Self in time and language.

The narrative self, or extended self, is not a linguistic construction but is created by mental time travel—the ability to mentally project backward to relive past events or forward to anticipate future ones. Narrative language itself arises from a core brain network that includes mental time travel, mindreading, and visuo-spatial systems, rather than being the source of the narrative self. This challenges the common view that language constructs the narrative self.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Time has been considered a crucial factor in distinguishing between two levels of self-awareness: the "core," or "minimal self," and the "extended," or "narrative self." Herein, I focus on this last concept of the self and, in particular, on the relationship between the narrative self and language. In opposition to the claim that the narrative self is a linguistic construction, my idea is that it is created by the functioning of mental time travel, that is, the faculty of human beings to project themselves mentally backwards in time to relive, or forward to anticipate, events. Moreover, I propose that narrative language itself should be considered a product of a core brain network that includes mechanisms, such as mental time travel, mindreading, and visuo-spatial systems.