Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Understanding the mind's eye...and nose

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature Neuroscience

View current issue Submit your manuscript

New findings reveal that people sniff when imagining odors and that sniffing can modify the pleasantness or unpleasantness of the mental image. The work parallels findings in other systems and suggests common neural principles for mental imagery.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Bensafi et al.3 measured inhalation volumes ('sniffs') and found that people sniffed when asked to imagine the smell of an odor.

References

  1. Kosslyn, S.M. Image and Mind (Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Laeng, B. & Teodorescu, D.-S. Cognit. Sci. 26, 207–231 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bensafi, M. et al. Nat. Neurosci. 6, 1142–1144 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Marr, D. Vision (MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Tanaka, K. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 19, 109–139 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Elmes, D.G. Chem. Senses 23, 443–445 (1998).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kosslyn, S.M. & Thompson, W.L. Psychol. Bull. 129, 723–746 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, 832 William James Hall, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts, USA

    Stephen M Kosslyn

Authors
  1. Stephen M Kosslyn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kosslyn, S. Understanding the mind's eye...and nose. Nat Neurosci 6, 1124–1125 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1103-1124

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1103-1124

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

Search

Navigation