Projected Images

Projected images are a special category, sharing some of the characteristics of eidetic images, imagination, and memory images. Projected images are those images of objects or shapes as they are imagined to be in the perceptual field. One may, for example, imagine how the living room table would look "over there," or how a suitcase might be packed. Projected images are used in solving spatial location problems in our environment.

Like eidetic images, projected images are treated as if they were physically located in space. They are not, however, reputed to be visually inspectable, as a true eidetic image is reputed to be.

Although projected images derived from memory are common, projected images may be like imagination images in that they may represent something previously unexperienced. One may, for example, create a projected image of how much space would be used by stacking three items (previously experienced only as physically separate) on top of one another. Or, one might use a combination of memory and imagination to construct a projected image of "how the table with a greenish painting above it would look over there."

Like memory images, projected images can often be directed and controlled easily. Unlike pure memory images, they have a "location" in the perceptual field.

Wittgenstein has some interesting comments about this sort of imagery, which he apparently refers to as "fancy" images. See Wittgenstein's Zettel.

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