Join me as I attempt to unravel the mysteries of imagination in every-day life. I’ll be delving into my own personal experiences; the world of literature, especially poetry; the realms of psychology, mythology, science, religion, philosophy… anywhere imagination leads me…
The 'unwordable' knowledge of imagination, has for a long time, been overshadowed by a more 'rational' way of thinking. It’s a good job, then, that the imaginative is well equipped to guide us from the shadows. As Iain McGilchrist argues, we need both ways of understanding the world, but it is the more imaginative way that should lead. I want to learn more about how our imaginative abilities contribute to our personal and collective wellbeing, how imagination shapes our world, how to imaginatively live.
What do I mean by ‘Knowledge of Imagination’?
By ‘knowledge’, I mean gaining an understanding of, having a perception of, or simply - getting to know. I want to get to know imagination better. I have always had a love of learning, and like most people, a lot of my early education, was based around acquiring a certain type of knowledge, focused on understanding the world in terms of quantifiable information, measurable outcomes, and utilisation of skills. But to put this knowledge to good use we need something more - an understanding of qualities, depth, beauty... a deeper understanding that comes from a more mysterious and intuitive type of knowledge: the knowledge of imagination.
Lost Knowledge of the Imagination is the title of a book by Gary Lachman – the phrase itself comes from Kathleen Raine. It speaks to the idea of a more sacred way of knowing which our modern learning has moved us further and further away from.
A re-education of sorts
It feels like I’ve been a student on this lost path, for quite some time. For most of that time having no idea that that was the path I was on. The way is so overgrown with rational thought, spread far and wide like tangled brambles, for a long time I assumed I was merely lost. I tried to follow modern made roads but felt I was heading nowhere fast.
So, now I’m trying to rediscover the ways within; remake a way through the brambles; let my mind reshape.
“Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.” ~ Mae Jemison.
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