Visual Imagery and Improv – Memory and Recall

Most humans have some amount of mental imagery, or visual imagery. You might find that you use the visuals to help you build and remember improv scenes. The extreme ends are considered to be neurodivergence (they are called hyperphantasia and aphantasia), but regardless of what or how much you have you can do great improv.

Listen to the episode

What this episode is about & part one

For more information see “part one” of this episode, which covers how visual imagination works and how it affects improv. You can find part one here:

This episode focuses how to use visual imagery for memory recall in scenes and forms such as a monoscene or macroscene.

I discuss how visual imagery relates to flash memory (I mention this study here: The role of visual imagery in autobiographical memory).

I also include some maybe-practical tips that include:

• how to use this to improve your scenes (and why it’s important)

• good forms to try if you want to enhance visuals

• how to utilize these techniques for second beats of a scene

So if you’re working on how to remember and recall in your scenes better, consider strengthening your visual imagery techniques and see if it helps.

Thanks for stopping by, improv friend!

Thanks for reading! This article and the podcast episode it was based on was written/hosted/produced/whatever by me, Jen deHaan. You can blame me for the whole thing, it’s my fault.

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