It's crucial to innovative problem solving. The proverbial "thinking outside of the box." It also can be quite relaxing and pleasurable. Visualizing success. Like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNn361umypM&feature=related dj On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 2:56 PM, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > What is imagination? Is it useful and if so, how do you use it and/or > can it be a hindrance? > > In a brief discussion dedicated to imagination (De Anima iii 3), > Aristotle identifies it as “that in virtue of which an image occurs in > us” (De Anima iii 3, 428aa1-2), where this is evidently given a broad > range of application to the activities involved in thoughts, dreams, > and memories. Both Husserl and Sartre theorized imagination as > picture consciousness, and Sartre wrote two books on the imagination > early in his career, defining imagination as the synthesis of our > knowledge of and our intention, and imaginary objects as a "melange > of past impressions and recent knowledge" (The Imaginary 90) > > Dr. Carl G. Jung said, “All the works of man have their origin in > creative fantasy. What right have we then to depreciate imagination.” > His psychology emphasized Active Imagination as a method for > visualizing unconscious issues by letting them act themselves out. > Active Imagination personifies the "parts" of us that are talking -- > to create more clarity or even resolution that might not be possible > with ordinary linear problem-solving. > > Cognitive psychology focused on mental imagery in the 1970s. Great > claims continue to be made, by some, for the healing powers of guided > imagery, whereby clients (or patients) are encouraged to visualize > particular scenes or scenarios thought to have therapeutic value > (e.g., Rossman, 2000). Guided imagery techniques have been claimed to > be effective for purposes ranging from chronic pain relief (e.g., > Fontaine, 2000) to breast enlargement and global spiritual renewal > (Willard, 1977; Ekstein, 2001) Currently, Noetic Science (the study > of how thoughts interact with the physical world) continues these > studies. > > Imagination is not limited to only seeing pictures in the mind, it > includes all the five senses and the feelings. Imagination makes it > possible to experience a whole world inside the mind. It gives the > ability to look at any situation from a different point of view, and > enables one to mentally explore the past and the future. Is > imagination the common thread that unites creative endeavors? > > According to the Dictionary of Philosophy of Mind : “despite being a > familiar word of everyday language, imagination is a very complex, > contested, and evaluatively loaded concept. It, like many cognate > terms, often appears to have radically different senses and > connotations when used in different contexts.” > > What do YOU think? > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > ""Minds Eye"" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
