Evidence for the Uniqueness of Eidetic Imagery

Abstract

This research examined the performance of eidetic subjects, classified by the standard self-report criteria, on a set of objective and subjective measures. Eidetic subjects were statistically superior to controls on an ‘accuracy of report’ test and a superimposition task, but these differences were not so large as to provide compelling evidence for the uniqueness of eidetic imagery. Further experiments investigated the effects of stimulus manipulations—type of interference and level of illumination—on, respectively, visual retention and duration of phenomenal image. The pattern of effects differed markedly between eidetic subjects and a control group matched on a measure of capacity for visual memory. These findings provide converging evidence for a qualitative distinction between eidetic imagery and visual memory that does not rely on differences in storage capacity. Eidetic imagery appears to be a long-lasting, percept-like experience which varies considerably in clarity and definition; its duration is critically dependent on level of illumination and its contents are easily disrupted by after-coming visual stimuli.