Published in Personality and Social Psychology Review, a recent study by Stephan and Sedikides suggests mental time travel can increase self-esteem, coherence, and sense of control.

But what is mental time travel? Let me use an example.

A friend of mine who is in a committed romantic relationship and very much in love tells me that he often relives the day he and his partner first met.

He also imagines what their future would be like (e.g., wedding day, life as parents).

In both cases, my friend is engaging in mental time travel.

Simply put, mental time travel involves projecting oneself either forward or backward in time. As illustrated, reliving a past event requires reconstructing it from memory, whereas pre-living a potential future event requires imagination.

Imagining yourself in the distant future (called prospection) allows you to step back and see the bigger picture—to focus on living according to your core values, achieving long-term goals, and living a satisfying and meaningful life.

It also enhances the feeling that future outcomes are under your control. It promotes the belief that........

© Psychology Today