Only the Imagination will help us survive: What else can we do?

Simply said imagination is the ability to form pictures in the mind. The term imagination comes from the Latin verb imaginari meaning “to picture oneself.”

Paraphrasing Merriam Webster, imagination means:

1. The act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality
2. A creative ability or the ability to confront and deal with a problem

So, Imagination is often linked to creativity and contrasted with knowledge. Einstein famously called out the limitations of knowledge in relation to the expansiveness of the imagination. He posed an interesting question, what is knowledge without imagination?

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” -Albert Einstein

Imagination is considered “a power of the mind”  and “a creative faculty of the mind”. The term indicates the self-reflexive property, emphasizing the imagination as a private sphere.  In the sense of the word as a process, imagination may also be considered as a form of mediation between what is considered “externalized” reality and “internalized” mind.  But the term is considered often with the implication that the (mental) conception does not correspond to the reality of things.

Imagination can help manage pain and suffering by allowing individuals to mentally reframe their experience, often by visualizing a more positive or calming scenario. This visualization can lead to a perceived reduction in pain intensity; this is often used in techniques like guided imagery meditation. Practitioners visualize a relaxing scene, like a beach or a calming forest, to distract from pain or imagining pain as a wave washing over you, then receding, can help manage its intensity.

According to neuroscientists, when we imagine something, our brain activates similar neural pathways as if we were experiencing the real thing, essentially “replaying” memories and sensory information to create a mental simulation. This involves multiple brain regions, particularly the visual cortex for imagery, the hippocampus for memory retrieval, and the prefrontal cortex for planning and manipulating the imagined scenario, all working together to construct a mental image or experience.  Basically, brain activates sensory areas, draws on memories at the hippocampus, a key memory center and uses Default Mode Network (DMN)  especially when thinking about the future or hypothetical situations. The limbic system, which processes emotions, also plays a role in imagination, allowing us to experience emotions associated with our imagined scenarios. Then the prefrontal cortex enables us to manipulate and modify our imagined scenarios, allowing for creativity and problem-solving.

Have you read the picture book “The Power of Henry’s Imagination”? This book is about a boy who uses his imagination to find his missing stuffed bunny.  After the bunny disappears and the house is turned upside down during the search, Grandpa’s “warm, knowledgeable voice” soothes the child, as does his suggestion to “imagine that you have Raspberry back!”. The author Skye Byrne  employs a minimalism that opens up the infinity of imagination.

In my professional life, I have travelled across most of the world, but due to work pressures never had an opportunity to truly understand the people and  culture and rainbows of nature surrounding some of the quaint non-touristic places.  This is where I love to watch Rick Steves travel vlogs. When I watch Rick’s videos, I use my power of imagination and get inside the videos and walk along with Rick to enjoy the real but imaginary experience. I don’t then need to take physical travel and large TV screen in my bedroom is just enough to see the world I want to know, differently.

Rick Steves

I was most fascinated when I first read James Thurber’s Secret life of Walter Mitty.  The story is considered one of Thurber’s acknowledged masterpieces. The name Walter Mitty and the derivative word “Mittyesque” have entered the English language, denoting an ineffectual person who spends more time in heroic daydreams than paying attention to the real world. In 2016, I wrote a blog making an attempt to imagine my own secret life on the similar lines. You must however read the original story on-line.

My Professor Friend often pooh poohs my blog “The Secret Life of Dr Modak” saying it is a nonsensical imagination that shows no creativity but simply an escapism from the real world. But I argue that what can we do when the world today so horrifying, awfully bitter and brutal and unkind to the nature.  Can we ever re-boot?

But imagination can be very useful in the real world. Other day, I was in a large, tube-shaped machine to do an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). I had to stay still with hands raised above my head for 45 minutes while machine was making irritating sounds like drum beats played by an amateur. I didn’t know how to I handle this ordeal for that long and so I decided to take help of the power of imagination.

As I heard the  voice of the technician several times asking me to breath in and out, I started imagining about him. I “saw” him going home after day long work at the hospital managing several patients. I “saw” him taking a crowded train to Dombivli, a suburb at an hours distance from Greater Mumbai. I also “heard” him talk to his wife and children and watch the TV to listen to news that made no consequence to his life. I spent good 15 minutes imagining his life, his tensions of repaying the housing loan in time and guilt that he wasn’t able to give enough time for his son appearing for 12^th standard examination.

After 30 minutes, the cute nurse who had set up IV on my wrist, injected the contrast. I started imagining about her. I “saw” that after finishing my MRI she would change her uniform wearing something smart and leave the hospital on time. I “saw” her boyfriend waiting outside on a scooter. I “saw” them driving downtown to Regal theatre for a movie. After the movie, I “saw” them walking together holding hands on the marine drive. I could “hear” their conversations full of love and affection about each other. He worked for a travel agency and they were hoping that she will get a job offer in a Dubai hospital. Well, I could easily pass the 45 minutes that would have been otherwise a torture.

As I got out of that dreadful tube-shaped machine, a man said that I was good and cooperative. I recognized him immediately because I could connect him with the voice instructing me “breath in and out”. I just murmured “going home now taking 6 pm Dombivli fast?”. “You saying something Sir?” he asked. But I saw in his eyes, sure he was in hurry to wrap up work to take Dombivli fast. The cute nurse brought me a hot coffee as I was fasting over past 4 hours. I took a sip and asked, “Have you watched Mary Poppins running at the Regal theatre?”. She blushed and smiled.

I then realized that with my imagination I was actually scanning their lives while they were scanning my body.  What a power of imagination friends!

But alas! What else I could do?

Do read my blog titled Story of a Mysterious Artist on the Chapel Road in Bandra to see how wild the imagination can be.