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In order to discuss the affect that imaging has on our conception of reality, we should revisit visual allusions and work backward from there. There is a syndrome called the Charles Bonnet syndrome. This syndrome affects people who have experienced serious sight loss. As someone is almost blind, he/she begins to see things that aren’t there, that they know are not “real”. Although this syndrome is under diagnosed due to the fact that patients do not want their doctors to think they are crazy, it is a useful example in understanding that the brain creates our perceived reality. When the brain stops receiving as many inputs/pictures as it used to, new pictures may be released. While the visual hallucinations tend to go away after a year, the questions of how the brain stores information and is able to create pictures remain.
To respond to the connection between imaging and our conception of reality, I think we need to further explore the process of input from retina, the journey to brain, and the brain’s output of visual information. Is the brain always capable of releasing these fantasy images (that patients with CBS experience)? How do we inhibit this? Do we?