Seeing without your eyes
The occipital lobe at the back of the brain processes vision. When you vividly imagine a scene, many of the same early visual areas become active as when you actually see it, in a weaker but organised way. Established
Placing yourself in the scene
The parietal cortex maps space and your body's position in it. It is part of what makes a first-person scene feel like you are there rather than watching a picture. Established
The default mode network
When you are not focused on the outside world, a set of regions along the midline (the medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate/precuneus, with parts of the parietal lobe) becomes more active. This default mode network supports daydreaming, remembering, imagining the future and thinking about yourself. Established
It's also where mind-wandering lives. A guided scene gives it something useful to do: imagine a specific, personally meaningful future instead of drifting.
Does rehearsal work?
A meta-analysis of 35 studies found mental practice improves real performance, though less than physical practice, and more for tasks with a thinking component. Imagery is also a common exercise in sports and performance coaching. Established
What imagery does not do is make an outcome happen by itself. Research on "positive fantasies" suggests that dreaming only about the finished outcome can even reduce effort. That's why your sessions pair the scene with an obstacle and a small action. Emerging
Sources
- Kosslyn, S. M., Ganis, G., & Thompson, W. L. (2001). Neural foundations of imagery. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2(9), 635-642. doi:10.1038/35090055
- Pearson, J., Naselaris, T., Holmes, E. A., & Kosslyn, S. M. (2015). Mental imagery: functional mechanisms and clinical applications. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(10), 590-602. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2015.08.003
- Raichle, M. E., et al. (2001). A default mode of brain function. PNAS, 98(2), 676-682. doi:10.1073/pnas.98.2.676
- Driskell, J. E., Copper, C., & Moran, A. (1994). Does mental practice enhance performance? Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(4), 481-492. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.79.4.481
- Kappes, H. B., & Oettingen, G. (2011). Positive fantasies about idealized futures sap energy. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(4), 719-729. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2011.02.003