper A, it is added here to enhance the understanding of imagery and emphasise how complicated it actually is to try to define these phenomena that are fundamentally introspective. Although the description by Jaspers is an admirable attempt to do so, you will realise that in abnormal imagery, some of the qualities might be different than described.

In contrast to normal mental imagery, the images of obsessional thinking may be quite vivid and could be experienced involuntarily.

These images have been considered by De Silva (1986) to be one of the following four types:

1. The obsessional image depicts repetitively the unwanted intrusive cognition – Images of blood flowing, injuries, etc.
2. The compulsive image depicts compulsive behaviour by rectifying either an obsessional image – The woman who saw corpses in coffins and had to imagine the same people standing – or an independent compulsive image.
3. The disaster image affects compulsive checkers who may not only fear that disaster will occur unless they check but also ‘see’ the disaster happening in fantasy – The house burning down if the gas taps are not turned off.
4. The disruptive image may intrude while compulsive rituals are being carried out and necessitate the ritual being recommenced.

Eidetic imagery

Also known as photographic memory, is a rare phenomenon in which an individual can vividly recall visual details of an object or scene with great clarity and detail, even after only a brief exposure to it.

Eidetic imagery:

• Is more commonly observed in children and tends to decline as they grow older.
• May be part of religious experiences.
• Not associated with any specific psychopathology.

References

• de Silva, P. (1986). Obsessional-compulsive imagery. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24(3), 333–350. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(86)90193-2
• Jaspers, K. (1997). General psychopathology: Volume 1 (J. Hoenig & M. W. Hamilton, Trans.). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Oyebode, F. (2018). Sims’ symptoms in the mind: Textbook of descriptive psychopathology(6th ed.). London, England: Elsevier Health Sciences.