In a world where communication is often taken for granted, we rarely consider the profound differences in how individuals process and interpret information. Our brains do not all operate in the same way, and for some—such as those with aphantasia, who lack mental imagery and sensory cognition—understanding others, and being understood, can be particularly complex.
This article builds on my earlier speculative work, exploring cognitive diversity, emotional imagery, and multiple intelligences. In Exploring the Relationship Between IIT, Mental Imagery, and Consciousness, I examined how different types of mental imagery contribute to conscious experience. Here, I extend that framework to propose the concept of 'brain languages'—distinct ways of processing and communicating information. By recognizing these differences, we can foster greater empathy and improve communication, even when our cognitive experiences seem fundamentally incompatible
The Invisible Divide
Imagine trying to describe the color red to someone who has been blind from birth. Or attempting to convey the richness of a symphony to someone who has never heard music. When two minds operate on fundamentally different cognitive frameworks, the potential for misunderstanding is immense. This is not due to a lack of intelligence, effort, or even willingness—it is simply the reality of cognitive diversity.
For example, my brain operates without mental visuals, auditory recall, or sensory imagination. While others can “see” pictures in their mind’s eye or “hear” music in their heads, my cognition relies on abstract reasoning, linguistic structures, and emotional intuition. When conversing with someone who relies heavily on sensory-based mental faculties, I often find myself in the position of either taking their word for an experience I cannot fathom or explaining my perspective in ways that may never truly bridge the gap. It’s like trying to run an Android app on a Mac—both powerful systems, but inherently built with different operating languages. While they can achieve similar outcomes, they cannot always process information in the same way.
Different Brain Languages
The concept of 'brain languages' aligns with my earlier work on emotional imagery and multiple intelligences. In Unifying Language: Multiple Intelligences, Mental Sensory Perception, and Mental Imagery, I proposed that mental imagery serves as a bridge between perception and intelligence. Here, I expand on that idea by categorizing cognitive diversity into sensory-based and non-sensory brain languages, each with its own unique strengths and challenges. For example, emotional imagery—a key focus in Ability Emotional Intelligence (AEI) Profiles and Real-Life Outcomes—plays a crucial role in non-sensory brain languages, enabling individuals to process information through feelings and associations rather than sensory recall.
Broadly, brain languages can be categorized into:
Sensory-Based Brain Languages: These rely on mental visuals, auditory recall, tactile memory, or other sensory representations. For example, someone with visual or auditory hyperphantasia might "see" vivid mental pictures or "hear" music in their mind.
Non-Sensory Brain Languages: These operate through abstract reasoning, linguistic structures, emotional processing, or intuition. For instance, someone with global aphantasia (lacking visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory imagery) might think in intuitive or emotional imagery rather than sensory-based imagery.
Within these brain languages, different types of imagery act as the fundamental components of cognition, much like building blocks within a system. For example:
Intuitive imagery: Processes mental representations of gut-instinct and logic-based reasoning.
Emotional imagery: Processes mental representations through feelings and associations.
Spatial imagery: procesess mental representations of navigation and understanding of relationships.
Visual imagery: processes mental representations through visual patterns and systems.
Intraphonic imagery: processes mental representations through vocal patterns and systems.
Understanding these brain languages helps us appreciate the diversity of human cognition and the challenges that arise when different cognitive frameworks interact. What feels natural to one person may be entirely foreign to another, creating potential disconnects in communication and comprehension.
The Role of Imagery in Language
Language, as a communication system, is built upon various cognitive structures, including sensory and non-sensory components. The way an individual experiences cognition influences how they communicate and understand meaning. Some people process language through sensory imagery, associating words with mental visuals, sounds, or tactile sensations. Others, like those with aphantasia, rely on non-sensory imagery, such as abstract, conceptual, or linguistic representations.
For example, when someone says, “Picture a beach at sunset,” a person with visual hyperphantasia might vividly imagine the scene, while someone with visual aphantasia might instead think of the concept of a beach—its warmth, the sound of waves, or the feeling of sand—without any mental visuals. These differences in cognitive processing can create challenges in mutual understanding, much like a language barrier.
As I discussed in Unifying Language: Multiple Intelligences, Mental Sensory Perception, and Mental Imagery, language is deeply intertwined with mental imagery. For individuals with sensory-based brain languages, words may evoke vivid mental pictures or sounds. For those with non-sensory brain languages, like myself, language operates through abstract reasoning or emotional intuition. This aligns with my earlier findings in Exploring the Relationship Between IIT, Mental Imagery, and Consciousness, where I proposed that non-sensory imagery, such as emotional or conceptual thought, can contribute to consciousness as richly as sensory-based imagery.
Trusting Without Full Understanding
This is where trust becomes essential. If I cannot visualise, but someone insists they can, I have to accept their reality without firsthand experience. Likewise, they must trust that when I say I cannot mentally see, hear, or feel things in an imagined way, I am speaking from truth, not a deficiency.
This is a difficult concept for many, because we tend to assume that our internal experiences are universal. But just as spoken languages create barriers that can lead to misinterpretations, cognitive languages—our internal processing methods—can also create disconnects.
The Double Empathy Problem
This disconnect is part of what’s known as the Double Empathy Problem, a concept that suggests that communication issues between vastly neurodivergent individuals aren’t solely the result of deficits in one group. Instead, both sides experience difficulties in understanding and interpreting the other’s perspective. It is not just that an autistic person may struggle to read neurotypical social cues—it’s that neurotypical individuals also struggle to understand autistic communication styles.
In broader terms, this means that rather than placing the burden of understanding on one group alone, we must recognise that true communication requires mutual effort. There will be things lost in translation, just as nuances are lost when moving from one spoken language to another. Accepting this means accepting that perfect understanding is not always possible, but that doesn’t mean connection is impossible.
A Decline in Empathy
Recent research suggests that empathy levels are declining globally. A 2023 "State of the Heart" study by Six Seconds found that emotional intelligence, including empathy, has been decreasing, leading to what they term an "emotional recession." Similarly, a 2010 University of Michigan study found that empathy among college students had declined by 40% since the 1970s, with the most significant drop occurring after 2000. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology further indicated that societal changes, such as increased digital communication and political polarisation, may be contributing to this empathy deficit.
For someone with hyperphantic emotional imagery, the decline in empathy is as obvious as the sky is blue from those around me, online and in the media. These findings reinforce the idea that people are struggling more than ever to understand perspectives different from their own. As communication becomes more digital and less face-to-face, the subtleties of emotional connection may be getting lost, exacerbating the very issues described in the Double Empathy Problem.
A Call for Greater Empathy
This article builds on my prior work by introducing the concept of 'brain languages' as a framework for understanding cognitive diversity. In Exploring the Relationship Between IIT, Mental Imagery, and Consciousness, I examined how mental imagery shapes conscious experience, while in Unifying Language: Multiple Intelligences, Mental Sensory Perception, and Mental Imagery, I explored the role of mental imagery in bridging perception and intelligence. Here, I extend these ideas to propose that cognitive diversity can be understood as distinct brain languages, each with its own unique way of processing and communicating information. By recognizing these differences, we can foster greater empathy and create a more inclusive world.
The lack of empathy in today’s world often stems from an unwillingness to acknowledge different perspectives as valid. If we can begin to articulate and appreciate the diversity of cognitive experiences, we can move toward a culture that values understanding over assumption. Recognizing that different brains speak different languages does not mean we cannot communicate; it simply means we need to learn to listen in new ways. By fostering curiosity rather than skepticism, trust rather than dismissal, and patience rather than frustration, we can bridge the gaps in our understanding. The goal is not to force one mind to think like another, but to create a space where all cognitive languages are respected and valued. In doing so, we can build a more inclusive and empathetic world—one conversation at a time.
By embracing the reality of different brain languages, we take a step toward a world where understanding replaces assumption and where diversity in thought is seen as an asset rather than a barrier.
Sources:
State of the heart: Emotional intelligence trends and insights. Six Seconds.
Changes in dispositional empathy in American college students over time: A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review
Speaking of Psychology: The decline of empathy and the rise of narcissism, with Sara Konrath, PhD
Exploring the relationship between IIT, mental imagery, and consciousness
Ability emotional intelligence (AEI) profiles and real-life outcomes
Unifying language: Multiple intelligences, mental sensory perception, and mental imagery
Gone to the Dogs: Wild Speculations
