IMAGINATION

Friend or Foe?

Brain functioning: Cerebral cortex: Right-side.

The imagination is a wonderful, beautiful, life enhancing part of the human form. The imagination entertains and amazes us. The world of fiction in all it's forms - books, films, stories, art, dance, theatre, radio, etc..

The imagination needs to be acknowledged, respected, loved, utilized, and also tempered (trained) by channeling it into creative play and work. If this is not done, then the imagination can become our worst enemy and a nightmare for everybody.

Just like any other area of human life, the imagination can be healthy or unhealthy - and often somewhere in-between.

A healthy imagination is tamed, creative, life-enhancing, directed, and entertaining.

An unhealthy imagination untamed, destructive, a threat to healthy life, undirected, and a menace for everyone.

A person with an unhealthy imagination needs to be shown creative and healthy ways in which to express imaginative ideas. They need to be taught that the imagination is a friend and not a foe. They need to be shown that they have the ability to choose whether they interact with it or not.

They need to realize that the imagination is a natural part of the human experience and that it can be turned on and off at will.

It can be therapeutic for people with problems with the imagination, to develop their physical, logical, rational, and organizational abilities. This is not an aim to stifle or dull the imagination but can be helpful to bring it under control as the person focuses on more tangible and practical activities and considerations.