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Mental simulation and meaning in life.
Open accessAbstract
Mental simulation, the process of self-projection into alternate temporal, spatial, social, or hypothetical realities is a distinctively human capacity. Numerous lines of research also suggest that the tendency for mental simulation is associated with enhanced meaning. The present research tests this association specifically examining the relationship between two forms of simulation (temporal and spatial) and meaning in life. Study 1 uses neuroimaging to demonstrate that enhanced connectivity in the medial temporal lobe network, a subnetwork of the brain's default network implicated in prospection and retrospection, correlates with self-reported meaning in life. Study 2 demonstrates that experimentally inducing people to think about the past or future versus the present enhances self-reported meaning in life, through the generation of more meaningful events. Study 3 demonstrates that experimentally inducing people to think specifically versus generally about the past or future enhances self-reported meaning in life. Study 4 turns to spatial simulation to demonstrate that experimentally inducing people to think specifically about an alternate spatial location (from the present location) increases meaning derived from this simulation compared to thinking generally about another location or specifically about one's present location. Study 5 demonstrates that experimentally inducing people to think about an alternate spatial location versus one's present location enhances meaning in life, through meaning derived from this simulation. Study 6 demonstrates that simply asking people to imagine completing a measure of meaning in life in an alternate location compared with asking them to do so in their present location enhances reports of meaning. This research sheds light on an important determinant of meaning in life and suggests that undirected mental simulation benefits psychological well-being.
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“Some previous studies found that recalling a nostalgic event increased meaning in life (van Tilburg et al., 2019), and it could be that this increased sense of meaning is speci fi cally related to nostalgic events rather than any kind of self-de fi ning event (but see Waytz et al., 2015).”
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“These recollections are more often related to the trauma or to their life beforehand and cause greater rumination (Schönfeld and Ehlers, 2017), a reduced self-reported meaning of life (Waytz et al., 2015), and to a lack of sense of a positive and hopeful future (Feldman and Snyder, 2005).”
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“According to research on psychological distance, transcending an egocentric viewpoint helps people see the big picture, think holistically and abstractly, and make sense of and perceive meaning from their life events (Trope and Liberman, 2010; Kross and Ayduk, 2011; Waytz et al., 2015).”
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“In other words, the study provides support for the regulatory role of DMN in meaning-making [17].”
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Viewing challenging art lends meaning to life by stimulating integrative complexity
Hagtvedt, H., & Vohs, K. D. (2021) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2021.1975159 · Cited by 9
“For instance, people report more meaning in life after mentally linking their life right now to past, future, or coun-terfactual realities (Kray et al., 2010; Waytz et al., 2015).”
Womick, J., Eckelkamp, J., Luzzo, S., Ward, S. J., Baker, S., Salamun, A., & King, L. A. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0256759 · Cited by 9
“Although meaning in life is relatively stable, it is a subjective feeling that can be affected by manipulations, including exposure to stimuli that make sense [24], reminders of the reality of death [25,26], social exclusion and ostracism [27] and mental simulation [28].”
BackgroundEken, A. (2021) · Biomedical Signal Processing and Control · doi:10.1016/j.bspc.2021.102645 · Cited by 9
Chen, Y., Zeng, X., Tao, L., Chen, J., & Wang, Y. (2022) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1021642 · Cited by 10
“Books can provide an immersive simulation of the real social world, where readers can project themselves into situations and enhance their understanding of characters (80).”
BackgroundRoseby, W., Kettner, H., Roseman, L., Spriggs, M. J., Lyons, T., Peill, J., Giribaldi, B., Erritzøe, D., Nutt, D. J., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1580663 · Cited by 8
“For example, increased resting state FC within the medial temporal lobe subsystem of the DMN has been found to predict a greater presence of meaning in life, but not scores on other related scales assessing life satisfaction (Waytz et al., 2015).”
Fang, D., & Maglio, S. J. (2023) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104544 · Cited by 7
Construction of a Meaning Effectiveness Model: A new interpretation of meaning in life
Wang, W., & Ma, W.-J. (2021) · New Ideas in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.newideapsych.2021.100876 · Cited by 6
The role of sensuality, imagination, and curiosity in high and optimal sexual satisfaction
Jamea, E. N. (2020) · Sexual & Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/14681994.2020.1714023 · Cited by 7
“The literature suggests that the process of imagination or using mental imagery has the capacity to enhance meaning in life (Waytz et al., 2015), strengthen the adaptive skill of creativity (Carson, 2010), and aid in healing (Maya et al., 2012) and stress management (Beck et al., 2015).”
BackgroundFactors Affecting the Meaning in Life of Teachers
Suyatno, S., Pambudi, D. I., Amurdawati, G., Wantini, W., & Ningrum, M. V. R. (2020) · Pedagogika · doi:10.15823/p.2020.139.3 · Cited by 6
“Furthermore, the meaning of life is also believed to be influenced by factors other than affective experience (Heintzelman & King, 2014; Waytz et al., 2015).”
BackgroundMorgan, R. H., Braun, S., & Epitropaki, O. (2025) · Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1111/joop.70014 · Cited by 3
Basic psychological needs mediate connectedness and meaning in life among Chinese college students
Cai, Y., & Zhan, D. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-16688-w · Cited by 6
Is Meaning in Life Constituted by Value or Intelligibility?
Landau, I. (2021) · Philosophical Papers · doi:10.1080/05568641.2021.1898288 · Cited by 6
“Yet others discuss both intelligibility and value but do not take one of them to be foundational or hermeneutically prior to the other (e.g., King et al. 2006, 180; Steger et al. 2006, 81; Steger 2012, 65; Waytz, Hershfield, and Tamir 2015, 338).”
BackgroundXue, L., Fan, H., Yan, Y., Zhang, L., Jiang, Y., & Chen, L. (2024) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-024-06521-4 · Cited by 6
“For example, Waytz et al. (2015) demonstrated that thinking more vividly about the future significantly enhanced the presence of meaning compared with thinking about the future in general.”
Caycho‐Rodríguez, T., Vilca, L. W., Cervigni, M., Gallegos, M., Martino, P., Calandra, M., Anacona, C. A. R., López-Calle, C., Moreta‐Herrera, R., Chacón-Andrade, E. R., et al. (2022) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03465-5 · Cited by 8
Vazeou‐Nieuwenhuis, A. (2016) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2016.1257047 · Cited by 6
Looney, K., El‐Leithy, S., & Brown, G. P. (2020) · Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy · doi:10.1017/s1352465820000806 · Cited by 6
Chen, Y., Zheng, L., Ma, J., Zhu, H., & Gan, Y. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/63407 · Cited by 5
“Previous studies have frequently used mental time travel as a stable paradigm to elicit meaning-making, often inviting participants to imagine past or future events [44-46].”
Tov, W., Ng, S. H., & Kang, S. (2019) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1689426 · Cited by 5
“Alternatively, this may indicate a boundary condition on the effects of mental simulation on meaning (Waytz et al., 2015).”
BackgroundDevelopment of Taiwan College Students' Sense of Life Meaning Scale
Wu, H.-T., Chou, M.-J., Meng-Shan, L., Jing-Fang, H., & Ming-Hsyang, W. (2015) · Universal Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.13189/ujer.2015.030809 · Cited by 5
Envision A Bright Future to Heal Your Negative Mood: A Trial in China
Zhou, W., Li, P., Lei, X., & Yuan, H. (2021) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-021-10246-0 · Cited by 5
Metadata
- Authors
- Waytz, A., Hershfield, H. E., & Tamir, D. I.
- Affiliations
- Northwestern University (US)
- Princeton University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 2015-02
- Volume
- 108
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 336-355
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- PMC
- PMC4480924
- OpenAlex
- W2107411906
- Cited by
- 176
- References
- 164
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 18.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Keywords
- mental simulation, meaning in life, temporal simulation, spatial simulation, prospection, retrospection, default mode network, medial temporal lobe, self-projection, psychological well-being
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Arousal, Brain, Brain Mapping, Character, Female, Humans, Imagination, Individuality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Mental Processes, Motivation, Nerve Net, Projection, Surveys and Questionnaires, Reality Testing, Social Environment, Statistics as Topic, Echo-Planar Imaging
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