Avatar Posted by CGrassa 154 days ago (Question)
Recently I have become very interested with how I can use my imagination to basically create a whole new life. I have been constantly thinking about specific empowering thoughts, and also constantly imagining myself as what I want to become ( a singer guitarist making a lot of money playing in bars and coffee shops, as well as other visions and goals I have for myself). Anyhow, I came across a new age thought book by Christian Larson. He talks about how people who are successful and obtain all their dreams and goals are the ones who take control of their minds and constantly think about what it is they want in their imagination. He talks about how "we" are the ego, and are separate from the body and mind. Other things mentioned are that all bodily disease starts in the mind with negative thinking. I'm skeptical on this, because, for example, I was born was example. Obviously this was something that was out of my control. And what about people who come down with diseases who were happy people to begin with. And if people can be cured just by "thinking right", does that make medicine useless? From my experience, If I'm having an asthma attack, just imagining my lungs being healthy and working properly may help me cope, but will not heal me. But my medicine will. And if we are separate from the body and mind, why can we feel pain if someone punches us in the arm, or why do drugs affect how we behave. It seems like our mind and body are almost one. No matter how much Michael J Fox imagines himself healthy, Parkinson disease is out of his control. All of that said, what are your thoughts on the relationship between the imagination and reality.
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Answers


Starfall
153 days ago
Hmmm... interesting thoughts you have there. I think that there is something special between imagination and reality. I think that imagination or positive thinking really has a powerful effect on reality but at the same time, it has its limits. I mean the brain is equally weird and amazing in that it is easily tricked or fooled. Take for instance the placebo effect in many medical situations. Hell, I got really sick when I was a kid and I truly believed that drinking cold drinks, lazing about the house and, eating as much junk food that I could, would be good for me. It worked. :D Imagination is also good at encouraging you to reach your goals. It gives you a sense of wanting to get somewhere and so you become more focused in the challenges you face. Saying that, I still think that it has its limitations. As said, the brain is easily fooled. If I were to imagine and truly believe that by next week I would see a sign from the universe telling me that I should just drop everything and chase my unlikely dream (of being the greatest astronaut in the world) in the form of a guy wearing high heeled pink shoes and I did, would that really be a sign or just a matter of coincidence? The fact that I want to believe in it will skew my judgment and that therein lies the problem. What if the guy wearing the heels also imagined himself to be the best astronaut in the world? Wouldn’t that somehow clash with my interests? Would it be a matter of will as to who gets to be the best? Another example would be me imagining that there’s a ghost right beside me. I have quite a vivid imagination and yes, it does scare the crap out of me when I do that, but I still know that the ghost doesn’t exist. Or does it… The brain is weird. Very weird.
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bella
153 days ago
Its always beneficial to try to think positively but in a realistic way. When a persons ill - a positive thinker is better able to cope with the illness and may have a speedier recovery. Regarding what you do in life - its fine to have bigs dreams, as long as its a realistic expectation.

I saw a medical expert on Good Morning America, state we should all learn to meditate every day - people with high blood pressure can lower their pressure with meditation. They still need medication help though. People with chronic pain can manage their pain better through relaxation. Naturally there are cases where all the positive thinking, won't help with terminal illness but at least the time left would be as miserable.
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gammie
152 days ago
Thinking positively and being able to imagine yourself in a better situation or in an improved position can give one the energy to make it happen. Negative thoughts interfere with happiness but thinking positively is not gong to help one overcome every bad illness or thing that happens. We only control what we can: our choices to live healthy lives or to ruin our lives and others with drugs or bad behavior; our choice to live with an abuser or use our imagination to find solutions to escape that type of relationship. Be careful to not slip back into negativity since it can the be easy way out if you have been thinking a certain way for a long time your mind automatically wants to take that path. Stop, choose positives and positives actions toward a healthy goal.
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mark25624
151 days ago
Don't subscribe to this "NEW AGE" crap!

There have been in the past new age authors, speaker telling people that.

If you poke yourself with a needle!

And felt pain! You wanted to feel pain.

Hint: We need to feel pain!!!!

In order to let us know that something is wrong within us (common cold, flu

An then some).

This is all to sell books, tapes!!!!!!!

Yes! the mind is powerful!!!

Read Napoleon Hill's "Think and grow rich!"

It has been around longer than this "NEW AGE" crap!

If you want to use your mind?

Read the book 1st.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is no new age whatsoever!

It's nothing more than followers following followers!!

Like lost sheep!!!

Are YOU 1 of them??????????????????
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