Unlocking the Brain’s GPS: Just Thinking About a Location Activates Mental Maps

MIT neuroscientists have discovered that the brain uses the same cognitive representations whether navigating through space physically or mentally.

This discovery highlights the role of the entorhinal cortex in processing both physical and imagined experiences.

As you travel your usual route to work or the grocery store, your brain engages cognitive maps stored in your hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. These maps store information about paths you have taken and locations you have been to before, so you can navigate whenever you go there.