🔮 Imagine a Future Together
How social connection grows from collaborative imagination
It’s been a long time since the last Brainlift newsletter, but after coming across some interesting research on social connection, I had to make time to write about it. Many of you have signed up to The Brainlift in the last few weeks, and it always gives me a little burst of gratitude to know that my older writing still connects with people. Welcome to new subscribers, and thank you to loyal readers who have stuck around during the hiatus!
Now to the story…
There are times when it feels as though the forces around us favor social division over social connection (looming US election, anyone?). Controversial news stories, political disagreements, and heated exchanges on social media can start to pull friends apart. Highly intelligent people buy into outrageous conspiracy theories, while accusing the other side of lapping up hogwash from questionable news sources. It’s harder than ever to reach conclusions like “let’s agree to disagree” or “I understand your point even if I can’t relate to it”.
Fortunately, one new research study suggests there’s a simple way to inject a little connective tissue into your relationships. Whether you’re making new friends, reviving old ones, or just looking to strengthen current connections, all you need is a little imagination.
🪢 Collaborative vs individual imagination
In a recent 2024 study, researchers recruited 120 students, paired them up, and then split the pairs into one of three groups. The first group was the “collaborative imagination” group, in which pairs sat together in the same room and took turns describing a future event to enjoy together such as a hike. The second group was the “individual imagination” group. These pairs completed the same imagination exercise alone in separate rooms. Finally, a group of “collaborative game” pairs completed a puzzle together with no requirement to imagine a future social event.
Importantly, only the collaborative imagination pairs jointly spent time brainstorming and describing how they would hang out in the future. While the individual imagination pairs also imagined spending time together, they didn’t utilize any collaborative thinking since they were separated right after meeting each other. In contrast, the collaborative game group involved a lot of collaborative puzzle-solving, but none of that collaboration involved imagining a future event together.
In other words, the researchers were testing the specific effects of combining collaboration and imagination. If the combination produces a more positive social effect than either of the two elements in isolation, that would suggest there’s meaningful value in the precise act of imagining a future together.
To test the social effects, the researchers measured social connection with a survey both before and after the group tasks were completed. This survey asked participant pairs to rate how much they liked each other, how much they felt they had in common, how close they felt to each other, etc.
Although there were no significant differences between the groups in their social connection ratings before the tasks began, meaningful differences did emerge in the post-task assessments. After completing the collaborative imagination task, people felt 18% more socially connected to each other than they did after completing the individual imagination task. They were also 10% more socially connected compared to the collaborative gaming condition.
Why is collaborative imagination so effective at bringing people together? Additional surveys showed that collaborative imagination activated stronger mentalizing states (i.e. considering another person’s thoughts/feelings) and more vivid mental imagery than individual imagination did. Jointly envisioning a specific future ignited elements of social cognition and visualization that other types of exercise couldn’t.
When we partner with someone in building a shared future, our social instincts kick in, and our minds build clearer and more coherent stories that facilitate a deeper interpersonal connection.
⭐️ Takeaway tips
Find an opportunity to imagine collaboratively: When is the last time you imagined a future scene with someone in detail? Maybe when planning a vacation with your spouse? Or chatting excitedly about an upcoming concert with a friend? Or organizing a team getaway at work? Invite a friend out for a trip or a hike somewhere new, and spend some time planning together with them. Individual planning might seem more efficient than finding time to get together ahead of the event, but it lacks the valuable social spark of collaborative imagination.
Resolve conflicts with a fresh approach: Next time you find yourself in an argument or heated exchange, consider how mentally painting a collaborative future around shared interests might help to resolve it. For example, if you’re immersed in a tense political debate, you might want to highlight a common goal and discuss how you could work together to achieve it. There’s nothing wrong with disagreeing about the ideal policy for progress, but consider whether there’s an optimistic vision you can both agree on such as the value of community, the importance of education, or improvements in healthcare. Then take turns describing what that future vision specifically looks like to each of you and discuss any overlap.
Share hope and positivity on a mass scale: Although sport can create rivalries, it can also bring people together around shared visions on a huge scale. If you’re following the Olympics currently, you’re probably familiar with the feeling of cheering on your compatriots and hoping for medals to accumulate next to whichever flag you identify with. Use these opportunities to gather with people—even strangers at public gatherings—and cheer together for a shared vision of success.
“We live by each other and for each other. Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”
~ Helen Keller
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👋 Until next time,
Erman Misirlisoy, PhD