Figure 1.

Imagery Resembles a Weak Version of Perception. (A) A useful way to conceptualize mental imagery is as a weak form of sensory perception. (B) A schematic illustration of the effects of prior perceptual stimuli at different strengths and of imagery on subsequent perception. The left graph shows hypothetical data for prior perceptual stimuli at different strengths (e.g., contrasts). Low-contrast prior stimulation facilitates subsequent detection [16] or binocular rivalry dominance [12,15], whereas high-contrast prior stimulation will induce a suppressive aftereffect. By contrast, on the right graph, imagery only facilitates subsequent perception. Overall, imagery acts much like weak perception. Schematic data plots are based on data from [12,15].