Massage stones help scientists uncover role of prefrontal cortex in sensory perception

An image of a beautiful beach conjures up certain sensations -- one can imagine the sun's warmth and the sound of waves breaking on the shore. But how is it that the brain produces these impressions when someone isn't actually standing on a beach? Using massage stones, pictures of sunny beaches and snowy landscapes, and sounds of noisy cities and quiet forests, research suggests the prefrontal cortex generalizes perceptual experiences from information received through different senses.