Mental images, as far as course content is concerned, can plausibly be viewed as candidates for complex tokens. Our ability to inspect and transform these tokens are examples of aplying specific rules to mental images. Thus mental imagery is one possible component of a classical account of human cognition. Kosslyn made a very big name for himself by carrying out a number of clever experiments to make the claim that images are indeed primitive. As a result, it is no surprise that this is the conclusion drawn in the chapter.
Imagery bears a strong resemblance to perception, and thus has shared purposes.
Imagery can be used to retrieve spatial information from memory, particularly information that is difficult to access using other means. Imagery can also be used to anticipate spatial information. At least two different subsystems are involved in image generation. The first builds images on the basis of distinct parts that are activated individually. The second subsystem positions parts in the image.