ABSTRACT
In.this.chapter,.we.explore.whether.the.peculiarity.of.contemplating.a.futuristically.fantastical. past.might.reflect.an.important.facet.of.mental.simulation.in.the.past.versus.future.tense.(in.addition. to.being.good.science.fiction)..We.hypothesize.that.past.tense.mental.simulation.(retrospection).feels. different.and.is.more.constrained-more.subject.to.“reality.checks”—than.is.future.tense.mental. simulation.(prospection)..We.also.hypothesize.that.temporally.asymmetric.constraints.on.retrospection.render.it.phenomenologically.different.from.prospection.(i.e.,.more.effortful.and.difficult).and. lead.retrospection.to.yield.predictably.different.outcomes.from.those.that.follow.from.prospection.
