but rather the image people have of spatial relationships

——总体是一个名词词组。

but rather （“而宁可说是”）the image （people have） of spatial relationships

1. but rather：是对前文所描述情况的修正。意为“而更确切地说；倒不如说”。

2. people have：定语从句。把中心词 the image 和作定语的 of spatial relationships 分隔。

被修饰词和定语，被其他成分分隔（划线部分为定语，斜体为分隔成分）：

The problem arose  of what to do with the money.

I have a picture here  of a man who knew the address.

We heard the story from his own lips  of how he was stranded for days without food.

The time is coming  to prepare for Christmas.

There is no report to us  of any accident.

I must try to make as careful a study as I can  of the accident.

the image people have  of spatial relationships 

本例被定语从句分隔。英语的成分分隔现象，主要目的是为了行文紧凑，同时也避免产生修饰歧义。如果把定语从句放在后面，那很可能让人误读，认为修饰relations：

the image of spatial relationships people have