imagining

Imagining is the cognitive process of forming mental representations of objects, events, or scenarios that are not currently perceived by the senses. It includes the generation, maintenance, and manipulation of images or other sensory simulations in working memory. The scope of imagining covers mental imagery, future-oriented simulation (prospection), and hypothetical or counterfactual thinking, as well as creative ideation and daydreaming.

Modalities include visual imagery, auditory imagery, tactile or kinesthetic imagery, and multimodal experiences. Visual imagery is the most widely studied; people vary in vividness. Some individuals report highly vivid images, while others experience little or no imagery in certain modalities; the latter condition is described as aphantasia in some cases.

Functions: Imagining supports planning, problem solving, and decision making by simulating possible outcomes before acting. It also underpins creativity, storytelling, empathy (imagining others' perspectives), and learning through mental rehearsal.

Development and individual differences: Imagining emerges in early childhood through pretend play and narrative thinking and becomes more complex with education and experience. Cultural factors influence the content and emphasis of imagination. Individual differences in cognitive style, working memory, and sensory imagery affect imaginative ability.

Neuroscience: Imaging studies implicate networks like the default mode network and frontoparietal control network, along with hippocampal involvement in constructing and retrieving imagined content. These processes recruit memory, perception, and planning regions.

Distinctions: Imagining is a waking cognitive activity distinct from dreaming or hallucinatory experiences, though dreamlike imagery can appear in imagination. It interacts with perception by priming attention and expectation.