The Brains Blog

Responses to Andrea Blomkvist, Fabrizio Calzavarini and Wade MunroeBence Nanay I have always thought of philosophy as a conversation. I know, not a very original take, Socrates and all, but it’s true. A conversation not just with other philosophers but also a conversation between disciplines. That is part of why …

Wade Munroe, University of Nebraska, Lincoln There is much to appreciate in Bence Nanay’s monograph. In particular, Nanay’s analysis of mental imagery is especially insightful. The expression, “mental imagery,” is a technical term introduced in experimental psychology’s nascency. As Nanay rightly argues, our use of, “mental imagery,” qua term of …

Fabrizio Calzavarini, University of Turin Bence Nanay’s Mental Imagery (OUP) is an impressive work that provides a comprehensive neurofunctional exploration of the idea that mental imagery is “perceptual representation that is not directly triggered by sensory input” (p. 4). Bence’s ability to combine sophisticated philosophical analyses with careful discussion of …

Dr Andrea Blomkvistandrea.blomkvist@glasgow.ac.ukCentre for the Study of Perceptual ExperienceUniversity of Glasgow One of the most imagination-capturing concepts discussed in Bence Nanay’s recent book Mental Imagery (Nanay, 2024) is unconscious mental imagery. For many of us, mental imagery seems inherently phenomenally conscious (see for example Kung, 2010). But in Nanay’s book, …

Mental Imagery: Philosophy, Psychology, Neuroscience. Not really a Precis.Bence Nanay, University of Antwerp Let’s assume you’re reading this piece on your phone – a reasonable assumption these days. And let’s assume you’re reading it while standing in line at the checkout of your grocery store – a good time to …