Your Imagination Your Reality

Chapter 6 124

• Inspirational quotes on the power of imagination

Introduction

Imagination is a fanciful or empty assumption of the great untapped powers that we all possess, something that gives us the space to envision new opportunities, that fires our creativity, relieves our boredom, enriches relationships - that something is imagination.

Imagination allows us to explore the past and to imagine the future. It plays an important role in our mental health, and thanks to imagination, we can give a positive approach to our experiences. It is a great tool for recreating and remodeling our world and our life.

The Eight subsections or types of imagination are:

• Effectuative imagination.

• Intellectual or constructive imagination.

• Imaginative fantasy.

• Empathy.

• Strategic imagination.

• Emotional imagination.

• Dreams.

• Memory Reconstruction.

Some of the benefits of our imagination and how it can help us in different areas of our lives includes:

1. It allows us to overcome boundaries.

2. Is a survival skill

3. Is crucial for learning empathy

4. It gives us the ability to overcome our current circumstances

5. Makes us more creative

6. Improves our ability to think abstractly

7. Improves our mental physical and emotional well-being

8. It helps us deal with stress and adversity

9. It helps to make innovative ways to improve your business

10. It allows us to see the beauty of life. It goes on and on.

It works through all the five senses and the feelings. It is possible to imagine sounds, tastes, smells, physical sensations, feelings and emotions. Training of the imagination gives the ability to combine all the senses.

Imagination is a uniquely human ability to form ideas — new images and sensations in the mind that are not in our present perception through senses such as sight, hearing, or other senses.

Imagining is helpful if you’re practicing yoga or meditation at home or work. Just imagine yourself centered in the morning starting your day feeling calm and energized.

• Anything you want is possible because your imagination creates reality.

If something can be imagined, then it can become reality through decision, action, and chance (luck). Some just think of it as a logical consequence of human intelligence and the ability of an agent to act on its environment.While some call it manifestation, some say it’s an act of God made real through prayer.

Imagination is one of the critical success factors in life, yet, sadly it often goes untapped for many of us.

Imagination is beautiful because there are no rules to play by when we’re imagining.

We can just dream about the things we want as if we already have them in our hands. As kids, dreaming felt so real. But then as we grew up, we became “realistic”. We lost touch with our imagination and our rich inner world.

The challenge is that we are much more in tune with our experiences than we are with our future. This is due to the ease of remembering versus the difficulty of imagining.

Sometimes we need to stop living in an external world – on our smartphone, on our PC – all the time and get that rich inner world back.

As the world’s toughest athlete David Goggins says, we need to spend some time alone to go inside ourselves and read our own book, the story we are living. Only when we do that can we bring our creative imagination to life.

How do you use your imagination?

Simple yet effective ways to Jump-Start your Imagination includes:

• Change Your Self-Perception. Are you walking around thinking you're not imaginative? …

• Observe. For actors, writers, and artists, observing is second nature. …

• Access Childhood Memories. …

• Open to Possibility. …

• Be Curious. …

• Be Playful. …

• Spend Time in Nature. …

Simple Activities That Can Boost Your Imagination includes:

• Take a walk

• Meditiate

• Read fiction books

• Daydreaming and boredom

• Do simple tasks

• Tell a story

• Doodling

• Find blue

• Change your routine

• Visualize

With time, perhaps you won’t even notice when you will look around you in life and see that your reality has become what you envisioned and imagined. By having decided on how you want reality to be, believing in it (not giving up), and having taken action continuously, you have managed to move yourself to the reality you want.

So let’s train our imaginations! It is the most precious and unique thing we have as humans. With imagination, we can all help to build a better world.

Chapter 1

Power   Of Imagination

1. Imagination is the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality

2.  Imagination is a creative ability

3. Imagination is the ability to confront and deal with a problem

4. Imagination is the thinking or active mind

5. Imagination is a fanciful or empty assumption of the great untapped powers that we all possess, something that gives us the space to envision new opportunities, that fires our creativity, relieves our boredom, enriches relationships - that something is imagination.

Imagination allows us to explore the past and to imagine the future. It plays an important role in our mental health, and thanks to imagination, we can give a positive approach to our experiences. It is a great tool for recreating and remodeling our world and our life.

Imagination makes it possible to experience a whole world inside the mind and its exceptional capacity is endless.

A vivid imagination is more than dreaming up stories about dinosaurs and pirates. It is the origin of creativity and innovation, expressed in everything from technology and science to arts and literature. Working on your powers of imagination will help you think outside the box – a useful skill at both school and work.

Though some people are more naturally imaginative than others, there are ways you can cultivate your creative juices. Every great person has used the faculty of imagination and harnessed its power to accomplish things.

Imagination is one of the critical success factors in life, yet, sadly it often goes untapped for many of us.

The challenge is that we are much more in tune with our experiences than we are with our future. This is due to the ease of remembering versus the difficulty of imagining. The brain will naturally go to what it can most easily comprehend. And, because our memories are more powerful than our imagination, we make our plans accordingly.

It’s through your imagination that you can see a future that does not currently exist and with that picture in your mind you can start to take steps toward making it a reality. This is how all meaningful progress happens. First in the mind, and then in physical reality.

Imagination can often be a hidden power that  could be the one thing we need to bring about our greatest successes. We can use it to view any situation from a different perspective. For example,  you could imagine your boss finally praising you for something you did well or you could visualize getting that promotion that you’ve been hoping for, and what you are essentially telling your brain is to respond as if those things were happening and you are creating positive emotions and what we imagine  and expect to happen can come into being.

How Does Imagination Work

It works through all the five senses and the feelings. It is possible to imagine sounds, tastes, smells, physical sensations, feelings and emotions.

For some people, it is easy to see mental pictures. Others find it easier to imagine a feeling, and some are more comfortable imagining the sensation of one of the five senses. Training of the imagination gives the ability to combine all the senses.

A developed and strong imagination strengthens our creative abilities, and by focusing the force of our imagination on the good, bright side so that it is both positive and constructive will ensure that it is a great tool for recreating and remodeling our world and our life.

Finding Your Imagination

Step 1: Turn off the TV.

This is the first step to finding hobbies that enrich your imagination. Watching television programs is a form of passive engagement. It is good for relaxing after a hard day, but not for promoting your imagination. Instead of watching others on TV, do a hobby that allows you to create your own story.

Step 2: Try to do nothing.

Finding your imagination involves shutting out external stimulation and impulses. Tonight, turn off music and television and sit for a while. See what comes to your mind, and come up with alternative ways to spend your time. If you find this difficult, try yoga or meditation to help you learn to turn off the world.

Step 3: Read creative literature and watch creative films.

It is important to get out of your comfort zone for the forms of art you interact with. If you normally read detective thrillers, try reading a fantasy novel – and vice versa. The same applies to films. Look for experimental or independent films that challenge typical modes of presentation. Try to branch out not only in the content you interact with, but the way the content is presented.

Step 4: Listen to music without lyrics.

Listening to music has been shown to increase productivity while you are working. However, listening to lyrics makes you focus, if only subconsciously, on their ideas. Let music without lyrics arouse your creativity, and use it as a blank slate for your imagination to write on.

Jazz, classical, blues, and electronic are mostly instrumental genres. Jazz and blues are also improvisational. There are many additional more obscure genres that you can explore that don't have lyrics, like dub and garage.

Step 5: Write for fun.

Beyond the therapeutic benefits of writing for leisure, it can cultivate your imagination. Journaling is an easy way to begin writing – just writing about your day. This is an important form of storytelling. From there you can branch out into fictional works that utilize your imagination more extensively.

If you had a normal day, think about a juncture at which it could have gone very differently. Write a story in which you are thrust into a different world, and see it play out on paper.

Make the banal seem beautiful through poetry. Write a poem about something entirely ordinary. Write in whatever form you like – poetry doesn’t have to rhyme or have meters.

Step 6: Play improvisational games.

Pretend you're opening a box and pulling out imaginary items. You can pretend the box is filled with anything you want, like toys, money, or food. Act like the objects are actually there and interact with them. Use expressions and various emotions to really stretch your imagination.

Try playing with a partner by handing them the items or "exchanging gifts" and reacting to what they say.

Step 7: Try visual art forms.

You don’t have to intend to sell your work to enjoy visual art. Take a pottery or quilting class to find out ways you can use your imagination to create physical objects. You can find places in your home to confront them, or simply dispose of them. The most important aspect of this is that you allowed yourself a freeform artistic expression.

Step 8: Learn a musical instrument.

Once you have mastered the basics of musical theory, try to start writing your own music. Improvisational forms of music like jazz are a great way to go for this because they give you a medium to express your inner voice. Play your favorite songs on the stereo and accompany them on your musical instrument.

Step 9: Participate in holiday activities.

No, you don’t have to convince yourself that the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus are real. Playing along with these myths is reflective of an active imagination. Play dress-up, especially for Halloween celebrations. Picking out a costume and decorating it is an easy way to exercise your imagination.

Step 10: Decorate your home.

It is normal to decorate your home in a piecemeal fashion, accumulating random articles as needed. However, if you find your surroundings feeling stale or stagnant, you can take this opportunity to use your imagination. Buy simple or plain furniture, and see how it can fit together. Arrange your room in an intentional way that has functionality. This process naturally exercises your imagination and gets your brain working.

Don’t feel like everything has to be the typical definition of ‘tasteful.’ You can substitute everyday objects for furniture if you please. For example, instead of putting your jewelry in a shoe box or jewelry case, buy a cigar box. Or, build an outdoor table out of pallets.

Get your house messy and clean it up. The act of reorganizing is a great way to use your imagination and get chores done at the same time. Like redecorating, it requires you to reconsider the functionality and feng shui of your home.

Step 11: Create a narrative for art or other objects.

They say that if walls could talk, they could tell you a story. Try to imagine that story for yourself. Look at objects or pieces of art around your home and create a narrative for what they mean and how they were created.

Don’t get bogged down by the ‘intended’ meaning.

For example, if you have a painting of a ship, try to imagine the crew of the ship. Where did they come from, who are they? Expand your imagination into the realm of the unreal to come up with a story for the objects in your home.

Step 12: Plan out your ideal trip.

If you could go anywhere in the world or outer space, where would it be? Why would you go there, and what would you do? Playing through this in your head is a great way to use your imagination. The more outlandish and fun it is, the more you use your imagination to create the fantasy.

Write a story or do a drawing about the trip for an extra imaginative boost. Hang it somewhere you’ll see it daily.

 Step 13: Have stimulating conversations.

Invite your friends over, but instead of watching TV, discuss something hypothetical.Exercises like this require you to use your imagination, and you can feed off that of your friends' ideas. Brainstorming ideas and answers to hypothetical questions can concern topics as serious as you like.

If your friends are into discussing politics, ask how they think Americans would react to a declaration of war from Congress tomorrow.

Or, for example, how far do you think elephants could carry a simple basket on their back before it fell off? It may sound silly, but walking yourself through these examples is a way to flex your imagination.

Step 14:  Do something boring.

That’s right. Studies have shown that people given dull tasks find ways to make them more creative.

For example, start with a basic spaghetti recipe for dinner, and see what ingredients you can add to make it more interesting – without consulting a cookbook. Tasks like this force us to use our own creativity and imagination to add spice to life.

How You Can Improve Your Imagination

Pause for an imagination break before new situations like a meeting, a presentation, or interview with your boss; take a moment to visualize what would happen if everything went brilliantly.

• Start your day by imagining the best possible day.

• End your day by thinking of a better tomorrow.

• Turn off the TV and your social media − they can seriously dull your senses.

• Decide where to channel your energies - what you think you become.

If you imagine success you will create a path for success to find you, for example if you want to be a writer then go through your day seeing yourself as one.

Imagination is one of the human mind’s exceptional capacities. With some practice, it can become a simple way to bring more positivity to your work or life.

Types Of Imagination

Your imagination is what allows you to form new ideas and mental images, even though what you’re imagining isn’t present to your senses.

It’s why you can be empathetic and understanding toward others despite not sharing the same experiences, and how great authors and filmmakers can dream up worlds and galaxies they’ve never visited.

We’ll take a look at the different types of imagination, and how you use them to formulate new ideas.

According to Dr. Murray Hunter of the University of Malaysia Perlis has identified 8 types of imagination, which he says we use on a regular basis.

1. Effectuative Imagination

Effectuative imagination involves the synthesis of existing ideas and information to form a new thought or idea. This type of imagination is often triggered or guided by your own random thoughts or memories, especially of your past experiences.

Reading is one activity that will offer you more information and ideas to synthesize, and therefore fuel your  imagination. That’s why if you want to be a better writer, it’s important to read as much as you can. To be more creative, it’s necessary to study existing ideas.

2. Intellectual Or Constructive Imagination

Intellectual, or constructive, imagination involves a very deliberate process that starts with a definite idea and is used when considering or developing different hypotheses and possibilities based on available information.

Say you want to write a groundbreaking book. Sure, a lot of your ideas might come spontaneously, or be inspired by your own past experiences (like  imagination).

But most likely, you’ll want to be more intentional in your planning. Your extensive research will be guided by your imagination, and you’ll want to make sure your idea or creation is as complete as it can be. This type of imagination is commonly exercised in philosophy, politics, or management.

3. Imagination Fantasy

This type of fantasy can be guided or unguided, and involves generating new ideas from scratch. It’s the type that comes to most of our minds when we think of the word “imagination.”

Although still triggered by some source of inspiration, you’ll likely wander off to wherever the initial idea takes you, exploring ideas that may or may not be rooted in reality. This can lead you to create new stories, pictures, poems, songs, and other ideas.

4. Empathy

Empathy is our ability to understand and share the feelings of others, or to put yourself “in their shoes.”

For example, to invent a life-changing product that will help millions of people with disabilities even if you don’t have a disability yourself, you’d need to have enough empathy to imagine and understand the unique challenges those people face.

Similarly, if you’re a writer, you need to experience empathy to write diverse characters, otherwise the life of each character will mirror yours (which might be fine for one story, but it would get pretty boring if you write more).

In many ways, empathy both requires imagination (to understand and feel something you haven’t actually experienced personally), and contributes to it (feeling empathetic toward someone’s situation might inspire you with new ideas).

5. Strategic Imagination

Strategic imagination involves the ability to envision multiple possibilities of what could be, and to weigh the possible risks, benefits, and outcomes.

Someone who is an avid planner and seems to be “prepared for anything” is likely someone who has a strong strategic imagination.

However, in addition to considering possible risks, they’re also able to spot and evaluate potential opportunities.

6. Emotional Imagination

Emotional imagination refers to our ability to extend emotional dispositions into emotional scenarios.

We know that three-headed monsters aren’t real, but yet many of us still experience feelings of fear when we see them in movies.

That’s an example of emotional imagination— we can imagine that the monster is real, and we feel the very real emotions of fear as a result.

If you want to elicit certain emotions from others, you’ll need to use your emotional imagination and draw on your awareness of human emotions, which is why this type is in many ways related to empathy.

7. Dreams

Dreams are an unconscious type of imagination. They consist of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur while we sleep.

In most cases, you can’t really use your imagination to control what you dream; they are unconscious events, after all.

You can, however, use your dreams as a source of inspiration for other creative endeavors, which is why it can be very helpful to keep a dream journal, so you can recall and reflect on your dreams.

8. Memory Reconstruction

It’s pretty rare for two people to recall the same event in the same exact way. That’s of course because we all experience moments differently, but also because memory is selective, and reconstructed to fit your view of the world. Memories are also influenced by emotion.

To retrieve your memories of people, things, or events, you must use your imagination, which often fills in gaps.

Is Imagination Good For The Brain

A brain imaging study led by the University of Colorado Boulder and Icahn School of Medicine suggests that imagination can be a powerful tool for helping people overcome phobias or post-traumatic stress, because imagining a threat lights up similar regions of the brain as actually experiencing the threat does.

If you have a fear of flying on airplanes, you may have heard of simulated flight experiences that are designed to help people overcome that fear. Such training is effective because when you imagine something that scares you (which could be a turbulent flight, a large spider, or a hissing snake), your brain and body react much the same as they would if you were experiencing the real thing.

According to a neurological study, being imaginative creates more neurons in your brain. And, if you continue to exercise your imagination later in life, you can be up to 73% less likely to develop memory problems that lead to dementia.

• Exercising your imagination can lead you to be more creative, so you can find innovative solutions to problems, overcome writer’s block, or simply have more fun by channeling your inner child.