Human life is unthinkable without imagination - a special form of reflection of the surrounding reality. Without it, all cognitive processes and activities are impossible: memory, play, planning, modeling, creative activity, memories, creating images of surrounding objects, etc. Some people equate imagination with fantasy, but from a scientific point of view this is not entirely correct. Imagination is the mental ability to represent something or someone real, while fantasy is associated only with a made-up world. It is desirable to distinguish between these concepts.
Functions of the imagination.
A person without imagination would be incapable of figurative and abstract thinking, of anticipating events, of solving problems mentally, without acting with any objects. In order to be able to plan, dream, think over a watched movie, read a book or listen to a melody, a person must be able to imagine.
Scientists share recreating and creative imagination. From the name of the categories it is clear that the recreative is aimed at presenting images that people have already encountered, or according to their description, and the creative is aimed at creating some new images from the transformed old ones. Another type of imagination is a dream - a representation of the desired future. Without a dream as a form of imagination, a person will not have the desired image of the future, which is why he will not be able to build goals and ways to achieve them.
How to develop imagination?
As in the case of other human abilities, it is worth working on the imagination with its low development. The positive thing is that both adults and children can do it equally well. True, the guys have fewer different restrictions, restrictions and stereotypes in the perception of reality, which allows them to effectively develop and use their imagination. But if you wish, and the constant implementation of some exercises, adults will also be able to use this ability to the maximum.
There are a lot of ways to develop imagination. It is advisable to choose the one you like and start active mental actions.
Word games.
In games it is good to develop the imagination of children, since they have this leading activity. But for adults there are interesting games that will also allow you to develop your imagination:
- Game "Narrators or inventors". The essence of the game lies in the fact that all tell fictional stories, which can then be supplemented by others or illustrated.
- Pantomime, crocodile or making up puzzles can also be a great pastime. Here the essence of the game is that you need to guess the object according to its description, display or drawing. That is, the guessing person should imagine the main characteristics of the object and convey them to the public, and those who guess based on them should present this object.
- "Associations". The association game has long been popular with adults and children, but it also develops great imagination. Coming up with an association to a certain word, a person imagines an object and imagines some connection with another object. The important point is that sometimes the most incomprehensible to others links need to be explained. Here the person also describes his own process of imagination to others.
- Building fantastic hypotheses or writing fairy tales also has a positive effect on the development of figurative thinking. In such games, participants must come up with some fantastic assumptions and develop them. For example, a player is asked a question: “What would happen if a bear knocked at your door and asked him to shave?” And he should answer it. The most ridiculous and interesting assumptions force the brain to think not in the usual standard direction, but to form new mental images and connections.
Reading charts and maps.
The study of real maps or schemes "hidden pirate treasures" will allow to develop the imagination of both children and adults. One must try to “travel” around the map, remembering or imagining those places where a stop occurs in a mental journey. Children can take some simple and fabulous maps, and adults can use a real map of the world or other countries. A great idea would be to sketch a small sketch at the next stop and place it on the map.
Knowledge of geometry.
Inveterate "techies" who are not prone to writing-type humanitarian tasks can also come up with various ways of developing imagination. These can be quite complex tasks on connecting dots with several lines, putting away matches, drawing shapes without tearing a pencil from paper. Another interesting method of how to develop the imagination, including for children, is the use of geometric body scans. From the scan, you need to determine which three-dimensional shape will turn out when it is collapsed, and vice versa: try to represent its scan on the shape.
Fixing surrounding events.
Rich life experience and a wide outlook are considered to be assistants for the development of the imagination. The more images and thoughts a person has, the better developed his imagination. In order to effectively use this, it is advisable to record new knowledge, gained experience, any observations. You can keep a diary of sorts, you can sketch the perceived information, you can tell or film your observations. So a person forms a huge base of the most diverse figurative material that can be used for imagination.
Art as a means of developing imagination.
Reading fiction books contributes to the development of imagination. Since childhood, people usually do not like to read huge chunks of descriptive text, be it a description of nature, the character of a hero or his appearance, or a scene. Namely, the presentation of such descriptions is considered one of the best ways to develop the imagination.
Watching movies does not leave much room for imagination, but the movie can be used for educational purposes. For example, you can stop a movie at some interesting moment and imagine what will happen next. It is interesting, when the plot that has arisen in a person’s head is much more interesting than the director’s idea.
The same can be said about the pictures. Looking at the canvas of another fashion artist and without reading his name, you can try to imagine what the impressionist or typical modern artist depicted in his picture. If the picture is realistic, you can try to imagine what was before the situation captured in the picture, and what after.
Even the usual viewing of photos on the Internet or a friend's photo album can be one of the ways to develop your imagination. It is necessary to imagine what people in the photographs are in everyday life, compose a biography for them, imagine what profession they would fit, etc.
To develop imagination, you need to distance yourself from the idea that adults do not need it. It is very important to resolve everyday situations and difficulties. After all, once someone got tired of sweeping and he came up with a vacuum cleaner, another got tired of walking and he presented the prototype of a bicycle. Sometimes everyone needs to be spontaneous, creative, and surprised at the whole new child in order to make an important discovery.
