Some people can't hear "inner voices" and are unable to imagine common sounds

Close your eyes and imagine this — a loud thunder clap during a storm; birds chirping as the sun rises; or the harmony of musical sounds coming from a stage as your favorite band performs.

Now, imagine if you tried to recreate these sounds in your mind, but weren’t able to do so.

This is a condition called “anauralia,” where an individual doesn’t have an auditory imagination — it simply doesn’t exist.

A silent inner world

Anauralia, a condition characterized by a “silent mind,” challenges the way we understand inner experiences.

For individuals with anauralia, this silent inner world is their reality — a mind devoid of inner voices or imagined sounds.

This enigmatic, fascinating condition was labeled “anauralia” in 2021 by researchers at the University of Auckland.

As the world becomes more aware of anauralia, the Waipapa Taumata Rau has taken the lead in organizing a global conference, “Mind’s Ear and Inner Voice.”

The goal is to investigate the enigma of sounds imagined in the mind.

Understanding imagination — the basics

Imagination starts in your mind when your brain pieces together past experiences, learned knowledge, and sensory information to form new mental images.

Essentially, your brain grabs familiar concepts and mashes them up with fresh possibilities. This process engages various regions, including the frontal cortex responsible for planning and creativity, and the hippocampus that stores memories.

Your imagination can also spark emotional responses, which amplifies or colors your mental scenes. This might explain why you feel energized when picturing future goals or get goosebumps during a daydream about a haunting scenario.

In many ways, imagination is your personal playground for ideas, where logic, memory, and emotion mingle to shape new visions and possibilities.

Science, art, and the silent mind

The conference, which will take place in April 2025, will bring together scientists, philosophers, musicians, poets, and writers.

These diverse professionals will offer distinct perspectives, providing a holistic view of how the mind creates imaginary sounds.

“Scientists are fascinated by how the brain makes – or doesn’t make – imaginary sounds such as the inner voice. But for writers, musicians, and poets, it can be a key part of the creative process, so they have insights to share, too,” said Professor Tony Lambert from Auckland’s School of Psychology.

Notable authors like Charles Dickens and Alice Walker claimed to hear their characters’ voices, while some readers create distinctive voices for characters in their minds.

For individuals like University of Auckland student Sang Hyun Kim, who has a silent mind, the concept of others hearing imaginary voices seems “freaky.”

The spectrum of anauralia

The brain’s ability to create auditory imagery ranges from people who can reproduce intricate symphonies in their minds to those who have weaker or no auditory imagery.

The “silent mind” can be a perplexing condition, especially when a musician is involved. How can one perform without the ability to summon sounds in one’s mind?

“I don’t understand this either,” said Professor Lambert. He noted that such musicians might have non-sensory representations of music, akin to the difference between hearing music and seeing it represented as a score.

The research indicates that around one percent of New Zealand’s population experiences anauralia, which is often accompanied by a lack of visual imagination – a condition termed aphantasia.

Interestingly, recent studies suggest that a silent mind may have an upside: improved attention.

Anauralia and auditory imagery

“As compared to visual imagery, auditory imagery has attracted far less research attention,” said Professor Lambert.

By focusing on this unexplored area through an interdisciplinary approach, the conference promises to offer unique insights.

Professor Lambert became interested in this topic after meeting Adam Zeman, who coined the term “aphantasia.”

There are still many unanswered questions about anauralia.

How many people in the world are unable to imagine voices, music, or other sounds? In other words, how common is this? What are the psychological implications of experiencing a silent inner world?

“We now have good answers to the first two questions. The last question is a much larger one, but I believe we have made strong progress,” said Professor Lambert.

With the University’s Anauralia Lab and a grant from the Marsden Fund, the ongoing research includes a neuroimaging study encompassing high-density EEG, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and electromyography of activity in muscles used for speech.

Featuring keynote speakers from around the globe, the conference will shed light on auditory verbal hallucinations and cognitive literary studies, contributing significantly to understanding the silent realm of the human mind.

Anauralia’s impact on daily life

The silent mind of an individual with anauralia presents unique challenges and opportunities, particularly in creative and professional fields.

While some might wonder how musicians or writers without auditory imagination navigate their work, researchers suggest that alternative cognitive strategies may play a key role.

For example, these individuals might rely more heavily on logical patterns, visual cues, or tactile feedback to achieve their goals.

Interestingly, the absence of inner sounds doesn’t necessarily hinder creativity.

Some artists and musicians with anauralia report that their silent minds allow them to approach projects without the distractions of unwanted mental noise, enabling sharper focus and unconventional methods of expression.

Similarly, in daily life, individuals with anauralia may find it easier to maintain attention and remain present because they are free from the mental echoes of conversations or repetitive tunes.

As research continues to uncover more about this condition, it challenges traditional notions of imagination and creativity, offering valuable insights into the diversity of human cognition and its adaptability.

Information about the 2025 Anauralia Conference can be found here.

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