The "Instinct" of Imagination. A Neuro-Ethological Approach to the Evolution of the Reflective Mind and Its Application to Psychotherapy.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience January 1, 2018 Antonio Alcaro, Stefano Carta
Subjective identity is rooted in ancient subcortical processes that generate intense, unthinking emotional experiences. These core-Self emotional drives, normally discharged through instinctual actions, can instead be reflected internally via connections between subcortical and cortical midline brain structures, including the Default Mode Network. This intrinsic self-referential activity, originating from REM sleep arousal, organizes emotions into dynamic mental structures like Jung's feeling-toned complexes or Klein's unconscious phantasies. It sustains an introverted SEEKING activity that explores internally constructed virtual scenarios—the basis of imagination, dreaming, and mind wandering. During development, this imaginative function is attuned in relational space and expressed through nonverbal and verbal patterns. Psychotherapy may benefit from helping patients move beyond perceived feeling-objects into an empty feeling-state, reactivating deep imaginal self-referential restructuring.