INFORMATION THEORY AND STIMULUS‐INDEPENDENT THOUGHT

The production of stimulus-independent thought (e.g. fantasy and imagery) was measured as a function of the rate at which information was presented to human subjects. Information in the form of simple tones was presented at rates from 0·2 to 6 bits per sec. The linear regression of reported stimulus-independent thought on information rate accounted for 83 per cent of the between-cell variance. The results support a model in which both sensory and memory events are operated on by a common central cognitive unit.