What is this collection about?

Visual mental imagery has long been a central topic in vision science. Recent research has increasingly highlighted the variability in imagery experiences across individuals, ranging from a complete absence of imagery (aphantasia) to extremely vivid imagery (hyperphantasia). Despite substantial advances, the functions and neural correlates of visual imagery remain an active area of investigation.

This cross-journal Collection invites manuscripts that showcase recent developments in understanding the mechanisms, functions, and subjective experience of visual imagery. Topics of interest include neural mechanisms of imagery, individual differences such as aphantasia and hyperphantasia, methods for assessing imagery, and the cognitive processes associated with imagery.

The Collection is open to all authors, provided submissions align with the scope of the Collection and the participating journals, including Nature Communications, Communications Psychology, and Scientific Reports.

Why is this collection important?

Understanding visual mental imagery is essential for advancing knowledge in perception, cognition, and brain function. The growing recognition of variability in imagery experiences has opened new directions for research, particularly in linking subjective experience with measurable neural processes.

This Collection provides a timely platform to bring together interdisciplinary research addressing both fundamental and applied questions in visual imagery. By integrating perspectives from neuroscience, psychology, and computational approaches, it aims to deepen insight into how imagery shapes cognition and behaviour, and to clarify ongoing debates about its underlying mechanisms.

Why submit to a collection?

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors and In-House Editors who are experts in their fields and supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores, and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.

Who is involved?

Communications Psychology is edited by both in-house professional editors and Editorial Board Members.

Guest Editor for Communications Psychology

Nadine Dijkstra, PhD, University College London, United Kingdom 

Nadine Dijkstra is a principal research fellow at the Department of Imaging Neuroscience (the FIL), Institute of Neurology, University College London, where she leads the Imagine Reality Lab. Her research aims to understand the relationship between mental imagery and perception in the human brain by using a combination of psychophysics, neuroimaging, machine learning and computational modeling. She obtained her PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the Donders Institute in the Netherlands in 2019.

Nature Communications is edited by in-house professional editors.

Scientific Reports is managed by in-house professional editors and edited by Editorial Board Members.

Our editors work closely together to ensure the quality of our published papers and consistency in author experience.

How can I submit my paper?

Visit the Collection page to find out more about this collection and submit your article.