Neural Mechanisms of Musical Imagery

Abstract

Findings regarding the neural mechanisms of musical imagery are summarized, and both auditory and motor components of musical imagery are considered. Similarities of musical imagery and music perception (involving results from studies using behavioral and psychophysical methods, clinical data from brain-damaged patients, electrophysiology, and brain imaging), examples of involuntary musical imagery (involving anticipatory musical imagery, musical hallucinations, schizophrenia, earworms, and synesthesia), and aspects of embodied aspects of musical imagery (involving spatial and force metaphors, mimicry, the inner ear/inner voice distinction, effects of mental practice and performance, dance and other motor acts, and musical affect) are considered. It is concluded that many neural mechanisms involved in musical imagery are similar to neural mechanisms involved in music perception, cognition, and production. The importance of motor activation to musical imagery is highlighted, and the importance of an embodied approach to musical imagery is discussed.