Imagine that, another year over, and a new one just begun.
Here’s what I want you to do, imagine peace. Not conceptually, but literally.
Imagine a human world at peace. Imagine a human world where humans do not kill each other, for any reason, ever. Imagine a human world where humans can’t even imagine killing. Imagine what that human world world be like. Imagine how you would feel in that world. Imagine peace on earth.
Which brings me to imagination. When Yoko Ono first floated the “imagine” idea, then taken by her husband John Lennon and turned into the legendary somewhat corny song Imagine, I wasn’t aware of it, barely a toddler probably.
Imagine is not my favorite Lennon, obviously I love “I Found Out” much more, and “Hey Bulldog” from his Beatles era. But the concept is sound, imagine, simply imagine.
And here is where the concept becomes useful, and that is in realizing potentiality, as in becoming aware of potentiality, possiblity.
Imagination is needed to even be aware of what is possible, then the actual practical realization of that potential follows. Today’s dreams are tomorrow’s inventions. Even Einstein went on about imagination.
So of late I’ve been thinking about imagination as a form of suspension of disbelief too.
I’ve been thinking about how as a people, a race of human beings, we could communicate with one another so much better if we had imagination, or used the imagination we have, if we imagined the other perspective, if we suspended disbelief in things, any thing, and simply imagined circumstances with no limits.
People pay to see movies. They know what they see is not real. They suspend their disbelief, intentionally, to have a good time, to go on an imaginary journey, to be entertained.
We could do the same in every day life. We could have discussions instead of arguments where agreed upon suspension of disbelief was the basis of the discussion, the context, the given, and then go from there discussing the imagined circumstances.
My favorite example is, of course, imagine the United States of America quit invading and occupying sovereign nations.
Imagine the United States simply left Afghanistan and Iraq.
Based on that imagination, then we talk about a United States that doesn’t invade other countries, that doesn’t occupy other countries, that stops the pattern of centuries of blood, stretching behind us. Just imagine that.
Imagination gives consciousness, consciousness give reality.
Instead we argue over “shoulds” and “coulds” and “yeah buts”. We can’t facilitate communication. We can’t even start a conversation. Then everyone freaks and starts yelling, violence, anger, hate, division, madness. Just humans, victims of the insane.
If only we had some imagination.
Turn off your mind relax and float downstream.
Happy New Year!