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Series: Two

IM AGINATION

TH E R 0S 1 C R U C I A N O R D ER A M O RC
San Jos, California 95191, U.S.A.

G -108

1177

Prinied In U.S.A

Imagination

Introduction
Each of us has ideais, concepts o f what our life
should be. T he se are goals to be attained.
H ow ever, s o m e tim e s at first we reach too far, as
grasping for a star. N everheless, a tta in m e n t in
life, no m atte r w hat our personal philosophy
may be, is d e p e n d e n t upon the tools which we
u se to b rin g it a b o u t. T h e r e a re c e rtain
seem ingly com m onplace techniques which we
cali tools. These are necessary for m astery in any
undertaking. Failure to use these techniques
correctly or fully may result in disappointm ent,
that is, in not realizing an objective no m atter
how well one may apply himself.
It is the purpose o f this series o f booklets to
provide each Rosicrucian th ro u g h o u t his studies
with a series of useful techniques, not only helping him to derive the utm o st from his R osicru
cian studies but, as well, from his everyday living.
IM P E R A T O R

Before we a tte m p t an u n d e r s t a n d in g o f
imagination, it is advisable that we distinguish it
from certain of our oth er m ental processes.
Imagination is not a form o f empirical perception. T he latter term is defined as becom ing
objectively aware th ro u g h our sense faculties of
externai things. F o r exam ple, as you read this
you are using your receptor faculty of s/'#/7/to see
these printed words. W hat you are experiencing
has its origin outside o f your mind. T he dea you
have arises directly and immediately from outside
im pressions visually experienced.
T he sam e may be said o f your receptor
faculties o f hearing, tasting, feeling, and smelling. They are all channels for allowing you to
becom e aware o f the world outside o f you.
M em ory also has its roots primarily in what
you have experienced in he externai world
through the m d iu m of your objective perception, that is, your five sense faculties. For e x a m
ple, here is a Symbol, the triangle. V It is
apparently a thing existing outside o f you. T h e
visual im age f o rm s in y o u r c o n s c io u s n e s s
immediately as you look at the triangle.
Now turn your head away from this page for a
m o m e n t. While looking away, recall the triangle
which you saw. See it as clearly as possible in
your m ind, but w ithout the use o f your eyes.
Now try this.

C O PYRIG H T BY
S U P R E M E G R A N D LO D G E , A M O R C , INC.
OCTOBER, 1977
ALL RIGHTS R ES E R V ED

It was m o re difficult for you to recall from

m e m o ry a m ental image of the triangle than to
see it externally. This is because m em ory
im pressions are not so intense as the sensations
which are received directly through your recep
tor senses. In o th er words, you can see som ething m uch m ore vividly than you can recollect
it.
Let us briefly cite a n o th e r exam ple in order to
distinguish reasoning from imagination. In a
very broad sense, we may say that o u r reasoning
c om m only consists o f two m ethods: one is
inductive; the oth er, deductive. T h e inductive
m e th o d is proceeding from a particular idea to a
general conclusin. We can use an analogy to
better explain: A botanist finds that a plant
flourishes in one kind o f soil and not in another.
H ow ever, what is the general cause that underlies that particular experience? W hy is one soil
better than the o th er for the plant? Simply,
t h e r e is s o m e g e n e ra l p h e n o m e n o n th a t
accounts for the particular instance that is
experienced.
T he deductive m e th o d o f reasoning is fundamentally going from a general experience to the
particulars o f which it consists. Let us use
a n o th e r analogy to explain this: A crim e has
been com m itted. T h e plice have separate
pieces o f evidence concerning this crime. Each
o f these particular pieces m u st be related and

integrated to establish what the primary particu

lar is, that is, who the criminal is and perhaps
what the m otive was.
In ali these exam ples given, we have been
dealing with reality, that is, so m ething that we
objectively perceived. At least we th o u g h t it to
be a reality and sought to eventually perceive it.
But in imagination we are concerned with the
non-existent; at least it has ne v e r existed to us as
an externai thing or condition.
Let us say that you think o f a future vehicle
which has a device that draws its energy for p ro
pulsin from space. T h e source is infinite and
economical. Now there is no such vehicle as yet,
and let us fu rther p resu m e that you have never
heard or seen anything resem bling the idea you
have. The possibility of the imagined idea
becom ing a reality can only be as a fu tu re event.
Suppose, how ever, you imagine how the earliest
h u m a n s lived in prehistoric tim es m any th o u sands o f years ago. H ere you are, th e n , imagining what seem s to be long o f the past. But if your
conception, your imagined idea, were to becom e
eventually a reality by m ea n s o f anthropological
and archaeological research, it would th en be in
the fu tu re to you. In o th er words, in relation to
the present state o f your imagination, any proof
that would substantiate your idea would m ake it
a reality of the future.
N evertheless, every imagined idea cannot be
absolutely original in every respect. It m u st

always relate in so m e degree to what already is.

It m ust have an extensin, an elaboration, or an
alternative for so m e th in g that is now known.
T o explain this, let us refer again to o u r
analogy of a vehicle to be powered by an energy
drawn from space. T he whole idea begins with
the notion o f a vehicle; that is, a m eth o d o f
tra n s p o rta ro n that will exceed anything now
existing. This latter phrase is the beginning
point upon which the imagination relates itself.
T h e m ind in imagination projects from som e
e le m en t a thing or condition which is known to
it, and such knowledge is of the present.
T h e re are two general types o f imagination.
T hese are spontaneous and determinative. Recall
your personal experience with one or both of
these as we explain them separately. Spon
taneous imagination is an in stantaneous, intuitive impression that suggests an idea which
relates itself to what we are perceving or thinking at the m o m e n t. For fu rther analogy, you
wish to cross the Street at night within lines
indicating a pedestrian Crossing. T h e re is m uch
oncom ing traffic and the Street is not well illuminated. T he oncom ing cars would not be able to
see you until alm ost to the Crossing. T h e re is
therefore a safety hazard.
Suddenly, as you step onto the Crossing, th ere
flashes into your m in d the idea that an electronic
device could be created that would switch on an

overhead warning light to alert oncom ing cars

w hen a pedestrian enters the intersection.
It is immaterial w h ether the idea in your
imagination is practical o r not. T he point is that
it is spon ta n e o u s intuitively aroused by what
you experienced.
Determinative imagination is directly related to
Creative effort. It is the intention to bring about a
transition, a change, a transform ation in s o m e
thing. But the difference betw een determ inative
and spon ta n e o u s imagination is that th e form er
concerns that about which previous thought has
first been given.
Let us suppose for exam ple that you are a
m erchant selling various types o f electrical Pro
ducts. You acquire a new device that should sell
well if its functions can be properly introduced
to your custom ers. You wish to send them an
a n n o u n c e m e n t about the equipm ent in the form
o f a leaflet that will imm ediately attract attention. A photograph of the rather complex device
alone in the leaflet would not be sufficient. In
o ther words, what shall represent the functions
o f this device in a dramatically interesting way in
the leaflet?
You mentally labor with the problem . S u d
denly, th ere flashes into consciousness an
illuminating idea. In your imagination you have
the idea of an eye-catching design for the cover
o f the leaflet about the new product you wish to

introduce. This is an exam ple o f determinative

imagination.
Now we wish to give you a few simple exercises for s tim u la tin g a n d d e v e lo p in g y o u r
imagination:

Exercise Number One:

W e will b e g in w ith sp o n ta n e o u s
imagination. Each day, on the way to
work or shopping, becom e especially
o bservant o f your surroundings. Realize
what you s e e such is good observation.
We all see as we walk about, but very few
o f such im pressions register consciously
on our m ind. In o th er words, we do not
recall seeing m uch o f what we actually
visually experienced.
T h e refo re, as you see so m e th in g while
walking, co m p re h en d it as well; that is,know what you see. At least, it should
have some m eaning to you. T h e n ask
yourself: Could what I see be im proved?
C ould it be m ade m o re efficient, m ore
useful? Is th ere so m e th in g which could
take its place and perhaps be m o re
economical and practical?
D o not dwell on these questions which
you ask yourself. R ather, let a flow of
intuitive ideas com e into your im agina
tion. W hat you m entally visualize may
not be an im p ro v e m e n t; or, on the other

hand, it may be excitingly surprising to

you that no o n e ever th o u g h t o f it
before.
W e have used the word intuition
s e v e r a l t i m e s . In t h e R o s i c r u c i a n
m onographs which you receive, the subjec t o f in tu itio n is g o n e in to very
thoroughly. This exercise which we have
set forth is not d o n e necessarily to bring
about an actual change at so m e future
tim e in what you see. R ather, it is
intended to develop an association of
ideas intuitively and thereby develop
Creative imagination. In continuing this
e x e rc ise for se v era l days, you will
ultimately bring forth in imagination,
out o f such experiences, a fruitful idea. It
will be so m e th in g that in som e way you
can use to advantage in your personal
life. At least it will m ake your im agina
tion k eener w hen it is necessary to use it
in a practical way.

Exercise Number Two:

Now try so m e exercises in determina
tive imagination. As we proceed with this
subject, we will suggest certain words or
phrases which represent contem porary
problem s, that is, those things which
confront m o d e rn m an. We will ask you

to think about the m eaning o f the word

or phrase in regard to what m ight be a
solution to the problem it represents.
Dismiss from your m ind any ideas that
you recollect reading or hearing about
the subject which the word represents.
We ask this because we wish your own
imagination to com e into play with
regard to it. If, as you dwell on the word
or phrase, there flashes into consciousness an idea which both se em s rational
and original, such then is an exam ple of
d e t e r m i n a ti v e im a g in a tio n . In o t h e r
words, it is the extending o f existing
points o f knowledge about so m e th in g to
a new state or condition, as an image in
your mind.
Let us be frank in adm itting that not
everything we imagine is capable o f
becom ing a reality; but m any of our
great inventions and social advances
have com e about through the process of
d e te rm inative imagination. S om etim e, it
will be to your advantage to go to your
public library and look at biographies
concerning the lives o f great inventors.
T he libraran will assist you in obtaining
such works to read either th ere or at
h om e. We think you will see how m ost
o f t h e m a rriv e d at th e ir c re a tio n s
through the process of determ inative
imagination.

EIGHT

Now he re are the words and phrases

which we suggest you use in connection
with this Exercise No. 2:
U R B A N C O N G E S T IO N
PE A C E
T R A F F IC
F U T U R E O F H U M A N IT Y
You m ay wish to consider oth er problems in the sam e way during this e x e r
cise.

In closing, we m u st distinguish betw een fantasy and Creative imagination. Fantasy is a free
play o f imagination but w ithout the discipline of
the m ind. In oth er words, in fantasy th ere is no
concern as to w hether the subject o f the fantasy
is consistent with natural law or its consequences. For exam ple, in fantasy one may conceive o f him self as being extrem ely wealthy and
procuring anything he desires. Yet, in a fantasy
o f this kind, the person m ay have no particular
trade or skill, nor even the ambition to personally advance himself. Such a p e rs o n s m ental
point o f d ep artu re obviously is not from any
specific reality. In this fantasy th ere exists no
possible bridge betw een the e lem ents o f his fan
tasy and his in n a te capability o r p r e s e n t
character.