Imagination- The Workshop of the Mind

[Lincsong]

The imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man. The impulse, the desire, is given shape, form, and action through the aid of the imaginative faculty of the mind. It has been said that man can create anything which he can imagine.

Man's only limitation, within reason, lies in his development and use of his imagination. He has not yet reached the apex of development in the use of his imaginative faculty.

How do you "exercise" your imagination in order to better yourself and to keep your brain active?

 

[Baggers]

For me, this subject could almost be part of the Boredom thread, as when I'm bored my imagination takes over. I initially sparked it with books, everything from Tom Sawyer to Treasure Island. Then I discovered science fiction with my first Tom Corbett, Space Cadet adventure and it took off from there. Visualizing the worlds described in those pages stretched my brain in ways that conventional fiction never could. Life on the Mississippi in the 1800s was easy after some exposure to early TV -- remember Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and Davy Crockett? Or watching The Rifleman? But what frame of reference could a six or eight year old boy use to imagine a planet orbiting the star Wolf 359? Beyond seeing the paintings of Chesley Bonestell that were used to illustrate an early book on space flight, there wasn't much to spark the imagination except words on a page. But my imagination grew with each new adventure.

As I got older, I discovered films like Forbidden Planet, The Conquest of Space, Rocketship XM, and all the other great movies of the 50s and 60s as they popped up at the local movie house on Saturday afternoons and the Sci-fi Theater program on one of the local TV channels, and they helped add detail to my mental excursions. I added other interests as the years went by, such as military history, and my imagination grew with each new piece of information. And all this before computers and 300 channels of TV to spoonfeed me.

Am I better for all that? I guess so. In my work as an actor, I have to be able to create a "world" for myself at a moment's notice without much input beyond the script in front of me and a few words from the Director. Very rarely do I have all the pieces necessary to produce a believable character (the dialogue of all the other people in a scene, in particular), so I guess all that time spent as a little boy daydreaming and creating fantasy worlds in my head created a tool that I use today on a regular basis.

I don't know if all this rambling made any sense or answered your question. But if it was of value, so be it.

Cheers!

 

[Lady Day]

I make a living off of my imagination, so lets just say if there was an imagination olympics, Id get gold every time baby!

LD

 

[herringbonekid]

He has not yet reached the apex of development in the use of his imaginative faculty.

what is this astonishing insight based on ?
and please explain how you go about measuring the imaginative capacity of other people, most of whom aren't present in the same room.

 

[Midnight Palace]

Honestly I think the reason that most people have limited imaginations, is because they've been "boxed" into living a certain way by society. The widely accepted routine is to get up, go to work, come home, eat, television, bed. That seems normal. But, society works around what it doesn't understand. Some people never strive for anything bigger than what they're born into, because they feel like failure is a possibility. Whereas, if they just hang around the status quo, everyday, mundane, theres not much chance of failing at that. People don't even have a clue as to the power of their mind, and its endless capabilities. I just think too many are willing to settle for "less of a life" by not trying. IMHO

 

[scotrace]

I am blessed and cursed with a vivid, hyper-active imagination. To be able to play out entire secnarios following different paths allows one to experiment with probable outcomes. It also is a huge help with writing, acting, and the creative process in general. Also makes boredom all but impossible.

Some folks *seem* to be unable to imagine things, at least in any detail or beyond a given box.

Imagination also allows for a greater ability to empathize with others.

But it can certainly interfere with daily tasks!

 

[Quigley Brown]

I make a living off of my imagination, so lets just say if there was an imagination olympics, Id get gold every time baby!

LD

I'll settle for silver...

 

[Paisley]

Imagination works both ways. You can imagine heaven or hell and eventually make it so.

 

[Twitch]

As I mentioned in the thread about being bored I enjoy mentally imagining scenarios for various favorite topics, working things out and developing theories. I can visualize anything I conjure up.

 

[Mr. Sable]

I make a living off of my imagination, so lets just say if there was an imagination olympics, Id get gold every time baby!

I think you would at that.

 

[Lincsong]

what is this astonishing insight based on ?
and please explain how you go about measuring the imaginative capacity of other people, most of whom aren't present in the same room.

Basically what I meant is that he has merely discovered that he has an imagination, and has commenced to use it in a very elementary way.

There are two forms of imagination one is "synthetic imagination" and the other is "creative imagination."

Through Synthetic Imagination, one may arrange old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations. This faculty creates nothing.

Through Creative Imagination, the finite mind of man has direct communication with Infinite Intelligence. It is the faculty through which "hunches" and "inspirations" are received.

Individuals imaginative faculty may become weak through inaction. It can be revived and made alert through use.

So; in order to keep yourself alert how does one use their imagination?

 

[Paisley]

I don't think the imagination, or intuition, is made weak so much as it is ignored. It helps to quiet your mind and surroundings to hear those thoughts. I think people did this more when they observed the Sabbath.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Image In...

see: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=12496&highlight=science+of+mind Post #14.

-dixon cannon

 

[Lincsong]

see: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=12496&highlight=science+of+mind Post #14.

-dixon cannon

Dixon and Paisley are rockin' on these subjects.:eusa_clap

 

[Lincsong]

By Creative Imagination all basic, or new ideas are handed over to man. It is through this faculty that one individual may "tune in," or communicate with the subconscious minds of other men.

This faculty functions only when the conscious mind is working at an exceedingly rapid rate, as for example, when the conscious mind is stimulated through the emotion of a strong desire.

The creative faculty becomes more alert in proportion to its development through use.

The great leaders of business, industry, finance and the great artists, musicians, poets, and writers became great, because they developed the faculty of creative imagination.

Both the synthetic and creative faculties of imagination become more alert with use, just as any muscle or organ of the body develops through use.

That being said; why do some people allow their creative development to wilt on the vine?

 

[Lady Day]

I think you would at that.

Aw, thanks!

LD