Future thinking

Thinking about the future comes so naturally to most people that we do not realise what a complicated and essential skill it is. Claudia Hammond and an expert panel of psychologists look into our ability to mentally travel to the future. Catherine Loveday, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains how our ability to mentally time travel into the future is useful for everyday tasks as well as fundamental to shaping our identity. Daryl O’Connor, professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, discusses how thinking about the future motivates us in the present. And Peter Olusoga, senior lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, describes how professional sportspeople use visualisation and future thinking to improve sporting success.Together they discuss how we hold ideas of the future in mind, whether unbounded optimism is the best way ahead – or not, and how to science-proof our goal setting and future planning. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, details of health available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide at befrienders.org. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Sound engineer: Emma Harth and Sue Maillot Production co-ordinators: Siobhan Maguire and Andrew Rhys Lewis