An Internal Representation

By focussing explicitly on our mental description of the world, two subtle features of human thought become apparent. The first feature has already been mentioned: We do not experience the world, we construct an experience of the world. Our minds actively exploit sensory information but go beyond what we can directly sense to create a useful description.

The second feature is even harder to appreciate: Descriptions are internal representations of the world. By creating an internal model of the world, our minds can act upon that model. You can look around a room and plan a route to leave without taking any overt action. Even when your eyes are closed, the description is not gone, which is why you can point to the nearest door with your eyes closed. Perhaps more importantly, by remembering these descriptions, we can exploit resources that would otherwise be lost.