I concur with your opinion expressed below: "I think there might even be a bit of imagination lent the experience of reality. If our tendencies are built up by experience, yet a few thoughts can undo all of that, perhaps the experience of the real and imaginary occur in the same mental space. For some they may be indistinguishable."
We all have illusions about reality based, perhaps, on how we think it should be, or on how we fear that it might be, or just on the categories of experience that are in our mental models of the world. There are many instances where a person is unable or unwilling to recognize that something is wrong, particularly with himself. I think that may be why so many are in the habit of looking at others with a critical eye: so that they don't have to face their own faults. But it is actually liberating to see something in one's self that is both worthy of and possible to improve. I am thinking of 12 step programs here, but also more complex issues of habitual responses. As for changing the way that power is allocated and used in society, it is good to imagine other models: for example, one where neither campaigning nor even nominating is involved, but where people are chosen based on their record for serving others and acting justly. I would prefer to give the job of keeping order and allocating public resources to someone who is not interested in power, but rather is a proven servant of the people. (I think President Obama actually fits this description. It is amazing that was elected!) On the other hand,the science of marketing is used to stimulate us to imagine that one candidate is good and the other bad. The resulting image in the minds of the people is mostly illusion. The saddest part of this process is that fear of the bad seems to be a stronger motivator than perceptin of good, which is why smear campaigns are often successful. There is also this: our imagination (or, better stated, our "envisioning") of how we wish to be as people can have a powerful effect over time on who we are. Who we are in the world can have a powerful affect on those around us, and eventually on society. On Feb 11, 12:22 am, Ash <[email protected]> wrote: > I think there might even be a bit of imagination lent the experience of > reality. If our tendencies are built up by experience, yet a few > thoughts can undo all of that, perhaps the experience of the real and > imaginary occur in the same mental space. For some they may be > indistinguishable (for lack of better term: psychosis), I try to keep a > keen eye on my romancing and reminiscing and regard them as allies to > the more universally shared environs. > > 1Cell's idea of 'mental models' and 'daydreaming' is a pretty neat way > of putting it and when I am exploring this creativity it is usually a > process of switching back and forth, rebuilding and testing. Much of > this relies on analogy and allegory, which a broad base of knowledge of > different fields/experiences is a godsend. One of my favorite daydreams > (long before it appeared in cinema) has been exploring hypothetical > scenarios and testing my wit against mechanical systems in operation. My > test is observing actual causal chains, refactoring and allocating. > > This is a powerful skill that is vastly underestimated, the more > interaction one gets with more diverse mental models the ability to > creatively apply them seems to exponentially increase. An interesting > property is the universality of mental models, if one gets accustomed to > this way of thinking everything is hacking-game: cosmology, > spirituality, psychology, religion, philosophy, software (firmware, PLC, > higher level), the many varied sciences (+science fiction), our selves, > and all the things and people in our environment and interrelations. > > I am convinced that this is an innate feature of mankind, something we > know well when we live more in tune with our environment. Sadly, it goes > unaccounted for in the agendas of modern institutions. This I think is > the challenge for the modern man, a reemergence of identity and mastery > of What and Where (not just space-time) we are. > > *All IMO > > My 'sin' is suffering, > -Ash > > On 2/10/2010 3:56 PM, Molly 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.
