What is imagination?

Reply to ztaziz
I feel like there is no right and wrong answer to this question, as people are different and perceive things differently. One person might project an image of an apple in their mind like you gave the example of. Another might imagine an apple and get a ghost taste of an apple on their tongue. Yet another might simply see the word 'apple' flash in their mind's eye.
Though I like your definition for imagination: "A personal power for projection"
Another point regarding Imagination is that in this day and age with so much access to constant stimulation, video games, movies, social media etc, we are rarely bored and so have no need for our imagination. I wonder if as society 'develops' our collective imaginations will begin to die off.

Imagination is more than just the ability to synthesize an object in the mind's eye. It is the ability to create fictitious scenarios that allow one to see a bigger picture as well. Sometimes it allows people to envision strange scenarios that happen to be true, like Einstein.

Reply to neonspectraltoast
I want to know deeper, the process of creating fiction.

Is it imagining a line, from one point, going to another, creating a simple shape(s)(would make sense, the eye often is moved as we initiate imagination), and then using thus shape infused dynamics to create swirling power with our sense? Enough to produce subliminal imagery? Rolling fiction as you suggested?

You may note your descript of fiction is lacking...

I view imagination as another world or as another reality. The only being in charge of it is the one that is doing the imagining. They can bring back someone they dearly loved that died on them, they can fix anything that has gone wrong, they can plan out their future in it, etc. This earthly world can ruin or destory parts of your life but you can always keep those parts alive and well in your imagination. Imagination can be a good coping mechanism too. Also, if anyone knows about lucid dreaming or if they can lucid dream then they can play out their imagination in 3D world view that's more realistic.

"...the Bosom of God, the Human Imagination. (Jerusalem, I, 5; p. 554)1."

William Blake

Reply to Julia
I must admit that was a great work.

I was enlightened by it.

Reply to ztaziz
Thank you! I wasn't sure I explained too well or worded things too well but I guess it made sense still so that's good to hear.

Imagination, in my opinion, is our minds tapping into both the worlds of the actual and the possible. We sometimes imagine actual objects (objects/people/events) which requires only memory of these objects. At other times, we imagine possible objects which also requires memories but the novelty here is these memories are combined in different ways producing hybrid objects - people who don't exist, unreal objects and events that haven't come to pass. Imagination then is a powerful tool for it allows us to not only visit or re-examine actual events to the extent memory permits but, more importantly, it gives us the power to explore the world of possibility, identify in it those items that we desire and this gives us the opportunity to make them actual.

Imagination brings whatever is coextensive with the world of possibility within our reach - the future for example.

Reply to ztaziz

Great question, and lots of good responses so far... .

I think of imagination being much like our sense of wonderment. In the case of Kant and/or Einstein, to proclaim that all events must have a cause, invokes or conveys our innate sense of wonderment/imagination. Similarly, we can only imagine within our consciousness (imagination) such causation, yet it is that which propels scientific discovery beyond reason. So we need imagination and wonder to move a thought or physical theory forward.

Imagination is an innate metaphysical reality from conscious existence. Or better said; how real is imagination?

Reply to TheMadFool people will find imagining the self is easier consistently for that individual; or is it? Is my restrospect, of people I know, good enough?

Imagination is, I think, image projection, but there is more to image than meets the eye.

Three small bubbles could create a special loop together.

What is this 3D bubble engine?

It could be more than image, but is definitely something bold and not something vague to a degree.

I suppose I should add imagination is also reception of image(or X)but maybe that's a unregistered aspect.

Perhaps imagination is i formation for us.

We are halved by imagination hence left and right symmetry, it's not an image, it's ours.

I sometimes like to think of imagination as a fluid or plasma of thoughts and ideas that can be manipulated by some executive functions of the brain. It can be self-creating by allowing it pure random wandering freedom or it can be contained within a box of parameters, goals and objectives to guide the fluid along and give it some moulded structure.

A Night Without Brambles

Imagination is a night without brambles,
a conflagration of antecedents, trouble
before its time, shudders, apples, dripping
water, impossible undertakings, simple
arguments about parrots, and no place to go.

My question is: What just happened? Where did this come from?