How do you see pictures in your brain?

Why are some people able to visualize scenarios in their minds, with colors and details, and some people are not?

–Luiza, age 14, Goiânia, Brazil

Imagine you are in a soccer match, and it's tied. Each team will begin taking penalty kicks. The crowd is roaring, and whether or not your team wins the Game depends on your ability to hit the shot. As you imagine this scene, are you able to picture the scenario with colors and details?

Scientists are hard at work trying to understand why some people can visualize these kinds of scenarios more easily than others can. Even the same person can be better or worse at picturing things in their mind at different times.

As neuroscientists in the fields of physical therapy and psychology, we think about the ways people use mental imagery. Here is what researchers do know so far.

The brain and mental imagery

Mental imagery is the ability to visualize things and scenarios in your mind, without actual physical input.

For example, when you think about your best friends, you may automatically picture their faces in your head without actually seeing them in front of you. When you daydream about an upcoming vacation, you may see yourself on the sunny beach.