Neuroscience and Psychology Research on Perception of Future Selves

Neuroscience and psychology research indicate that humans perceive their future selves as separate entities, not as a continuous single identity. This perspective can lead to increased wonder and curiosity about future possibilities but may also result in reduced empathy towards the future self. Neuroscientific studies reveal that the brain shows different activity patterns when thinking about oneself versus others. Surprisingly, when individuals contemplate their future selves, their brain activity resembles that of thinking about other people. This suggests that on a neural level, the future self is perceived as a distinct entity. However, the degree of similarity varies among individuals, with some perceiving their future selves as significantly different from their present selves.