Is Imagery Virtual Reality?
How imagery works its wonders in the body is still a mystery. Some evidence suggests, however, that the brain reacts the same way to an imagined sensation as to a real one. “Imagery is like reality in the sense that if you look at activity in the brain when you’re imagining something, it is strikingly similar to the activity that occurs when you’re perceiving reality,” Dr. Sheikh says. Remember the lemon described earlier and how it probably caused you to secrete saliva in your mouth? Scientists know from PET (positron-emission tomography) scans, tests that show areas of brain activity, that imagery has similar effects on other parts of the body. Vividly imagining that you’re swinging a tennis racket, for instance, can actually stimulate the muscles in your shoulders and arms. Some researchers theorize that images are formed as a result of electrochemical reactions in the limbic system, a portion of the brain that processes emotions such as pleasure, pain, fright and anger. As these im
