In his Lectures on Literature, Vladimir Nabokov suggests that the essence of literature is rooted in the power of imagination and storytelling rather than mere reality. He posits that literature truly came into existence when a child proclaimed a threat that wasn’t real, emphasizing the creative act of depicting scenarios that do not exist. This idea highlights the importance of fiction and the human ability to convey meaning through narratives, irrespective of their truthfulness.

This perspective aligns with the themes explored in Stanislas Dehaene's "Consciousness and the Brain," which examines how the brain processes thoughts and ideas. Dehaene's work delves into the cognitive mechanisms underlying storytelling and the brain's capacity to engage with both real and imaginary concepts. It reinforces Nabokov's argument about the significance of imaginative expression in human consciousness, revealing literature as a profound reflection of our mental processes.