timelets

— counterfactual reasoning for past and future: ‘what if’ questions and mental scenarios in the context of preparation; ‘what if’ questions that seem to serve fantasizing; ‘what if’ questions that pertain to the past versus the future; and ‘what if’ questions that relate to self versus others. Are they all different? Perhaps not as much as it would seem,
with all promoting simulations and imagery, possibly creating ‘memories’ that can be applied in future situations.

http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195395518.001.0001/acprof-9780195395518
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195395518.001.0001