Mental Imagery

Mental imagery represents a very relevant part of mental life. Because of its pervasiveness, internal status, and complexity, its study raises a series of methodological problems and requires differentiations and specifications. In this chapter we described mental imagery with reference to different approaches and theories. In particular, we illustrated the debate between prepositional and imagery theorists and the efforts devoted to distinguishing between different imagery processes and representations. The classical problem concerning the extent of the analogy between visual perception and visual mental imagery may find a response in the consideration of the differences from images directly derived from experience and images generated from long-term memory information. Furthermore, the consequences resulting from the use of different types of long-term memory information can be examined within the approach distinguishing between general, specific, and other types of mental images. However, many issues in the field, for example, the dynamic nature of mental images, their role in different life activities (like creative processes, thinking, meditation, and so on), and the study of individual differences, appear still in need of further research developments