Mental Spaces
Mental spaces are cognitive structures that help individuals organize and understand information. They allow people to create and manipulate scenarios in their minds, facilitating problem-solving and creativity. These spaces can represent different contexts, such as past experiences, future possibilities, or hypothetical situations.
In linguistics, mental spaces are used to explain how language influences thought. When people communicate, they often draw on shared mental spaces to convey meaning. This concept is closely related to conceptual blending, where elements from different mental spaces combine to form new ideas or insights, enhancing understanding and communication.