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Series: Two
IM AGINATION
TH E R 0S 1 C R U C I A N O R D ER A M O RC San José, California 95191, U.S.A.
G -108
1177
Prinied In U.S.A
Imagination
Introduction Each of us has ideais, concepts o f what our life should be. T he se are goals to be attained. H ow ever, s o m e tim e s at first we reach too far, as grasping for a star. N everíheless, a tta in m e n t in life, no m atte r w hat our personal philosophy may be, is d e p e n d e n t upon the tools which we u se to b rin g it a b o u t. T h e r e a re c e rtain seem ingly com m onplace techniques which we cali tools. These are necessary for m astery in any undertaking. Failure to use these techniques correctly or fully may result in disappointm ent, that is, in not realizing an objective no m atter how well one may apply himself. It is the purpose o f this series o f booklets to provide each Rosicrucian th ro u g h o u t his studies with a series of useful techniques, not only helping him to derive the utm o st from his R osicru cian studies but, as well, from his everyday living. IM P E R A T O R
Before we a tte m p t an u n d e r s t a n d in g o f imagination, it is advisable that we distinguish it from certain of our oth er m ental processes. Imagination is not a form o f empirical perception. T he latter term is defined as becom ing objectively aware th ro u g h our sense faculties of externai things. F o r exam ple, as you read this you are using your receptor faculty of s/'#/7/to see these printed words. W hat you are experiencing has its origin outside o f your mind. T he ¡dea you have arises directly and immediately from outside im pressions visually experienced. T he sam e may be said o f your receptor faculties o f hearing, tasting, feeling, and smelling. They are all channels for allowing you to becom e aware o f the world outside o f you. M em ory also has its roots primarily in what you have experienced in íhe externai world through the m éd iu m of your objective perception, that is, your five sense faculties. For e x a m ple, here is a Symbol, the triangle. V It is apparently a thing existing outside o f you. T h e visual im age f o rm s in y o u r c o n s c io u s n e s s immediately as you look at the triangle. Now turn your head away from this page for a m o m e n t. While looking away, recall the triangle which you saw. See it as clearly as possible in your m ind, but w ithout the use o f your eyes. Now try this.
C O PYRIG H T BY S U P R E M E G R A N D LO D G E , A M O R C , INC. OCTOBER, 1977 ALL RIGHTS R ES E R V ED
It was m o re difficult for you to recall from m e m o ry a m ental image of the triangle than to see it externally. This is because m em ory im pressions are not so intense as the sensations which are received directly through your recep tor senses. In o th er words, you can see som ething m uch m ore vividly than you can recollect it. Let us briefly cite a n o th e r exam ple in order to distinguish reasoning from imagination. In a very broad sense, we may say that o u r reasoning c om m only consists o f two m ethods: one is inductive; the oth er, deductive. T h e inductive m e th o d is proceeding from a particular idea to a general conclusión. We can use an analogy to better explain: A botanist finds that a plant flourishes in one kind o f soil and not in another. H ow ever, what is the general cause that underlies that particular experience? W hy is one soil better than the o th er for the plant? Simply, t h e r e is s o m e g e n e ra l p h e n o m e n o n th a t accounts for the particular instance that is experienced. T he deductive m e th o d o f reasoning is fundamentally going from a general experience to the particulars o f which it consists. Let us use a n o th e r analogy to explain this: A crim e has been com m itted. T h e pólice have separate pieces o f evidence concerning this crime. Each o f these particular pieces m u st be related and
integrated to establish what the primary particu lar is, that is, who the criminal is and perhaps what the m otive was. In ali these exam ples given, we have been dealing with reality, that is, so m ething that we objectively perceived. At least we th o u g h t it to be a reality and sought to eventually perceive it. But in imagination we are concerned with the non-existent; at least it has ne v e r existed to us as an externai thing or condition. Let us say that you think o f a future vehicle which has a device that draws its energy for p ro pulsión from space. T h e source is infinite and economical. Now there is no such vehicle as yet, and let us fu rther p resu m e that you have never heard or seen anything resem bling the idea you have. The possibility of the imagined idea becom ing a reality can only be as a fu tu re event. Suppose, how ever, you imagine how the earliest h u m a n s lived in prehistoric tim es m any th o u sands o f years ago. H ere you are, th e n , imagining what seem s to be long o f the past. But if your conception, your imagined idea, were to becom e eventually a reality by m ea n s o f anthropological and archaeological research, it would th en be in the fu tu re to you. In o th er words, in relation to the present state o f your imagination, any proof that would substantiate your idea would m ake it a reality of the future. N evertheless, every imagined idea cannot be absolutely original in every respect. It m u st
always relate in so m e degree to what already is. It m ust have an extensión, an elaboration, or an alternative for so m e th in g that is now known. T o explain this, let us refer again to o u r analogy of a vehicle to be powered by an energy drawn from space. T he whole idea begins with the notion o f a vehicle; that is, a m eth o d o f tra n s p o rta ro n that will exceed anything “ now existing.” This latter phrase is the beginning point upon which the imagination relates itself. T h e m ind in imagination projects from som e e le m en t a thing or condition which is known to it, and such knowledge is of the present. T h e re are two general types o f imagination. T hese are spontaneous and determinative. Recall your personal experience with one or both of these as we explain them separately. Spon taneous imagination is an in stantaneous, intuitive impression that suggests an idea which relates itself to what we are perceíving or thinking at the m o m e n t. For fu rther analogy, you wish to cross the Street at night within lines indicating a pedestrian Crossing. T h e re is m uch oncom ing traffic and the Street is not well illuminated. T he oncom ing cars would not be able to see you until alm ost to the Crossing. T h e re is therefore a safety hazard. Suddenly, as you step onto the Crossing, th ere flashes into your m in d the idea that an electronic device could be created that would switch on an
overhead warning light to alert oncom ing cars w hen a pedestrian enters the intersection. It is immaterial w h ether the idea in your imagination is practical o r not. T he point is that it is spon ta n e o u s —intuitively aroused by what you experienced. Determinative imagination is directly related to Creative effort. It is the intention to bring about a transition, a change, a transform ation in s o m e thing. But the difference betw een determ inative and spon ta n e o u s imagination is that th e form er concerns that about which previous thought has first been given. Let us suppose for exam ple that you are a m erchant selling various types o f electrical Pro ducts. You acquire a new device that should sell well if its functions can be properly introduced to your custom ers. You wish to send them an a n n o u n c e m e n t about the equipm ent in the form o f a leaflet that will imm ediately attract attention. A photograph of the rather complex device alone in the leaflet would not be sufficient. In o ther words, what shall represent the functions o f this device in a dramatically interesting way in the leaflet? You mentally labor with the problem . S u d denly, th ere flashes into consciousness an illuminating idea. In your imagination you have the idea of an eye-catching design for the cover o f the leaflet about the new product you wish to
introduce. This is an exam ple o f determinative imagination. Now we wish to give you a few simple exercises for s tim u la tin g a n d d e v e lo p in g y o u r imagination:
Exercise Number One: W e will b e g in w ith sp o n ta n e o u s imagination. Each day, on the way to work or shopping, becom e especially o bservant o f your surroundings. Realize what you s e e —such is good observation. We all see as we walk about, but very few o f such im pressions register consciously on our m ind. In o th er words, we do not recall seeing m uch o f what we actually visually experienced. T h e refo re, as you see so m e th in g while walking, co m p re h en d it as well; that is,know what you see. At least, it should have some m eaning to you. T h e n ask yourself: Could what I see be im proved? C ould it be m ade m o re efficient, m ore useful? Is th ere so m e th in g which could take its place and perhaps be m o re economical and practical? D o not dwell on these questions which you ask yourself. R ather, let a flow of intuitive ideas com e into your im agina tion. W hat you m entally visualize may not be an im p ro v e m e n t; or, on the other
hand, it may be excitingly surprising to you that no o n e ever th o u g h t o f it before. W e have used the word intuition s e v e r a l t i m e s . In t h e R o s i c r u c i a n m onographs which you receive, the subjec t o f in tu itio n is g o n e in to very thoroughly. This exercise which we have set forth is not d o n e necessarily to bring about an actual change at so m e future tim e in what you see. R ather, it is intended to develop an association of ideas intuitively and thereby develop Creative imagination. In continuing this e x e rc ise for se v era l days, you will ultimately bring forth in imagination, out o f such experiences, a fruitful idea. It will be so m e th in g that in som e way you can use to advantage in your personal life. At least it will m ake your im agina tion k eener w hen it is necessary to use it in a practical way.
Exercise Number Two: Now try so m e exercises in determina tive imagination. As we proceed with this subject, we will suggest certain words or phrases which represent contem porary problem s, that is, those things which confront m o d e rn m an. We will ask you
to think about the m eaning o f the word or phrase in regard to what m ight be a solution to the problem it represents. Dismiss from your m ind any ideas that you recollect reading or hearing about the subject which the word represents. We ask this because we wish your own imagination to com e into play with regard to it. If, as you dwell on the word or phrase, there flashes into consciousness an idea which both se em s rational and original, such then is an exam ple of d e t e r m i n a ti v e im a g in a tio n . In o t h e r words, it is the extending o f existing points o f knowledge about so m e th in g to a new state or condition, as an image in your mind. Let us be frank in adm itting that not everything we imagine is capable o f becom ing a reality; but m any of our great inventions and social advances have com e about through the process of d e te rm inative imagination. S om etim e, it will be to your advantage to go to your public library and look at biographies concerning the lives o f great inventors. T he librarían will assist you in obtaining such works to read either th ere or at h om e. We think you will see how m ost o f t h e m a rriv e d at th e ir c re a tio n s through the process of determ inative imagination.
EIGHT
Now he re are the words and phrases which we suggest you use in connection with this Exercise No. 2: U R B A N C O N G E S T IO N PE A C E T R A F F IC F U T U R E O F H U M A N IT Y You m ay wish to consider oth er problems in the sam e way during this e x e r cise.
In closing, we m u st distinguish betw een fantasy and Creative imagination. Fantasy is a free play o f imagination but w ithout the discipline of the m ind. In oth er words, in fantasy th ere is no concern as to w hether the subject o f the fantasy is consistent with natural law or its consequences. For exam ple, in fantasy one may conceive o f him self as being extrem ely wealthy and procuring anything he desires. Yet, in a fantasy o f this kind, the person m ay have no particular trade or skill, nor even the ambition to personally advance himself. Such a p e rs o n ’s m ental point o f d ep artu re obviously is not from any specific reality. In this fantasy th ere exists no possible bridge betw een the e lem ents o f his fan tasy and his in n a te capability o r p r e s e n t character.
