Recent research suggests that visual mental imagery functions as if it were a weak form of perception.
Evidence suggests overlap between visual imagery and visual working memory – those with strong imagery tend to utilize it for mnemonic performance.
We use the term ‘mental imagery’ to refer to representations and the accompanying experience of sensory information without a direct external stimulus. Such representations are recalled from memory and lead one to re-experience a version of the original stimulus or some novel combination of stimuli.