How Does the Brain Generate Imagination?

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Interestingly, there is no specific “imagination cortex” that shows up in brain imaging. Instead, imagination is a product of various inputs across the brain and the body as a whole.

We understand that imagination is not a singular experience (see Four kinds of imagination and how they create our world), and that our perceptions can differ significantly (see “The extremes of imagination reveal how we perceive reality”). However, recent advances in neuroscience have enhanced our understanding of how different brain components contribute to imagination.

Improvements in brain imaging technology, particularly functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), have shown that imagination is organized into several distinct networks. These networks enable the sharing of information internally and connections with others, allowing the brain to transition between different cognitive “modes” by engaging the appropriate network for specific tasks.

It sparks creativity

Three crucial networks play a role in our imaginative capacity. The most significant one was serendipitously identified in the late 1990s when researchers observed a consistent brain activity pattern while participants awaited tasks in an fMRI scanner.

Regions associated with memory, emotion, and self-reflection exhibited heightened activity, indicating an inward focus when participants were not engaged in a specific task. This network is now recognized as the Default Mode Network (DMN).