Have you ever wondered what life would be like without imagination? According to some, imagination allows us to hypothesize, create, recollect, plan, simulate and empathize. However, if that is the case, how do we explain those individuals who cannot generate mental images (a phenomenon known as aphantasia) and yet do not lack creativity or empathy?
This issue, and more, was discussed during a recent (October 25–26) interdisciplinary conference hosted by the departments of Philosophy, Neuroscience and Psychology at Bilkent.
During the conference, a group of internationally renowned scholars made presentations on topics such as the neural correlates of imagination, child development, memory, hypothetical thinking and consciousness. One of the conference speakers, Prof. Bence Nanay of the University of Antwerp, also gave a public talk the day before the conference on the mental dynamics of temptation and self-control.
Both the conference presentations and Bence Nanay’s public talk may be watched via this link: http://www.phil.bilkent.edu.tr/.