An inwardly focused cognitive style links mental imagery and mental health

Variations in mental imagery ability have been linked to emotional, cognitive, and personality traits, but a unifying framework connecting these associations to mental health has been lacking. We propose a model of mental imagery centered on an "inwardly focused" cognitive style, which integrates traits related to visual imagery. By examining the relationship between self-reported imagery vividness and various cognitive and personality measures, we found significant correlations with interoceptive awareness, mindful presence, and traits such as openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion. Canonical correlation analysis identified a singular latent variable reflecting this inward cognitive style, which was negatively associated with alexithymia (difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions) and positively linked to the frequency of involuntary autobiographical memories. A path analysis revealed that this inward focus mediates the relationship between imagery vividness and negative mental health outcomes, such as neuroticism, depression, and stress, via its effects on alexithymia and involuntary memories. These findings suggest that the inwardly focused cognitive style plays a critical role in shaping the relationship between mental imagery and mental health, highlighting its relevance for emotional regulation and well-being.