Projecting memories: The role of the hippocampus in emotional mentalizing

► People use their own autobiographical memories to understand others (mentalizing). ► The hippocampus reacts differently for judgments regarding the self versus dissimilar others, but not for self versus similar others, only for events subjects recall from their past. ► We use our own repertoire of memories and project internal self knowledge while making emotional judgments regarding others. ► Mentalizing is modulated by memories of similar past events and by perceived similarity between ourselves and others.