The present participle of imagine; the act of forming mental images or concepts of things not present to the senses. Creating ideas or scenarios in one's mind.
From Latin 'imaginari' meaning 'to form an image of' or 'to represent to oneself,' derived from 'imago' meaning 'image' or 'copy.' The word entered English via Old French in the 14th century.
Neuroscience shows that imagining an action activates many of the same brain regions as actually performing it - which is why visualization can improve athletic performance and why imagined experiences can feel surprisingly real. Your brain sometimes can't tell the difference between vividly imagined and actual memories.
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