Mental imagery is the ability to visualize events and situations in your mind without physical intervention. For example, you can think of your friends and imagine their faces in front of you even if you don’t actually see them.
Scientists believe that the primary visual cortex plays a role in internal visualization. It is located at the back of the brain. The same region processes visual information from the eyes, allowing us to see the world.
The prefrontal cortex is also involved in mental imagery. It is responsible for executive functions. These skills allow us to concentrate, plan, organize and reason.
Many of the same areas of the brain are active both when we are experiencing an event in reality and when we are mentally imagining it from memory.
This ability can be useful. For example, athletes visualize their actions before competitions to prime their brains for success. Also, imagining themselves doing something allows them to master skills with less wear and tear on their bodies. Engineers and mechanics can use visualization to fix or design things.
Source: Ferra
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