==new answer== It is a picture held in mind either consciously or unconsciously. There may be many thoughts related to this picture. Through concentration and meditation exercises, one can learn to see these thought forms. It is from these thought forms that the subconscious mind processes which become our physical experiences. The mind communicates in pictures. When the words being expressed match the picture being transmitted, we have good communication. To learn the picture language requires the use of the universal language of mind, which is the picture language, and is the oldest language in existence.