Mental Imagery: Towards the causal study of consciousness

• Ephesus, Turkey

• May 30th to June 7th, 2026

• 20 participants

• 850€ - Participation fees will include accommodation for 6 days, all meals and the workshop fee.

• A limited amount of bursaries will be available for participants who wouldn’t be able to attend otherwise, covering part or all of the fees

• Application deadline: March 8th 2026, 23:59 anywhere on earth

Understanding consciousness remains one of neuroscience’s most compelling challenges, and research has traditionally aimed at identifying the neural correlates of consciousness, usually focusing on perceptual awareness or disorders of consciousness. Mental imagery, like dreaming, is a very common yet extremely diverse mental ability, ranging from enriched experiences like synaesthesia to diminished ones such as aphantasia. As such, it can allow us to circumvent some of the heavy confounds present in disorders of consciousness, and to study the essence of experience, unencumbered by perceptual processing, as well as the role of volition.

From psychedelic-induced imagery to electrical brain stimulation, studying mental imagery opens promising avenues for early-career researchers interested in the underpinnings of consciousness.

Format

This workshop will be centered on exchange and debates, inspired by Mediterranean traditions of rhetoric. Throughout the week, participants will work in affinity-based groups to design innovative experimental paradigms that integrate mental imagery into consciousness research.

Each team will present their ideas in structured debates, with another group constructively critiquing their protocols. Alongside daily collaborative work, informal evening debates and improv-style exercises will foster quick thinking, rhetorical skill, and inclusion—ensuring all participants, regardless of experience or confidence level, are empowered to contribute.