Humans experience all reality through their imagination. It is not either/or.
True, reality is not a personal construct. However, our perception of reality is - constructed by means of imagination. All sensation feeds imagination which translates that sensation into images that interpret what is sensed. Reality is not imagination but human sense of reality is.
I do not distinguish between imagination and perception. One's imagination is the instrument of perception. I do not know how to explain it otherwise. Imagination may be prior to awareness, for some things are perceived without one being aware that such perception is taking place. We are created in such a way that our access to reality occurs as a function of imagination. Disciplined imagination orders perception, undisciplined imagination is ordered by perception.
Imagination contains intellect, memory and will. That is why creativity is possible in anything a human does, whether intellectually, physically (muscle memory comes to mind), meditatively, or spiritually. Understanding imagination in this way explains humanity profoundly. It is, I think, quite consistent with humans being created in the image of God, and underscores how Jesus Christ is the express image of God.
Imagination is the nexus between the real and the ideal. When one's imagination is grounded in reality, then any ideas one may have will have more possibility; this may explain how, with God, all things are possible, because God's creativity defines what is real. Thinking God's thoughts after him is the goal of any creative Christian thinker.
The Scripture that has most influenced my thinking about this is found in Genesis 6:5 –
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
And Genesis 8:21 –
"And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done."
This juxtaposed with Romans 12:2 –
"... be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
And, of course, Philippians 4:8 –
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
[In Genesis 6:5, the Hebrew word translated as imagination is yetzer; eikasia, the near equivalent Greek word, is not found in the New Testament as far as I can find, but is a major concept in Platonic thought (Aristotle preferred phantasia).]
I may be making the word "imagination" work harder than others tend to, but it makes sense to me to use "imagination" in this way that I do. Though influenced by a number of other thinkers – for example, a book which seems to discuss imagination in the way I am using the word is THE WAKE OF IMAGINATION: Toward a Postmodern Culture (Routledge, 1998) by Richard Kearney – what I have written is my own thought.
My thinking is framed by my personal preference for intuitivity; I think this is why improvisatory theatre appeals to me so much - it takes intuition very seriously. Being a Christian, I must be careful to submit my own intuitivity to the discipline of the Spirit's leading, guided by the Word of God revealed in Scripture and confirmed by Christian community.
One must imagine what is True in order to know the Truth. In reference to this, I am studying 2 Thessalonians 2:1-16, the following verses in particular:
"... they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."
My father taught me that faith begins in one's imagination. Without faith, one cannot even begin to believe what is true. Renewal of the mind happens in the realm of imagination; one who is willing to submit to God's Spirit of Truth can expect true transformation to take place. Contrary to godless philosophers who claim all religion is delusional, the Word of God destroys delusion by revealing Truth. Really.
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FURTHER CONSIDERATION IN REGARD TO IMAGINATION
ReplyDeleteImagination includes all of the body's by-pass reflex mechanisms - it must in order to do what it does. All bodily functions feed the imagination continuously; this is why dreams can be so weird when one's body is out of balance in some way. We frame our imaginations in such a way that we delude ourselves into thinking that we can ignore whatever it is that we prefer not to include as being part of the imagination; such delusion, however, is dangerous, because that very ignorance can become diabolical (consider what Scripure teaches us in James 1:5-15).
Sinful enticement becomes possible when one's imagination is not disciplined by submission to God's Spirit of Truth. Healthy imagination is imperative to holiness. An unhealthy body can contribute to an unheathy imagination, but it need not be determinative.
We imagine bodily. Dance is the best example of this - moving to music makes most sense when imagination is considered a bodily function. That is why worshipping Christ charismatically includes body postures, etc. Encountering God in worship moves one's whole being - body, mind, soul, spirit - name it what you will, God can claim it still.