Our Imagination...

[Edward]

Being a child of the 60's and 70's I picked up this nasty little habit of always questioning every form of authority. Even my own first and foremost. I generally distrust everything, by nature. (think 1 Cor. 15:24 as that nature) Keeps me from getting et by bears and mountain lions. More interested in reality than imaginations BUT, as someone noted prior the imagination is a very good tool that has lots of good uses. Theology isn't one of the areas of applications.

I question everything too. Perhaps it's that aspect of me which made me question if imagination is imaginary, lol.
They taught us to not use it and that it's unreal. (<question that), and they've engineered societal environment to deaden the mind and brain. Television inhibits your imagination for instance. It just feeds your brain images.

Your brain doesn't have to work and create the images so it gets lazy. It's very good for your mental and spiritual sharpness to not watch TV.

That's why the books always better, lol. Mind can generate images better and faster than hollyweird can. But you do have to exercise it.

They're lying. Imagination is inside. It's one of the unseen things (lol) and scripture has a bit to say about it.
1 Corinthians 10:4-5
Philippians 4:8
1 Peter 4:6
Proverbs 4:23

I think that the imagination is a spiritual receptor, able to be used evilly, or in conjunction with walking in the Spirit, being led of the Spirit, and the Spirit will give us images to teach us and guide us.

Many are the testimonies I've heard, where people would have words of knowledge given to them, and report seeing words and pictures.

Here's a good one for the imagination.

Revelation 22:1-21

 

[smaller]

I question everything too. Perhaps it's that aspect of me which made me question if imagination is imaginary, lol.
They taught us to not use it and that it's unreal. (<question that), and they've engineered societal environment to deaden the mind and brain. Television inhibits your imagination for instance. It just feeds your brain images.

Your brain doesn't have to work and create the images so it gets lazy. It's very good for your mental and spiritual sharpness to not watch TV.

That's why the books always better, lol. Mind can generate images better and faster than hollyweird can. But you do have to exercise it.

They're lying. Imagination is inside. It's one of the unseen things (lol) and scripture has a bit to say about it.
1 Corinthians 10:4-5
Philippians 4:8
1 Peter 4:6
Proverbs 4:23

I think that the imagination is a spiritual receptor, able to be used evilly, or in conjunction with walking in the Spirit, being led of the Spirit, and the Spirit will give us images to teach us and guide us.

Many are the testimonies I've heard, where people would have words of knowledge given to them, and report seeing words and pictures.

Here's a good one for the imagination.

Revelation 22:1-21

True now that you mention it. I think most people read with visuals accompanying, whether they realize it or not, which is definitely the imagination at work almost on it's own. In fact reading without that subtle background imagination is boring as heck.

I learned very young in the construction biz that the imagination is critical for the work environment. Building things have to be imagined first, read and visualize/imagine the blueprints. Imagine how every step of the way will be done. Then execute the work accordingly. Used that methodology all my life to bid and build work. I wouldn't even step into a leadership role on the jobsite if I have not deployed the advance planning tool of the imagination first. It's critical skill. All kinds of advance planning requires imagination.

Probably an interesting side note is that a lot of NDE's run along the lines of what the individuals imagine in their baseline religious convictions.

Jesus said the Kingdom of God is within. And that is not in the material/empirical/forensic sense of the term.

I've often contemplated that God is a bit of a drama queen. Particularly in my own life, pushing things to my personal breaking points.

Another example you may find interesting. I was black powder hunting elk a few years ago in the Colo. Rockies. Only had a cow (female) permit. Had a wonderful early morning slow stalking in the deep wild. Walked up within 40 yards of a beautiful huge mule deer buck who was sleeping. It was amazing to get that close to a wild animal, which is why I like slow stalking and in black powder season there you can wear camo. I honestly hate to shoot anything and seldom do even if I have a shot unless it's a trophy.

Anyway, about 10 a.m. I sat down for coffee and a sandwich. It was late summer so the aspen leaves were still mostly green and just a smattering of leaves were starting to turn. I was sitting on the side of a long mountain slope looking across the other side of a close valley. My entire panorama was filled with green aspen leaves. It was just gorgeously alive and life givingly refreshing, the color green. I've had similar sights with other colors. In Canada on Lake of the Woods for example from the west side of the lake in Buffalo Bay if you are on a boat, the water is still and you look to the east on a cloudless day your entire visual perspective is filled with sky blue. You can't distinguish the water from the sky (because you can't see across the lake, it's looks endless). Visually spectacular.

So as I sat on the mountain side taking this all in, my imagination sez to me, HEY! I wonder if you can look at this green panorama of life like you look at a 3D picture. I'm sure you've seen 3D pictures. You have to kind of manipulate your eyes to get into a different zone of perspective in order to make the visual stand out. Many people can't see the 3D imbedded images. You really have to work at it the first time. But once you've done it it's like an acquired ability, like riding a bike. So I'm sitting there, monkeying around with my eyesight like when I'm looking at a 3D picture, and WHAM! There is was! The first time I saw it it lasted similarly to the first time I saw a 3D picture. It came and then went away when I tried to look at it normally, in the natural perspective we're used to using. But it was there! That's the point. And yes, there is a whole nother world of nature that is dramatically visually spectacular if you can transition yourself into that other zone. It's just crazy. And what also happens is when you go there your auditory and other senses change automatically as well. They are heightened in their abilities. It's always been there in nature. I just never imagined to try to see it that way before. Now I can transition into that 'zone' and stay in it when I'm in the wild and the wild communicates to me differently in a heightened fashion "in the zone."

I could write for hours about how I've deployed this particular tool since. It kind of changed my life in many ways.

 

[dianegcook]

I see images sometimes when I close my eyes, and I know this is my imagination. Sometimes I see nothing, a black screen. (Sometimes I wonder if it's real or just something my brain cooked up)

(Actually, the brain is only a receptor and recording device, we think in our heart!) but anyway...how about you?

Do you see a blank screen or images? Do you think it's real or...just your imagination...(not real)?

I see spots, lol.

 

[AbbeyJoy]

I see images sometimes. Often I see images from were I been or just something I saw..But most of the time dark.