Evening star., 1927-05-01
NO. 1o-THE IMAGINATION.


THE imagination is the mental tool
which is most constantly used i'll
all departments of human endeavor. 1t
is a commonplace and familiar axiom
that a workman's first step in attain
ing skill in his occupation must be to
acquire a knowledge of his tools and
their specific uses. We apply this
precept to the tools of the flesh, but
we are prone to neglect the tools of
the spirit.
In order to get working idea of
the imagination we must contrive
some sort of description to isolate and
detach it from the other mental fac
ulties. The current description is
useless. To conceive the imagination
to be that faculty possessed uniquely
by great men, by means of which they
accomplish their prodigies. is to group
the perfect coordination of all the fac
ulties under the name of one.
1t was not, for instance. the quality
of imagination which enabled Colum-
bus to make an egg stand on end. The
same is true of the gentleman in
vaudeville who found that the best
way to eat peas with his knife was to
mix them with his mashed potatoes.
These intellectual feats, while they
We're not performed without the aid
of the imagination. were made possible
only by means of a collaboration of
mental qualities which we call inge-
nuity. The imagination, as the word
implies. deals with images. But if
we assume, as we usually do, that it
creates images. we make it one of the
human mysteries, like the soul
The departments of the mind are,
roughly. ID the will and reasoning
power and their large staff of advis-
ers. sort of governing body: t2) the
senses, which are a sort of corps of
observers; (3) the memory. which is
fling cabinet for past experiences. and
az the imagination, the only member
of the staff which has access to the
records in the memory.
Each observation of the senses is
recorded in the memory in at least
three ways-an image of vision, one
of sound and one of sensation. Ac-
cording to the nature of the thing
recorded, one of the images is clearer
than the other two. If the thing re-
corded is a physical effort, the record
of sensation should predominant. and
just here is where we are likely to
fail to take advantage of the help
which the ina gination offers TO the
singer Singing is a physical act
ana the. various sensations recorded
are definite. We are likely, however.
to give all our conscious attention TO
the sound produced, neglecting TO
take account of the sensat ton record.
Physical habit is established in gen
eral by a gradual perception of the
records of sensation by the uncon-
scious mind assisted by the conscious
preconception of an audible or visible
ina ge. If we wish to hasten the for
nation of habit, we must bring the
records of sensation out of the nimbus
of the unconscious into the light of
conscious observation.
We need not keep them there long.
1t suffices to have a good look at
them. We may slip them back again
once we understand what is going on.
That is, we must find out what sort
of sensation is set up by following the
rules which are to produce the de-
sired tone. We then give little or no
attention to the rule. but make our
tone by preconceivng the sensation.
When this sensation is as easy to find
and wear as pair of bedroom slip
pers. we may give our whole attention