imaginatio

Imaginatio is a Latin term for the faculty of forming mental images. In classical and medieval thought, imaginatio denotes the mind's capacity to receive, retain, and manipulate sensory-derived images, acting as an intermediate stage between sensation and reasoning. It encompasses recalling past experiences, visualizing possible scenarios, and constructing scenes in the absence of external input. Some traditions distinguish imaginatio from phantasia or intellectus, while others treat them as overlapping aspects of the same cognitive process.

Etymologically, imaginatio comes from imaginari, to form a likeness, with the nominal suffix -atio.

In contemporary psychology and neuroscience, mental imagery refers to perceptual representations that can be voluntarily invoked and manipulated across sensory modalities, most studied in vision. Research explores its role in memory, planning, and problem solving, and reports activation in sensory cortices during imagery. The broader term imagination covers creative and hypothetical thinking beyond image formation, including ideas, plans, and narratives.

Imaginatio has influenced literature, religion, and education, where image formation is linked to memory, revelation, and pedagogy. Philosophical discussions probe the epistemic status of imagined content and its relation to bodily perception and truth.