Anyone who has battled over the details of a childhood story knows that we’re not always great at telling the difference between things that have happened, things that might have happened, and things we have imagined happening. There is neuroscientific evidence that this may be due, in part, to the involvement of many of the same parts of the brain in both forming memories and using our imagination. The lines between imagination and reality can easily blur.

Recent research from Princeton University found that imagining ourselves in future scenarios can even influence the way we act. We’re more likely to make the choices that we first imagine making. It’s one piece of a growing body of research that speaks to the power of simulation and imagination on both how we make sense of the world, and how we act in it. 

The books we read, the scenarios we talk about, and the stories we tell ourselves about the future may play a real, tangible role in creating it. So what happens if we turn this tendency into a tool? What could the future look like if we take the time to first imagine it?