IMAGINATION:
The Missing
Link in Metaphysical Focus
The Dalai Lama recently stated that we may become an Enlightened One once
we rid ourselves of all negative emotion. If
this is true, and we are all endeavoring for enlightenment or illumination, then
the gateway that permits such an accomplishment is of great interest to
humanity, especially the metaphysician who is a seeker of higher consciousness.
Charles Fillmore perceived the imagination as one of our 12 powers.
Steven Covey has placed the imagination as one of the avenues we may use
to become proactive in our responses in his proactive model.
But there is much more to the imagination.
In the last decade, scientists and researchers of the mind have
established that we think in imagery. Our
very thought processes begin with the image.
The image is the foundation, the substrate of all thought.
The image is the primary
manifestation in the order of mental activity.
Out of the formless, the first manifestation to emerge is the image.
As we hold images in mind, the immediate result is our emotions. We all know the subsequent manifestations of thoughts held in
mind.
As metaphysicians, we are concerned with what is behind things or what is
the true nature of things. By
focusing on our imagery, we soon discover that emotions are the direct result of
the imagery we hold in mind. Past
imagery in our memory banks also contains a record of the emotions experienced
while creating this imagery.
Our imagery moves matter telekinetically to create various neuropeptides
and neurotransmitters that carry messages throughout the body resulting in how
we feel. This is emotion. The longer we dwell in particular imagery, the more potent it
becomes. Thus, we experience
various degrees of emotion.
Our metaphysical authors have all made the connection between thought and
manifestations into reality. We
have all heard the phrase, Thoughts held
in mind produce after their kind. Metaphysics
has quite a lot to teach us about our thoughts and what they produce.
The connection between imagery and thoughts has had little focus.
The Bible (KJV) uses the word imagination
beginning 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.
It is interesting to note that no word appears in The Bible referring to
emotion. Some scholars believe that the phrase the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart refers to the concept
of emotion. Indeed, the sequence of
mental activity is correct:
1.
The
Imaginations of
2.
The
Thoughts of
3.
The Heart
The link between imagery and thought has been made for millenniums.
The ancients realized that the foundation of thought is our imagination.
As metaphysicians, as teachers, as humanitarians, and as practitioners of
spirituality it is necessary that we start the new millennium with our focus on
imagery. The problems of the world,
personal problems, the entire spectrum of negative imagery and its
manifestations are the result of the imagination running amuck within
humanity’s individual and collective consciousness.
Positive thinking does not bring the level of success that is produced by
consistently avoiding negative imagery.
It has become
the mental habits of most people to control their emotions and their behaviors
in the name of being good. Yet,
these same people are many times suppressing negative imaginations as they
control their behaviors. This is
not to say that there is anything wrong with controlling your emotions or
behaviors. The point is that there is no emotional or behavioral urge to
suppress when the imagination is contained within the spectrum of positive
imagery. This is truly aligning our
thoughts with the God-Mind.
Negative
imagery initiates The Fight or Flight Response within the body.
If a bear confronts us, we well understand the chemical rush of fear that
is released within the body during The Fight or Flight Response. Yet, this same response initiates in a subtle way for
insignificant reasons such as hearing the statement, You are wrong. The
Fight or Flight Response may initiate for as little as someone telling us that
they don’t like our haircut or our clothes.
Any perceived threat, real or imagined initiates The Fight or Flight
Response. Aside from real
situations that are truly life threatening, the mind imagines the majority of
threat. This same principle also
applies to suffering. When we
imagine threat or suffering, the body quickly produces the chemicals necessary
for fight or flight. These
chemicals are toxic and interfere with the ganglionic energy centers.
Our
bodies were designed to metabolize away these toxic chemicals with activity and
time. This does not work well in
our society today where we may be in an office and experience our perceived
threats consistently. We inevitably
become overloaded with toxic Fight or Flight Response chemicals––literally
poisoning our self.
But
there’s more. When we create or
dwell in negative imagery and The Fight or Flight Response initiates, the mind
begins to filter out all positive information that it is receiving about the
environment. Nothing positive is
threatening, so this information is not needed.
That which is a threat is the focus.
So, the attention is encapsulated with everything that is
or appears to be threatening, that which might become
threatening, and that which has been threatening
in a similar way. The imagination
literally runs away with itself within seconds––comparing, calculating,
hunting that which is a threat. During
this phase, positive thinking is very unlikely, if not impossible.
Survival has been perceived as threatened.
Yet, this entire sequence of events is a primitive response that has
little use in today’s society.
We are divine beings. The proof is in the practice.
When we create and dwell in positive imagery, we feel great, we are
healthy, good comes our way, we enjoy the highest quality experience life can
provide. When we create and dwell
in negative imagery, we feel afraid, toxic chemicals release within our bodies,
and we perceive a lower quality experience.
In his book, The
Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz tells us that the Toltec Indians believed
we not only dream at night, we also dream while we are awake.
This becomes evident when we consider our imaginations at work.
We conceive, perceive, get impressions, and make assumptions. We do all this for a maximum of conclusions from a minimum of
input. We see the stage props, but
we are constantly writing the plot behind the play. Few of us would declare we knew the plot of a movie by
flashing to a few seconds of a scene, but we tend to believe our impressions and
assumptions when we walk into a room. In
both cases, our knowledge of the reality of each situation may be vague a best,
but we may wholly believe our impressions and assumptions thinking they are the
result of superior insight.
We have our
self-image that is the result of what we imagine our self to be.
We may not have a high self-image, but we do hold our opinion
of how we regard our self in high esteem. When
our lower self tells us that we are something negative, we mistakenly highly
regard this as our own opinion, so we are drawn into believing this imagination.
Research
shows that our minds are capable of creating hundreds of disassociated
personalities, viewpoints, and paradigms. This
is demonstrated by our emotional states of mind.
Imagery, thoughts, and emotions think.
They contain a disassociated paradigm of which we may begin to associate
our self with during a shift in imagery and emotion. To be positive, we must
hold positive imagery. To be our
divine self, it is necessary that we hold divine imagery.
The following
technique has proven helpful in developing consistent positive imagery in spite
of appearances. It is as simple as
installing a new software program within the mind as a new point of reference or
schema. Through a higher logic, it
can become evident that consistent positive imagery is truly the way of the
masters.
The
Basic Imagination Control Therapy Software Program
·
Something
happens, a situation develops that appears to justify the creation of negative
imagery and emotion.
·
You
then discover that you have a negative imagination in your mind or your emotions
are becoming negative. There may be times you are engaged in internal dialogue,
speaking, or action that you may not have your attention on your imagery, but
your body will feel the imagery.
This is your cue to initiate a
change toward positive imagery.
·
You
then acknowledge the imagination or emotion.
·
At
this point, you must except this challenge by exercising your responsibility as
a co-creator, faith, and a desire to improve your self-image. In
spite of any appearance, you become loving and create positive imagery.
Love makes the difference of who you are.
Through faith and knowing who you really are you will come to terms with
any risk you may attempt to reason, such as feeling foolish or unrealistic, by
understanding the creation of positive imagery will not be inferior to the
creation of negative imagery. Acknowledge
that this is how you are renewed in mind and self.
·
Next,
before the imagination becomes an emotion (or at the first sign of negative emotion if your attention is occupied
and you are out of touch with your imagery), you search out and find a realistic viewpoint or perspective
where you can choose to create positive imagery through your own creativity.
Actually, by directing
our attention to remaining unified with God, we are influenced by His
creativity. Our Mother/Father God
always creates a direction for our imagery to form, offering us the opportunity
to create the highest quality experience possible. All we have to do is surrender to His Idea.
This
change in imagery will automatically change your emotional urge.
Keep in mind that emotions are manufactured on the spot by our
imaginations. Even if you delay
until a negative emotion begins to develop and strengthen, you can reverse the
process by creating positive imagery as quickly as possible. This is similar to making a wrong turn when driving,
realizing the mistake, and then turning around.
A negative emotion means it’s time to turn around, you’re going the
wrong way.
·
Lock
in these positive thoughts with faith, a higher logic, the satisfaction and
pride that you are representing God with all of your mind and heart, and the
realization that positive images are productive while any negative images are
counter-productive or destructive.
And, acknowledge that you are avoiding the Fight or Flight Response
initiated by negative imagery.
·
Continue
to create positive imagery in spite of all negative appearances. Find ways of improving the quality of your mind movie
creation. Creating the highest quality experience possible is the goal.
Having completed this sequence (which may happen in a
fraction of a second), we have fulfilled our responsibility of co-creatorship.
Each time you are successful, notice how much better you feel
as a result. Give some attention to
becoming aware of the options these imaginations bring forth since you have
retained your clear mindedness. Each
time this is accomplished successfully, the sum total of our self, in terms of
experience, is renewed to a higher state.
I urge The Society for the Study of
Metaphysical Religion to devote full attention to the study of the imagination.
No greater step can be taken toward the development of the consciousness
and health of humanity than to cleanse our imaginations.
The Dalai Lama, is quoted in Violence and Compassion: Conversations with the Dalai Lama, by
Jean-Claude Carriere. His Eminence
states, “I believe deeply that we
must find, all of us together, a new spirituality.
This new concept ought to be elaborated alongside the religions in such a
way that all people of good will could adhere to it.
We need a new concept, a lay spirituality.
We ought to promote this concept with the help of scientists.
It could lead us to set up what we are all looking for––a secular
morality.”
This
new spirituality––a secular morality, can be found in devoting our attention
to our imagery. We have the science
and technology. Let us spread the
word.
