Imagery Deficits as an Under-Recognized Consequence of Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma is highly prevalent, affecting over half of adults, yet its impact on mental imagery remains largely unexplored. Here we report a novel link between childhood adversity and impaired mental imagery. We examined imagery deficits in a community sample (N=317) using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire. Severe emotional abuse was strongly associated with acquired imagery deficits. Individuals with severe emotional abuse demonstrated 4-5 times higher rates of acquired imagery deficits (14-21%) compared to those with low trauma exposure (3-5%), with effects observed across the full imagery spectrum. Given that severe emotional abuse affects 15-16% of the population, prevalence estimates suggest 2-3% of the general population may experience trauma-related imagery impairment. This association may reflect disrupted stress-regulation systems that impair integration of bodily, emotional, and visual information necessary for mental imagery. These findings reveal a previously overlooked consequence of childhood trauma with significant clinical implications, as many evidence-based trauma interventions rely on intact visualization abilities.