It's thought of as occurring just as you described, but it's very difficult to prove it even in rodent models.
Also, humans are wildly diverse. Some people have aphantasia, where they cannot 'image' things in their heads. Invariably when you bring this up on HN, you get a lot of people saying they cannot believe this and a lot of people saying that this is their normal reality. Similar to discussions on synestensia (hearing colors, tasting names, other 'mix ups') and if you stand or sit when you wipe in the bathroom.
It's thought of as occurring just as you described, but it's very difficult to prove it even in rodent models.
Also, humans are wildly diverse. Some people have aphantasia, where they cannot 'image' things in their heads. Invariably when you bring this up on HN, you get a lot of people saying they cannot believe this and a lot of people saying that this is their normal reality. Similar to discussions on synestensia (hearing colors, tasting names, other 'mix ups') and if you stand or sit when you wipe in the bathroom.
https://www.iflscience.com/brain/cant-imagine-pictures-your-...