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How the Brain Tells What’s Real and What’s Imagined

Researchers uncover the brain's secret in separating fantasy from fact—shedding light on mental health and future tech

Have you ever imagined something so vividly that it felt real? Perhaps a memory, a dream, or an image in your mind became so clear, it seemed like you were truly seeing it. Scientists have long been fascinated by how the brain distinguishes between what is real and what is imagined. Now, a breakthrough study by researchers from University College London (UCL) has finally uncovered some of the brain mechanisms that help us tell the difference.

This discovery not only deepens our understanding of the human brain but may also offer clues for diagnosing and treating mental health conditions such as schizophrenia—where people often struggle to separate reality from imagination.

Let’s explore what this study found, why it matters, and how it could influence both medicine and future technologies like virtual reality.

Scientists Discover Brain Mechanism That Help Us Distinguish Imagination From Reality

The Mystery: How Does the Brain Tell What's Real?

Our brain is constantly processing information from two sources: the world around us and our own minds. Whether you're watching a movie, daydreaming, or recalling a memory, your brain is busy creating mental images. Surprisingly, many of the same brain areas are active whether you are looking at something in front of you or imagining it.

Dr. Nadine Dijkstra, lead author of the study and researcher at the Department of Imaging Neuroscience at UCL, puts it this way:

“Imagine an apple in your mind's eye as vividly as you can. During imagination, many of the same brain regions activate in the same manner as when you see a real apple.”

This raises an important question: if the same areas of the brain are active during both real and imagined experiences, how do we ever tell them apart?

Until now, the answer remained unclear.

The Study: Real vs. Imagined Patterns

To solve this puzzle, the researchers conducted a study with 26 participants. Here's what they did:

  • Task: Participants were shown a noisy, pixelated background on a screen. Sometimes, a faint visual pattern was hidden in the background. Sometimes, there was no pattern at all.

  • Imagination Task: At the same time, participants were asked to imagine a pattern in their minds. Sometimes, the imagined pattern matched the hidden one. Other times, it didn’t.

  • Goal: Participants had to report if they saw a real pattern and also rate how vivid their imagination was during the task.

By designing the experiment this way, the researchers could measure whether people were mistaking their imagination for reality.

The results were fascinating.

The Key Discovery: The Fusiform Gyrus

Brain scans of the participants were taken using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This technology allowed the scientists to monitor brain activity in real time.

They discovered that one specific brain region, called the fusiform gyrus, plays a key role in helping us decide what is real and what is imagined. This region is located on the underside of the temporal lobe, just behind the temples.

Here's what they found:

  • When activity in the fusiform gyrus was strong, participants were more likely to say that they saw a real pattern—even if there wasn’t one.

  • When people imagined patterns very vividly, their fusiform gyrus lit up in a way that looked similar to when they saw something real.

  • This high level of activity sometimes fooled their brain into thinking an imagined pattern was actually there.

This suggests that the brain uses the strength of the sensory signal—how powerful or vivid it is—as a clue to whether something is real.

As Dr. Dijkstra explained:

“Our findings suggest that the brain uses the strength of sensory signals to distinguish between imagination and reality.”

More Than One Brain Region Involved

The fusiform gyrus doesn’t work alone. The study also showed that the anterior insula, a part of the brain located in the prefrontal cortex, plays a supporting role.

The prefrontal cortex is known for tasks like:

  • Decision-making

  • Planning

  • Problem-solving

  • Self-awareness

When participants thought something was real—even if it wasn’t—the anterior insula showed increased activity along with the fusiform gyrus.

This suggests that these regions work together, combining sensory input with higher-level thinking, to help us make a judgment call: “Is this real, or am I imagining it?”

Professor Steve Fleming, senior author of the study, noted:

“These areas of the prefrontal cortex have previously been implicated in metacognition—the ability to think about our own minds. Our results indicate that the same brain areas are also involved in deciding what is real.”

Why This Matters: Mental Health and Beyond

This discovery has major implications, particularly in the field of psychiatry.

Helping Understand Schizophrenia

In conditions like schizophrenia, people often experience hallucinations and delusions. They may hear voices or see things that others don’t. For them, the line between imagination and reality becomes blurred.

This study offers a possible explanation for what might be happening in the brain during these episodes. If the fusiform gyrus becomes overactive during imagination, and if the brain treats those signals as real, it could lead to hallucinations.

With more research, scientists may be able to develop:

  • Better diagnostic tools to detect abnormal brain activity

  • Targeted treatments to help restore the balance between imagination and perception

The Role of Technology: Virtual Reality and Brain-Computer Interfaces

This study also touches on an exciting frontier: virtual reality (VR) and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).

As VR becomes more immersive, it may begin to blur the line between what's real and what's not. Understanding how and when imagined experiences feel real can help:

  • Make VR experiences safer and more controlled

  • Design better user interfaces that avoid confusion or disorientation

  • Inform guidelines for long-term use of immersive tech

This research could also play a role in future AI-human interactions, especially in developing technologies that rely on human imagination or mental imagery as input.

A Deeper Look: How the Brain Evaluates Reality

At its core, this study offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the human mind. It shows that the brain doesn’t just passively receive information. Instead, it actively evaluates every experience, weighing the strength of incoming signals, comparing them with expectations, and then making a decision.

Think of it like a courtroom:

  • The fusiform gyrus is the witness, reporting on the strength of the visual evidence.

  • The anterior insula is like the judge, deciding whether the evidence is strong enough to be believed.

  • Sometimes, the witness is so convincing that the judge gets it wrong.

This combination of sensation and self-reflection is what allows humans to function in a complex world full of real and imagined stimuli.

The Future: New Questions and Research Directions

While this study has provided valuable insights, it also opens the door to new questions:

  • Can we train the brain to better distinguish between imagination and reality?

  • Do some people naturally have stronger or weaker “reality filters” in their brains?

  • Could this mechanism explain false memories or vivid dreams?

  • How might this research apply to creative minds, like artists or writers, who spend large amounts of time in imagined worlds?

Answering these questions will require further research, but the path forward is now clearer thanks to this discovery.

Final Thoughts: Rewriting Our Understanding of the Mind

This study marks a major step forward in understanding one of the brain's most mysterious functions: telling fact from fiction. By pinpointing the specific brain areas involved in this process, scientists now have a roadmap for exploring everything from mental illness to technological innovation.

It reminds us that our brains are powerful, but not perfect. Sometimes, even the most vivid mental images can fool us. And yet, this ability to imagine and believe is also what makes us human—capable of creativity, empathy, and innovation.

As science continues to explore the boundaries between imagination and reality, one thing is clear: the mind is more dynamic and complex than we ever imagined.

Reference: Nadine Dijkstra et al., "A neural basis for distinguishing imagination from reality", Neuron (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2025.05.015. 

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