The Mental Imagery Resistance
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About The MIR

The Mental Imagery Resistance (MIR) was founded in 2025 by mental imagery advocate and campaigner, Hayley de Ronde, as a result of her personal experience with aphantasia and  undefined imagery. The MIR was born out of a deep conviction that the mind comprises of more than just the five known forms of mental imagery—that imagination, mental imagery, and sensory experience deserve recognition beyond limited materialist explanations.
The MIR seeks to build a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to advocating for research into the senses reported by those with aphantasia—sensations and ways of knowing that exist outside the current scientific framework. The old map of the mind is outdated, it’s time to discard it and chart a new one, one that respects the full spectrum of human perception.

ResearchGate Papers

The MIR is committed to advancing the conversation around mental imagery and neurodiversity through independent research—aimed at encouraging the research community to rethink existing boundaries. Our work highlights the limitations of existing scientific definitions and calls for a more nuanced approach to understanding cognitive diversity.
Addressing the Limitations of the New Aphantasia Definition (2025), is  a critical examination of the gaps in the evolving definition of aphantasia, advocating for a more precise and inclusive framework.
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Refining the Lexicon of Mental Imagery Research Terminology Beyond Absence (2024), is a proposal for expanding the vocabulary used in mental imagery research, moving beyond the binary of presence vs. absence to capture a fuller spectrum of cognitive experiences.
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The study of aphantasia reminds us how easily invisible differences can escape detection.

Professor Adam Zeman

An Emerging Framework 

In December 2024, we introduced a new way to understand mental imagery, identifying fifteen distinct types. Each type falls on a vividness scale, from no imagery at all (aphantasia) to extremely vivid (hyperphantasia). With over a billion possible combinations, this highlights the incredible diversity in how people experience mental images.
Our emphasis is on the importance of recognising and valuing this neurodiversity, noting that each individual's unique mental imagery contributes to a broader understanding of human cognition. The framework aims to provide a more detailed insight into how our minds perceive and interact with various forms of imagery.
Explore Fifteen Types of Mental Imagery

A Handbook for Imagination 

The Cambridge Handbook of the Imagination brings together expert perspectives from anthropology, neuroscience, psychology, and the arts. It explores mental senses beyond the traditional five, including:
By examining these areas, the handbook provides a deeper understanding of how imagination influences human perception and experience.
The Cambridge Handbook of the Imagination

Anonymouse Calling 

Ishtar’s Sh*thouse Poetry is a personal blog where raw, irreverent verse and philosophy collide. Written under the pseudonym Anonymouse Calling, Hayley de Ronde explores human nature with absurdity, brilliance, and contradiction. This is not a place for the tame—it’s a space for unfiltered, unapologetic thoughts that break the bounds of convention.
Notable posts on mental imagery include:
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Disclaimer: The content on this website is intended for informational and advocacy purposes only. It is not a substitute for scientific research, clinical advice, or professional guidance. The perspectives shared here aim to explore and discuss mental imagery experiences—including beyond those currently established—as part of an ongoing conversation within the community.