I often have intense fantasies about conversations with personal mentors, historical figures and&#x2F;or deities (what would Buddha say? How about Einstein? etc). Obviously I can&#x27;t reproduce their thoughts, but knowing a little about them, I can try to think like them<p>Surely they&#x27;re not as visceral or reflexive as the author&#x27;s voices. But I have always found value in empathizing with fantasized mentors, which has given me confidence in my opinions.