This week I am exploring our capacity for mental imagery (or the absence thereof.) I’ve done some research on the topic 100 years or so ago while still active as an experimental psychologist. I am approaching it here, though, with the starting question, why is everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, not just artists, taking photographs? All the time?

There are numerous potential answers to this question: People like to show what they are up to, people like to document what others are up to. Most importantly, though, I believe, photographs work as an aide-mémoire, they are helping you to review and re-live and re-enjoy your life. The fact that the visual testimony brings back memories so effectively for most people is based on the fact that remembering our own lives really does resemble running some sort of internal Netflix movie for the majority of rememberers.

Should really say – it is my photos, they don’t let me forget anything – except, of course, they let you forget all that wasn’t captured, because you so focus on the content of the image….

We now have solid documentation that people who claim to have really crisp, clear, rich mental or visual imagery also seem to have more detailed memories for their lives. And if I ask you to remember your life while I scan your brain, it is the visual cortex that lights up in activity patterns.

True for all of us? Not really! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s discussion of this fact. In the meantime, relive you vacation with the photo album…

Here is a (somewhat outdated but thorough) review article on mental imagery for those who are interested in the topic:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mental-imagery/