Mental imagery taps into the brain’s same perceptual code
TL;DR
New single‑cell recordings show that many neurons in the ventral temporal cortex fire during both seeing and imagining objects; researchers could reconstruct viewed images from brain activity, and about 40% of imagery‑related neurons reactivated in line with the original patterns, indicating imagination uses largely the same cellular machinery as perception with implications for memory, creativity, and PTSD therapies.
- Your brain uses the same cells to see and imagine Earth.com
- Seeing and imagining activate some of the same brain cells Science News
- People use the same neurons to see and imagine objects, study shows Medical Xpress
- The Biological Basis of Imagination Nautilus | Science
- Imagine That: Brain Uses Neurons from Vision System When Forming Mental Imagery Caltech
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