Someone asked me this question during a discussion on visualisation and fantasising. It is not a matter of the difference between them.
Patanjali's Yoga sutra states:
shabdajnananupati vastusunyo vikalpaha - verse 1.9
Our minds can imagine things that do not exist in actuality.
The Yoga sutra mentions imagination as a movement (function) of the mind, along with four others. Inventions, fantasies, artistic creations - all are in this realm. Imagination - it is such a powerful ability. Children have it in abundance, and it allows them to be so creative and malleable to learning. It is the power of imagination which allows us much (if not all) of art, of innovation, invention, visualisation...
The imaginative capacity is a necessary one for human existence and endeavour. However, what happens when imagination becomes a compulsion? By compulsion here, I mean getting carried away with one's imagination. Anything not in one's control is compulsion. For example, TV watching is a compulsion with many today. What usually starts as an escapism or a coping mechanism for stress gradually takes over one's life as a compulsion. Or when any single attribute of life and living is given undue attention over others, the balance tilts and this may become a compulsion. Like in the case of imaginative capacity and compulsive imagination. The former is necessary and the latter is a sure path to disaster.
We see this phenomenon played out in the lives of artists and creative people again and again in various ways and at different levels of intensity and impact. As long as it remains an imaginative capacity, it remains under the artists' control, and once it moves into the domain of compulsion, it controls the artist. This seems to be an edge that artists dance on and around. One side is imagination and the other side, compulsion - getting lost in one's imagination. Every creative person seems to be walking or tottering or dancing or playing with this edge. For example, the performer on stage hopping between illusion and reality. We see this happening with some extremely creative people, over time they are lost to the world of reality. Artists (I use the word 'artist' for people who are in touch* with their imaginative capacity) have to necessarily work with this edge, whether they are conscious of it or not. In fact, not being aware of it, an artist drowns in compulsion.
As long as one remains on that edge, creativity seems to be one's lover. Staying on that edge welcomes creativity. Staying on that edge means not getting carried away and lost in one's imagination. What does it mean to stay on that edge? How to stay with that line? By taking the apavarga** location, the location of attention and watchfulness. Staying on that line means the artist can actually step back and watch her own performance. And dance the dance. Not being able to observe would mean that over time, the artist would (may) tip over into compulsive patterns and behaviour and this can lead to madness of some sort.
Yoga is about discovering that observer location within oneself. And with diligent and constant practice, that line or edge may actually expand, become an all-inclusive seamless expanse, simply space, where Nataraja would dance his cosmic dance, Saraswathi would play her Veena, Parvati or Nandi on the mridangam, Vishnu could be playing a flute or cymbals... and all life could be a dancing of Ananda Tandava.
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* I say "in touch" because I think that every being in creation has an inherent capacity to imagine and create; Patanjali has stated it as one of the fundamental categories for the mind's movements. It is simply that some are more in touch with it than others.
** 'Apavargam' is a location of observation, inquiry and learning of the seeker / student / learner and one that would lend clarity and understanding, as juxtaposed with 'bhogam', which is a location of being stuck in the old comfortable patterns of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.
Patanjali's Yoga sutra states:
shabdajnananupati vastusunyo vikalpaha - verse 1.9
Our minds can imagine things that do not exist in actuality.
The Yoga sutra mentions imagination as a movement (function) of the mind, along with four others. Inventions, fantasies, artistic creations - all are in this realm. Imagination - it is such a powerful ability. Children have it in abundance, and it allows them to be so creative and malleable to learning. It is the power of imagination which allows us much (if not all) of art, of innovation, invention, visualisation...
The imaginative capacity is a necessary one for human existence and endeavour. However, what happens when imagination becomes a compulsion? By compulsion here, I mean getting carried away with one's imagination. Anything not in one's control is compulsion. For example, TV watching is a compulsion with many today. What usually starts as an escapism or a coping mechanism for stress gradually takes over one's life as a compulsion. Or when any single attribute of life and living is given undue attention over others, the balance tilts and this may become a compulsion. Like in the case of imaginative capacity and compulsive imagination. The former is necessary and the latter is a sure path to disaster.
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| Image from prits-dreams.blogspot.com |
As long as one remains on that edge, creativity seems to be one's lover. Staying on that edge welcomes creativity. Staying on that edge means not getting carried away and lost in one's imagination. What does it mean to stay on that edge? How to stay with that line? By taking the apavarga** location, the location of attention and watchfulness. Staying on that line means the artist can actually step back and watch her own performance. And dance the dance. Not being able to observe would mean that over time, the artist would (may) tip over into compulsive patterns and behaviour and this can lead to madness of some sort.
 |
| Image from civasakthi.blogspot.com |
------------------------------------
* I say "in touch" because I think that every being in creation has an inherent capacity to imagine and create; Patanjali has stated it as one of the fundamental categories for the mind's movements. It is simply that some are more in touch with it than others.
** 'Apavargam' is a location of observation, inquiry and learning of the seeker / student / learner and one that would lend clarity and understanding, as juxtaposed with 'bhogam', which is a location of being stuck in the old comfortable patterns of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.
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