This is an individual scholarly project based on behavioral experiment. Episodic memory and imagination are based on the same system and process, and episodic imagination is sourced from memory elements. The present study seeks to find correlations and contrasts between the phenomenology of episodic memory and imagination, in other words the characteristics of how they feel, by focusing on pain scenarios. Participants recalled from the past and imagined into the future about a list of pain scenarios, and then rated their experience such as vividness, emotional intensity, and context clarity. Parameters related to the pain itself such as pain intensity and unpleasantness were also recorded. Results indicate that there are positive and significant correlations between phenomenology ratings for memory and imagination. This correlation is not moderated by how recent the recalled or imagined events are. However, contrary to previous findings, there is no evidence suggesting significant differences between any aspect of the phenomenology. In conclusion, the present study provides correlational evidence for the episodic simulation theory that imagination is sourced from episodic memory, and indicates no significant difference between memory and imagination, and further argues that the observed difference in previous studies may be due to design and confounds.
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