THE POWER OF IMAGINATION.
THE efficiency of an engine is largely measured by the
heat that it utilizes; the success of a military cam
paign depends upon the constructive ability of its command
ing officers; and so, to the power of imagination we may
trace one of the chief sources of our development as individ
uals, and indirectly the degree of civilization we have at
tained.
In considering the relation that imagination bears to the
race we may distinguish two kinds; first, the passive which,
without any effort of active attention, or exercising of the
will, images pass back and forward through the mind, mani
festing themselves in dreams or idle fancies; and secondly,
the constructive imagination in which by an effort of the will
we bring up past images, mould them into new forms and
create words entirely unknown to our world of sense. It is
this latter form that has influenced the character and pro
gress of man so much.
No doubt we have never given thought to what extent,
the happiness and wisdom of our lives is due to the mental
activity. Conceive for a moment what would remain to us
if this psychical process were eliminated from our lives.
The world would only reveal itself to us through the senses.
We could think of friends, but could not picture their smil
ing countenances or realize inspiring qualities; we could not
reproduce a beautiful landscape or work of art by memory,
but would have no content until imagination would come
to our rescue and infuse it with the sparkle of life; and we
might ponder over the pages of a book for hours and not be
able to picture any of the scenes until imagination would
breathe the breath of life into them.
The Power of Imagination .