What Controls Imagination?

We dream, think and plan for the future, we also become creative because of imagination. Imagination functions as a key process of the mind which allows us to wander in ideas which yield into amazing things. Imagination is a fascinating process controlled by various regions of the brain.

Since imagination is governed by important parts of the brain, the regions work together to handle complicated mind processes and functions.

Important regions of the brain that control Imagination.

• Prefrontal Cortex. This region of the brain also known as frontal lobe. This part of the brain handles higher cognitive activities like decision-making and problem-solving. It plays a crucial role in planning and imagining future scenarios. 

• Limbic System. This system, which includes the hippocampus and amygdala, is involved in emotions and memory. It helps form ideas and emotional responses that fuel imagination.

• Parietal and Occipital Lobes. These lobes are responsible for spatial orientation and visual processing, helping us create and manipulate mental images. In other words it's a hub for major sensory processing, therefore it coordinates and processes information from multiple senses into usable form.

• Mental Workspace. A widespread neural network that coordinates activity across several brain regions, allowing us to consciously manipulate symbols, images, ideas, and theories.

Moreover, imagination is a biological function of the brain. The amygdala and hippocampus which are medial temporal lobe systems are linked with emotion associated-memory.  

The amygdala deals specifically with emotion processing. The feelings of fear and anxiety are produced in this region of the brain. The amygdala causes descriptive feelings and emotions in case it fails to function properly. The episodic memory control is linked with the hippocampus. This region of the brain acts as an engine of memory in the brain.

Generally, imagination is influenced by our environment, memories, and the inherent rules we know about how the world works. It's a complex and dynamic process that allows us to think creatively and solve problems.

References 

Where Imagination Lives in Your Brain.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/where-imagination-lives-in-your-brain/

Comrie, A. E., Frank, L. M., & Kay, K. (2022). Imagination as a fundamental function of the hippocampus. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 377(1866), 20210336. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0336