how is the brain able to give us images when we are imagining something?

Question

how is the brain able to give us images when we are imagining something?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Alright neuroscience student here just finished my masters degree (looking for a PhD tutor if any takers reading this).

So, when you imagine something you are not actually seeing the thing, you are remembering something at least similar that you have seen already and is already stored in your memory. That’s why you can only imagine things that you know (example: you know a tree and the color red so you can imagine a red tree).

We don’t really know much about memory storage, it seems like memories are stored in synapses (connection between neurons) all over the brain.

Now, when we see something the raw data comes through the eyes to a “basic” processing area (occipital cortex) and more complex information like shape or meaning (name of the thing) is processed in temporal cortex (not 100% sure if I got the right name).

Neuroimage studies show that when we think of something this complex area activates in the same place as if we actually saw the thing (just more lightly). Some other synapses related to memories involving the thing also activate. Something similar would happen if I said: imagine I touched your arm.

So when you imagine you “see” the thing probably because your brain is activating in a similar way as if you were actually seeing it.

Like you were five: you don’t see it, it’s a memory and you can form the image in your head because your brain activates the “thing” related areas of your brain.