When I picture stuff and I'm problem solving or whatever, I've tried to figure out if the mental images are a tool or just a side effect.
I can feel that my thought or idea happens almost instantly, and that internal monologue or internal imagery seems to follow the thought or idea and seems like it's more of just a representation of the thought that's really embedded somewhere else in the brain.
It seems like words+images might just be a way to keep thoughts in working memory, kind of like a handle or reference or place holder.