The cognitive preparation of an operation without overt motor execution is referred to as imagery (of any kind). Over the last two decades of progress in brain timing studies, the timing of imagery has received little focus. This study compared the time perception of ten professional violinists' actual and imagery performances to see if such an analysis could offer a different model of timing in musicians' imagery skills. When comparing the timing profiles of the musicians between the two situations (actual and imagery), we found a significant correlation in overestimation of time in the imagery. In our fMRI analysis, we found high activation in the left cerebellum. This finding seems consistent with dedicated models of timing such as the cerebellar timing hypothesis, which assigns a "specialized clock" for tasks. In addition, the present findings might provide empirical data concerning imagery, creativity, and time. Maintaining imagery over time is one of the foundations of creativity, and understanding the underlying temporal neuronal mechanism might help us to apprehend the machinery of creativity per se.

“Seeing with the mind's eye” and “hearing with the mind's ear” are two common indicators of musical imagery, and they can be referred to as “visual” and “auditory” musical imagery. However, a question remains open, that is, whether visual and auditory imagery of the same musical composition share the same neural mechanisms. Moreover, how can neural mechanisms guarantee the temporal flow of “musical imagery”? To answer these questions, we report here a preliminary single case study using functional magnetic resonance imaging with an eminent composer who imagined one of his compositions in two states of mind as compared to his resting‐state activity. In the visual imagery condition, he imagined visually the score of his composition in a continuous way. In the auditory imagery condition, he imagined auditorily the same musical composition with pauses. In spite of the modality and temporal differences, the two types of mental imagery showed similar temporal durations for the same musical composition. However, different patterns of neural activation were observed for visual and auditory imagery with one important exception, that is, a common activation pattern was observed in the left medial temporal gyrus in both visual and auditory imagery. We speculate that the left medial temporal gyrus may play an important role in the creation of apparent temporal continuity in musical imagery and perhaps even in conscious information processing in general.

Life, whatsoever it is, is a temporal flux. Everything is doomed to change often apparently beyond our awareness. My body appears totally different now, so does my mind. I have gained new attitudes and new ambitions, and a substantial number of old ones have been discarded. But, I am still the same person in an ongoing manner. Besides, recent neuroscientific and psychological evidence has shown that our conscious perception happens as a series of discrete or bounded instants—it emerges in temporally scattered, gappy, and discrete forms. But, if it is so, how does the brain persevere our self-continuity (or continuity of identity) in this gappy setting? How is it possible that despite moment-to-moment changes in my appearance and mind, I am still feeling that I am that person? How can we tackle with this second by second gap and resurrection in our existence which leads to a foundation of wholeness and continuity of ourself? How is continuity of self (collective set of our connected experiences in the vessel of time) that results in a feeling that one’s life has purpose and meaning preserved? To answer these questions, the problem has been comprehended from a philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific perspective. I realize that first and foremost fact lies in the temporal nature of identity. Having equipped with these thoughts, in this article, it is hypothesized that according to two principles (the principle of reafference or corollary discharge and the principle of a time theory) self-continuity is maintained. It is supposed that there should be a precise temporal integration mechanism in the CNS with the outside world that provides us this smooth, ungappy flow of theSelf. However, we are often taken for granted the importance of self-continuity, but it can be challenged by life transitions such as entering adulthood, retirement, senility, emigration, and societal changes such as immigration, globalization, and in much unfortunate and extreme cases of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Experimental philosophy has been engaged in many fields of philosophy and has tried to challenge philosophy from a new horizon. In this article, I have tried to examine what the role of sciences are (especially neuroscience) in altering people’s intuition about free will. Could science educate people’s philosophical intuitions? If yes, should we still rely on their intuition as a rational instrument for our philosophical questions? Do science plus cultural and social differences effect on folks’ view? In this cross-cultural research, the emphasis is mostly on recent breakthroughs on neuroscience and its impact on people’s perspective to free will. I have asked some questions about free will and determinism from two groups of Iranian and European participants. The results of this study revealed an interesting amount of cross-cultural similarities. The findings showed that people have a relatively independent view to free will and determinism. It seems that manipulating laymen’s opinion by either the idea of scientific determinism or living under pressure and challenging social conditions cannot touch their perspective. I tried to indicate that the techniques of experimental philosophy and the data offered might help us to learn more and more about the psychological processes, in the mind of the folks, that engender philosophical problems.