Vacant podium has not dispelled visions (8)

I believe the answer is:

phantoms

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'visions' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both related to thinking as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?

'vacant podium has not dispelled' is the wordplay.
'vacant' suggests removing the centre (a vacant or emptied out form of the word).
'dispelled' indicates an anagram.
'podium' with its middle taken out is 'pm'.
'pm'+'has'+'not'='pmhasnot'
'pmhasnot' with letters rearranged gives 'PHANTOMS'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for phantoms that I've seen is " Spectres, ghosts".)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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