Can Imagination Be Improved?

The way you improve imagination is by influencing the direction/topic or by removing constraints. Imagination, itself, doesn’t need to be improved. You already have plenty of it. People that think they aren’t very imaginative tend to view imagination very narrowly.

Imagination is a combination of combining mental imagery, emotions, and storytelling. Generally, we view imagination as positive, but this is only the case when imagination is being used with positive emotions like playfulness. The same process combined with fear leads to “imagining the worst.” It isn’t hard for people to project problems into the future, which requires imagination.

When you look at imagination like this, you see that we are already very good at imagining. It’s not wether you’re good or bad at it, but rather the direction of that imagination that we want to change.

The direction of your imagination is determined by emotions and topic. Imagination (what you think) is intimately linked with how you feel (emotions). Effecting one influences the other.

You can consciously choose which topic to imagine (except in the case of fear, which could be involuntary). Inside of a topic, you usually don’t want to exert too much control over your imagination. Creativity thrives when ideas are allowed to freely move around and combine with other ideas. The more control you try to exert, the less creative (and more predictable) your imagination will become.

 

CONSTRAINTS

The fastest and most effective method of improving your imagination is by removing constraints. Constraints are the limitations you place on yourself (or that come from the outside world). Children are naturally good at imagining because they have very few constraints (the “self-referencing center” of the brain hasn’t matured yet, so less self-consciousness exists). This means almost complete freedom to imagine any scenario without feeling silly or worrying about what others would think. It’s imagination at its best: combining ideas, playfulness, and storytelling in the absense of self-consciousness.

Here are some ways to remove constraints on your imagination:

  • Decrease self-consciousness: Self-consciousness does not exist in a creative flow state. In flow, the brain is already maxed out on an activity. Self-consciousness disappears to free up mental energy. This usually happens when flow-criteria are met: you have clear and immediate goals (in this case, playfully imagining), you get flow-inducing feedback (feedback that relates to creativity rather than self-conscept or self-consciosuness), and a perceived balance between the activity and your skills (you feel capable of successfully doing something). Flow doesn’t require all three, but these are the easiest to influence to get into flow.
  • Don’t require a specific outcome: Outcome dependence (saying “I have to get X from this activity”) narrows your focus and filters out ideas. Ideas that are more original/novel get edited out too quickly. Imagination works best when its being used playfully. In play, you don’t worry about specific outcomes or process, you do it because you enjoy it.
  • Don’t require a specific path: Release some control over the process. Don’t worry if your imagination goes through various topics or ideas that you didn’t plan on. These ideas are usually stepping stones to future ideas that are applicable. Generally, self-consciousness occurs because you reach a point that you didn’t plan on or don’t see the value of. When you’re not attached to a specfic path, self-consciousness decreases.
  • Don’t require a specific time period: Having a specific time period puts you in a rush. If you think “I need to come up with an idea in the next 10 minutes!” then the time pressure influences your imagination and puts undue stress on the process. The brain needs time to build momentum.

 

Learn how imagination influences happiness and creativity here.

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