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imagination

Also known as faculty of imagining

thumb|Joseph Noel Paton , Dante Meditating the Episode of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Imagination is the representation of sensations or physical objects in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Often described as forming pictures in the mind, it is commonly equated with mental imagery, though imaginary experiences do not have to be purely visual, and can include other sensory experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Imaginings can be re-creations of past experiences, such as vivid memories with or without changes, or completely invented and possibly fantastical scenes. I

AI overview

Imagination is the ability to create mental representations of sensations, objects, or experiences without direct sensory input—such as picturing scenes in your mind or recalling memories with modifications. It matters because it allows you to mentally experience things beyond what you directly perceive, encompassing not just visual images but also sounds, emotions, and thoughts, whether based on past experiences or entirely invented scenarios.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

45,434 papers

Imagination and social movements.ReviewCurrent opinion in psychology · 2020Hawlina H, Pedersen OC, Zittoun TDOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.02.009
Complexes and imagination.ReviewThe Journal of analytical psychology · 2014Kast VDOI: 10.1111/1468-5922.12113
Subjective signal strength distinguishes reality from imagination.Nature communications · 2023Dijkstra N, Fleming SMDOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37322-1
Cultivating the social-emotional imagination in gifted education: insights from educational neuroscience.ReviewAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2016Gotlieb R, Hyde E, Immordino-Yang MH et al.DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13165
Counterfactual imagination impairs memory for true actions: EEG and behavioural evidence.Cognitive neuroscience · 2024Dhammapeera P, Brunskill C, Hellerstedt R et al.DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2024.2315814
Collaborative imagination synchronizes representations of the future and fosters social connection in the present.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024Fowler Z, Palombo DJ, Madan CR et al.DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318292121
Origins and Evolution of Imagination, From Australopithecus to Modern-Day Deep Learning.ReviewWiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science · 2026Sidhu KK, Roy R, D'Angiulli ADOI: 10.1002/wcs.70030
Counterfactual Thought.ReviewAnnual review of psychology · 2016Byrne RMDOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033249

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Wikidata facts

Image: Lieut goverr Gall-stone, inspired by Alecto; -or- the birth of Minerva (BM Y,5.25 1).jpg

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Commons category: Imagination

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~27 min read

Article

23 sections

Contents

Etymology
Definition
Conceptual history
Ancient
Middle Ages
Renaissance and early modern
Enlightenment and thereafter
Modern
Cross-cultural
In psychological research
Memory
Perception
Brain activation
Cognitive development in children
Decision-making
Mental health
Evolutionary theory
Moral imagination
Artificial imagination
See also
References
Further reading
External links

Imagination is the process of developing theories and ideas based on the functioning of the mind through a creative division. Drawing from actual perceptions, imagination employs intricate conditional processes that engage both semantic and episodic memory to generate new or refined ideas. This part of the mind helps develop better and easier ways to accomplish tasks, whether old or new.