Imagination, the ability that allows us to create worlds in our minds, is not unique to humans. Recent studies suggest that animals too can accommodate forms of imagination and have the ability to navigate mentally and subjectively experience virtual worlds that open the doors to new forms of learning in a similar way to humans.
The importance of studying imagination in animals
From an evolutionary perspective, the study of imagination in animals offers us very valuable information about the origin and development of this cognitive ability. By studying different species, we can trace the evolutionary course of imagination and its importance in adapting to different ecological environments.
And how animals imagine themselves is concerned, among other things, with comparative psychology, a branch of science that examines similarities and differences in behavior. between different species in processes such as intelligence, memory and consciousness, with the practical applications it brings. For example, in training animals, improving their well-being and planning conservation strategies for species through a better understanding of their behavior.
Imagination: episodic memory and planning
The study of imagination in animals can be carried out using various methods, such as analyzing storage capacity. More precisely, through the analysis of the so-called episodic and planning memory.
We speak of episodic memory when we can remember places, moments, details and emotions. That is, when we remember episodes of our lives. This memory is an essential property of the imagination, as it requires both the combination of memories and the ability to pay attention and emotional control. It is a basic requirement for learning and, among other things, allows us to adapt our behavior to what is happening around us, to plan and to pretend that something is happening.
Thus, by studying episodic memory we can identify the neural mechanisms that underlie imagination and collect data about evolutionary origins Why we remember, how we remember and consequently how we behave.
The blue jay remembers where it hides food
Various animal species have demonstrated episodic memory. Rats, magpies, squid, chimpanzees, orangutans, crows and macaques, among others are able to remember specific events, including what, where and when they occurred.
A typical example It’s the blue jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). This bird was found to be able to remember what food it stored and where and when it was stored. This means you can retrieve and consume stored food later, even hours or days later.
In the aquatic environment, studies with zebrafish and other aquarium fish species such as labyrinthids (or anabantid fishes) have shown that this is possible Over time, note the location of shelters or food sources, suggesting a basic form of episodic memory. Additionally, studies with octopuses show that they can remember how to complete tasks in exchange for rewards.
The ability to predict and plan future events may have been the most important evolutionary advantage of episodic memory. In this sense, experiments with bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans have shown that they are able to choose a tool to solve a problem. even when the reward is not in sight, and they carry it with them for up to 14 hours. This implies a level of knowledge that goes beyond immediate impulse and shows foresight and a form of imagining time and the future.
Where does the imagination live?
The hippocampus is one of the most studied areas of the brain in relation to memory and spatial orientation. It has been shown that when the hippocampus is damaged, the memory of experienced experiences is lost (episodic memory), while its integrity is crucial for the formation and recovery of memories.
The importance of studying the hippocampus in animals lies in its relevance to understanding the characteristic changes of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases since the hippocampus It is usually affected in the early stages of these diseasesThis leads to the early symptoms of memory loss and disorientation that are so devastating to patients and their families.
The development of the hippocampus in size and complexity when comparing animal species, It is closely related to the development of imagination. Although animals cannot communicate their subjective experiences like humans, behaviors that indicate they are remembering lived experiences indicate their relationship with this area of the brain.
Rats can imagine it
And a very innovative study has just been published in the journal Science showing results that suggest that rats, just like humans, They have the ability to “imagine” or navigate mentally by places they have previously visited.
This finding is the result of an experiment that combined virtual reality with a real-time brain-machine interfaceThis opens new perspectives on the cognitive abilities of rodents, particularly in relation to the hippocampus. In addition to memory, the brain region we indicated is also associated with spatial navigation.
During the experiment, the rats were taught to navigate a virtual environment. First, they were allowed to physically move through the environment, so they could create a map of space in their hippocampus. A brain-machine interface was then used in which rats demonstrated their ability to activate representations of specific locations in the environment in their hippocampus, but this time without physical movement.
By voluntarily activating their spatial memory, they were able to navigate to specific goals in space or move objects toward these goals. These results suggest that rats and possibly other animals They have a more complex cognitive capacity than previously thoughtApproaching the human abilities of imagination and mental time travel.
“I have always believed, and I continue to believe, that imagination and fantasy are very important, because they are an inseparable part of the reality of our lives», said Ana María Matute. And that of the animals too.
Francisco José Esteban Ruiz, Full Professor of Cell Biology, University of Jaén and Sergio Iglesias Parro, Full Professor of the Department of Psychology, University of Jaén
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original.