Imagination: The Science of Your Mind's Greatest Power

by Jim Davies

We don’t think of imagination the way that we should. The word is often only associated with children, artists and daydreamers, viewed as something separate from everyday adult life. However, imagination is an integral part of almost every action and decision that we make. Simply put, imagination is a person’s ability to create scenarios in his or her head: this can include everything from planning a grocery list, to honing a golf swing, and even to having religious hallucinations.  And while imagination has positive connotations, it can also lead to more pernicious outcomes including decreased productivity and cooperation, and much worse, the continuous reliving of past trauma.
The human brain is remarkable in its ability to imagine—to create worlds and situations outside of its reality. We can imagine complex possible futures, fantasy worlds, and jars of peanut butter. We can use our imaginations to make us relaxed or anxious, and the most impressive feat of human imagination may be our ability to use it in creative endeavors. Sitting in a chair, with our eyes closed, we can imagine what the world might be, and construct elaborate plans. With such power, we have an obligation to use it for good—to make things better for ourselves, and for the world. 


People have been fascinated with the machination of the human brain and its ability to imagine for centuries, but until now, there have been no popular science books that are dedicated to imagination. There are books on creativity, dreams, memory, and the mind in general, but how exactly do we create those scenes in our head? With chapters ranging from hallucination and imaginary friends to how imagination can make you happier and more productive, Jim Davies' Imagination will help us explore the full potential of our own mind.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Nature, Science

336 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2019

About the author

Jim Davies is a professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science at Carleton University. Director of the Science of Imagination Laboratory, he explores processes of visualization in humans and machines and specializes in artificial intelligence, analogy, problem-solving, and the psychology of art, religion, and creativity. His work has shown how people use visual thinking to solve problems, and how they visualize imagined situations and worlds.
In his spare time, he is a published poet, an internationally-produced playwright, and a professional painter, calligrapher, and swing dancer.

Reviews

[Dee Sanfilippo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book bills itself as the first scientific book about imagination. I've read many books on the subject. They instructon how to use it, how to practice it - they're filled with examples. Most are the "understand something by what it does" books. This is different. It's the first book I've found that explains "why" and shows the "what" behind everything. It's a view behind the curtain.

I checked this out from my local library, and found myself taking notes again and again. There is so much here that was new to me. I wish I'd bought a copy. I still might do that. If you're intrigued by the topic, you'll want a copy too.

[Cj · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are already the jokes about peanut butter -- if you don't like the stuff, I might recommend a different book (Either there is an inside joke about peanut butter, Mr. Davis didn't realize how repetitive his example was, he was playing his own little mind games with the reader, and I gotta say if he was, I don't appreciate it).

It kind of reminded me of a TED talk or a senior thesis -- a little too glib and a little light on substance. The first few chapters were kind of humdrum. Lots of "well, we really don't know what is going on, but I am going to talk about it for awhile anyway." But! For creative types, especially writers, there is some very interesting and worthwhile stuff in the latter chapters. If how the brain works is of interest, there is enough content to make reading this worth your while.

[Amira Sookram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t really like peanut butter, so it’s very easy for me to attest that this book is better than peanut butter.

I loved learning about the theories behind why we may dream and how imagination can take on so many forms through voluntary or involuntary means. The imaginary friends portion was very interesting.

Also, I have begun asking many people what their dreams are like to learn more about the differences in imagination.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book for my Cognitive Science class (taught by the author) that I really enjoyed reading!! I loved how well it explained our imagination and what goes on in our heads throughout the whole process with explanations, examples and anecdotes on the side :)

[rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly interesting book with a few too many references to the beastie boys and peanut butter. I think maybe money for the editor ran out about halfway through because there were suddenly a lot of typos and virtually nonsensical sentences.

[Ibrahim Abdulla · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was better than peanut butter.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Davies presents a wealth fascinating information that reframes the way we think about imagination. Instead of simply make-believe, imagination is part and parcel of how we interact with and think about the world. Everything we perceive and everything we remember involves imagination, as both perception and memory involve a process of taking data and using imagination to "translate" it into what we sense, think, and know. It's an inescapable facet of mental processing that we always add to and invent what we believe has come from outside ourselves and from the past in order to make the data make sense.

For example, if I tell you that I was riding my bike, and I tapped on the window of a car to talk to the driver, you will create a situation model that includes all of these things: I had intended to get the driver's attention. The tapping made a sound. We were both on the road. I didn't mention any of those things. They are brought to bear by your mind as relevant information. And later, you are unlikely to remember what was in the sentences versus what you inferred from them.

That example is related to how we understand language. Another aspect to the equation is how different parts of the brain process information, especially the more automatic, instinctive, "lizard" brain in comparison to the slower, conscious, "thinking" brain. The former believes everything you imagine as lived experiences even as the other part knows it is constructed.

Vividly imagining something happening to you can result in your inability to distinguish it from an actual memory. These imaginings can come from stories told by others, leading questions from police or therapists, guided visualization, hypnosis, or even literature, movies, and television. . . .

Your mental images are not much different from your perceptions.

That our brains work this way is great because it allows us to be who we are, yet it comes with a range of implications. Davies establishes the basic information I've shared in the first part of the book, then spends the remainder exploring those implications and how they can be good, bad, useful, and problematic in different circumstances. How you imagine yourself in the future impacts your likelihood to procrastinate, overeat, and make other choices in the present, for instance. Imagination impacts your emotions, mood, morality, physical well-being, and more. The book includes chapters on hallucinations, dreams, and imaginary companions. It is marvelously wide-ranging.

I found some of the topics more interesting and exciting than others. Some parts I skimmed, some I couldn't stop marking bits to revisit and pull out. Davies' writing could be stronger and it needed another editing to clean up some simple errors. Yet overall this is a commendable and excellent book. It has certainly made me think.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine a book about neuroscience and how the brain works, from the point of view of all different sorts of imagination. Imagination gives us all the glories of human creativity, and all the nightmares of the human brain gone wrong, from neuroticism to psychosis, in the old-fashioned schema. It's all here, and while I could have done without quite so much detail on some things, like imaginary friends (they're OK, don't worry, parents!) and daydreaming (we do it more than we think), yet this book is a very thorough and clear discussion of what we know about how the brain interacts with reality and itself.

[Krista Law · Rating 1 out of 5]

This might have been the most disappointing reading experience I’ve had in a while. Thinking it would motivate one to make use of their imagination for things like art and creativity and thinking outside the box was a big mistake. Instead, it was a litany of paragraph after disconnected paragraph summarizing the scientific research on how the brain “makes” imagination or mental imagery happen. If you’re looking for inspiration, go elsewhere. I can’t believe I made myself finish all 270 pages. No, it was not “better than peanut butter.”

[Phill Edmundson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was better than peanut butter!

You could imagine what that means or delve into this book for a fascinating insight into what the imagination is and how it works.
It's told with humour which stops it being a dry academic report and something anyone with an interest in imagination can learn from and be amazed by.

Also lead me to Jim Davies' Minding the Brain podcast for more brain food after this feast of fascination.

[Linda Vituma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tas bija, kā nogalināt putnu, lai uzzinātu vairāk par viņa dziesmu.
Kaut ko uzzināju ar'. Ka iztēle ir atmiņas un zināšanas novietotas kaut kur pa vidu starp tagadni un nākonti kopā ar kaut ko jaunu, kas ir uzradies. Vai varbūt uzradīsies.
Bez "dziesmu" nedzirdēju. Iztēles "dvēseli" neuztvēru.

[Aidan 18 · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting book, read it for university and would recommend to anyone looking to learn deeply about how our imaginations work along with how we can use our imagination under the context of self improvement. (that isn’t the core premise of the book, but the insights are applicable to one’s self development.)

[Annika Dyck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did learn some really interesting things about the imagination, but sometimes I thought there a few too many analogies. Also, the author had a seeming obsession with jars of peanut butter. Good insights into the brain though.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Roy Kenagy]

FRANKLIN/OTHERS 153.3 D :: READ0 :: EXAMINED 12/10/2019 :: POPULAR, BUT PROBABLY SHOULD GO THROUGH IT / LOTS OF SOURCES :: MCDF BIB

[Sean Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was better than peanut butter, but had less neuroscientific explanations than I expected.

[Paigé Coulombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than a jar of peanut butter

[Charlotte Lepage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than a jar of peanut butter!