noun
mental image; mental picture; image
Refers to an image formed in the mind, often used in literary, psychological, or introspective contexts. Not a concrete picture or photograph.
その詩からは、寂しい田舎の心象が浮かんでくる。
From that poem, a lonely countryside mental image comes to mind.
彼の話を聞いていると、鮮明
Listening to his story, a vivid mental picture spread in my mind.
Compound of 心 (heart, mind) and 象 (image, phenomenon). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally yields the meaning 'mental image'.