Commentary on the Practical and Material Dimension of Imagination
Alvaro David Monterroza-Rios, Stephania Vivas-Lozano
Imagination, Cognition and Personality June 13, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/02762366251350665 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that imagination is embodied, distributed, and environmentally mediated rather than purely internal, arising from sensorimotor simulation (Level 1) and exploration of socio-material affordances (Level 2). Argues that artifacts and cultural practices mediate both levels, illustrated by how Colombian "vueltiao" hat artisans' embodied skills and workshop environment shape their imaginative possibilities. |
Abstract
Imagination is a primordial cognitive capacity that enables humans to transcend their immediate reality and explore a world of possibilities. Traditionally, it has been understood as a purely mental, internal faculty resulting from introspective intellectual exercise. However, imaginative capacities would be severely limited without practical interaction. Accordingly, this paper adopts a post-cognitivist framework—particularly enactivism and ecological psychology—to account for the embodied, distributed, and environmentally mediated nature of human imagination. The ecological-enactive model proposes that imagination arises from sensorimotor simulation (Level 1) and the exploration of socio-material affordances (Level 2), both of which are mediated by artifacts and cultural practices. This approach is illustrated with the case of the Colombian “vueltiao” (rolled) hat, showing how artisans’ micro-embodied skills and the rich material and workshop environment shape a repertoire of imaginative possibilities.