How the ‘mind’s eye’ calls up visual memories from the brain

Vivid memories that flash into the mind’s eye might be made in the primary visual cortex, the same area of the brain that processes raw visual input from the eyes. A study in monkeys suggests that neurons there display a different activity pattern when images are conjured up from memory compared with real-time vision. Some researchers say that other areas, such as the prefrontal cortex, are more likely to be the seat of the ‘mind’s eye’.