The Fascinating Truth About Imagination and Where It Lives in The Brain
What all climate-conscious people need to know about creating a better world
Eloise dashed into the bathroom with something super important to announce:
“Look, Mommy, a butterfly!”
I grabbed the pink paper and looked at the purple scribble my two-year-old was so excited to show me. It was spirited and cute all right, but not for the life of me could I make out anything resembling a body, let alone wings.
“Wow, sweetie, what a beautiful butterfly!”
She brimmed with pride. It was just the reaction she was hoping for. She then snagged the paper from my hands, and with an “I be back”, she ran to her bedroom —more things to be drawn!
It’s no secret that children bubble over with imagination. To them, the world is a place filled with wonder and possibility, each moment a chance to explore and learn. But as we grow older, the world shapes us in all sorts of ways. We’re told what’s “real” and what isn’t and we get rewarded for knowledge and facts, not for daydreaming of what could be.
But what if there’s something to a child’s joyous wonder? What if there’s more to tell in our innate ability to imagine, and are we foolish for not giving it more light?
Why imagination is important
In my many years of nerding out on topics like neuroscience and behavioral psychology, I’ve learned a thing or two about what we tend to overlook but ought to give more attention to.
Like the very fact that we can think of the future, for example!
Do you ever reflect on the fact that we can think about the future?
That’s a pretty remarkable thing! Aside from maybe one whale species — the North Atlantic Right Whale — we haven’t yet found another species that shares these qualities.* Not remembering exactly what I once learned about this incredible mammal, I asked Google, and this is what AI told me:
While no whale species has been definitively proven to "think about the future" in the same way humans do, scientists often discuss the North Atlantic right whale as an example of a species that demonstrates behaviors suggesting a capacity to plan for future needs, particularly in regards to migration patterns and food availability, which could be interpreted as a form of "thinking about the future" in the context of their survival strategy.
We’re also arguably the most developed art on this planet, so our next question ought to be: What is this future thinking doing to serve us?
*With this being said, there is so much about this world we’re yet to discover and we obviously have no idea what other species can and cannot do. Let’s continue to marvel over the richness of all animal kingdoms.
The Optimism Bias
Well, not only can we think of events that haven’t happened yet, but we can also have an expectation of that future. And here is where it gets interesting. Neuroscientist Tali Sharot has discovered what she called the Optimism Bias, which shows that 80% of us are in fact optimistically biased!
What does this mean? It means that for the most part, we believe things will turn out better than they eventually do. We have an optimistically biased view of the future.
Hm… 🤔
Now, I’m well aware that I’m speaking to people deeply concerned about our climate crisis, and a delusional view of the future is most likely not in your chart, but don’t be fooled — you’re probably a hopeless optimist like the rest of us! Your anticipation of your cooking exceeds the results of your dinner, your longing for your upcoming vacation brings more joy than the experience itself, and your view on where you’ll be five years from now is probably slightly off target.
Yes — we’re fooling ourselves a little bit, most of the time! And that’s a good thing!
Because on to question worth reflecting on number three: Why do we have an optimistically biased view of the future?
Think about it — if we didn’t think something was possible, why would we try? If we didn’t believe our efforts were worth it, why invest our time? The simple truth about one of our most overlooked superpowers (our ability to think of and have a positive expectation of the future) is that it sparks action!
“When psychologists talk about why humans have the ability to imagine the future, usually it’s so we can decide what to do, plan, make decisions. But a critical function is the evaluative function; it’s not just about coming up with a possibility but also evaluating it as good or bad.”
— Joseph Kable, Neuroscientist Source: Penn Today
Optimism drives curiosity. Curiosity plants courage. Courage gets us off the couch and into empowered action. We cook the meal for our friends instead of ordering in, we leave our job in search of something better, and we take out a loan to try out our crazy idea. WE ACT!
In a time when complacency has never been more dangerous, let’s recognize just how valuable this piece of information is.
Imagination In Our Brain:
To fully understand the importance of imagination, let’s have a look at what’s happening inside our brains when we imagine.
For starters, imagination is a mix of memory and emotion.
“The hippocampus is charged with storing and retrieving memories, whereas the amygdala is responsible for processing emotions. Together, these parts help the brain to form ideas, ultimately contributing to the imagination itself.”
But it’s a bit more complex than that! In reality, multiple parts are at play when we think creatively. Let’s go deeper.
The Prefrontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex is commonly known as the decision-making part of the brain. This is where critical thinking and problem-solving occur. In addition, a part of the prefrontal cortex called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), is charged with regulating emotions and self-reflection, both of which spur the creative process, according to Johnson & Wales University.
“Imagining is often colored by one’s mood. If somebody's feeling good, imagination can be positive, and if they're feeling down or depressed, their imaginations will often be colored by that effect at that particular time.”
Dr. Ajaz Sheikh, a neurologist at the ProMedica Neurosciences Center (as read in The Blade)
The importance of this connection — mood, mental health, and our ability to think creatively — will be covered in more detail in next week’s issue.
Divergent Thinking and Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to “re-wire” itself and thus change the way you view the world around you. This right here is golden information for us climate optimists!
According to the tenets of psychology, creativity comes from divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is when we think laterally, which means thinking of various possible outcomes, solutions, or scenarios, not just the most expected one.
“Children are experts at divergent thinking (and, therefore, often more creative), since they don’t know what the most likely solution is to a given situation and, therefore, must consider all possible solutions”, the article explains further.
Back to my point that started this article: Children are better at imagination because they don’t already know the answer! Due to sophisticated (but at times, quite annoying) human attributes, as we grow older, we live our lives less from imagination and play, and more from established mind mapping and preconceived thoughts.
Also referred to as the Ladder of Inference, this way of operating from the world as we already know it, deeply affects our chances of seeing new information, possibilities, and solutions.
I’m currently reading Uncertain by Maggie Jackson and this line stood out to me:
“We can’t find the best path forward assuming we already know the way.”
Furthermore, fascinating recent research, spearheaded by Professor Norman Farb, points to a decreased ability to take in the world and think up new (and serving) scenarios once we feel overwhelmed and stressed. This is due to a weakened activity in the sensory intake part of our brain, leaving us feeling “stuck” and disconnected. (More on this in next week’s issue as well!)
Luckily, both neuroplasticity and sensory intake can be practiced and I would argue that implementing ways to strengthen one’s ability to see the world and creatively think up new ones is of utmost importance!
Below are some tips for doing just that!
But first, let’s summarize:
We are the only species that can think about the future, hence putting us in a unique position to innovate, problem-solve, and creatively envision new realities.
Because of this “superpower,” we have a skill worth nurturing: the practice of optimism. Optimism provides an openminded and positive relationship to the “yet unseen” and allows us to tackle today’s challenges with a different toolset. Various studies in neuroscience show that having a positive outlook on the future and our ability to achieve something changes how we progress and solve problems today. (Let’s dive deeper into this in a separate issue)
However, optimism starts with another activity: imagination. When we imagine possible answers and outcomes, we strengthen our mind’s ability to see and believe in change. We begin to trust that other ways of going about the world are just as good, if not better.
We’re born with better imagination skills, simply because we haven’t yet “learned the answer” and are therefore forced to explore multiple possibilities. With age and conditioning, imagination skills fade — but they can be practiced (which I argue is super important as we try to reimagine everything and build upon an even better world.) On that note, let’s move on to some good practices to strengthen our imagination skills.
Practices for Imagination, Creativity & Connectivity:
Meditation
Meditation can help you clear your mind so that you’re more receptive to divergent thinking and less consumed by the distracting minutiae of the average day. (Source) It also increases levels of the mindfulness hormone serotonin, which eliminates stress and helps us see the bigger picture, nurture optimism, and put trust in the process.
The meditation practice doesn’t have to be complex. As a full-time momma of two little ones, I’ve learned that mindfulness can come in the simplest things. For me, meditation is about surrendering and sinking deeper, fully existing in whatever the present moment brings to me - whether it’s my first sip of coffee for the day, doing the dishes, or playing with my kids. I think of it as “plunging in” — I want to fully immerse myself in whatever life brings me.
And it’s when I allow myself to slow down to the speed of life itself, instead of always rushing ahead, that the biggest pings of creativity hit me!
Visualization
Visualization is a part of divergent thinking. Actively practice envisioning different solutions and scenarios to make your mind more flexible and used to creativity. (Source)
This is where my guided meditation comes in as a powerful tool to work with! I recorded it with the simple purpose of helping you broaden your thinking and imagine what else is possible. You find the free guided meditation here.
Your Environment
Set up an environment that encourages creativity. For example, look at how children’s playrooms have toys, posters, and art supplies to help the children explore their creativity. Adults can set up a similar environment, perhaps by a window with a scenic view, with creative elements and a calming ambiance. (Source)
Furthermore, discovering what kind of environment best fuels your creativity will help you step into your unique alignment. I’m the most creative early in the mornings with a lit candle to my side and the sun that slowly makes its way above ground. I wrote the bigger parts of my book between five and seven in the morning!
Connectivity
Connectivity — to self, others, and the natural world — has proven to play a significant role in our ability to think creatively, imagine, and problem-solve.
Rumination (when we get stuck in a thinking pattern) lowers our ability to see the bigger picture. By tapping back into sensory play and strengthening our connections (to nature, people around us, and our higher self) we can step away from the “problem” and see things more clearly.
The next time you feel stuck in a rut, step outside for a few minutes and feel nature. Listen to its sounds, feel its elements on your face, and touch a tree if you have the option to! The more connected we feel, the greater our ability to think creatively.
(More on this next week)
Mind Wandering
Letting our thoughts drift (also known as daydreaming) has been punished since we first stepped into a classroom. We’re taught to stay focused on tasks and save dreaming for another day.
But what we’ve failed to understand is that it’s in mind wandering that we piece two and two together; it’s the “in-between” space where we reflect, ponder, and explore! Johann Hari talks a lot about this in his wonderful book, Stolen Focus, and I’m once again tapping into this fascinating matter in Uncertain.
Without getting too nerdy on the topic here (we’ll save that for another issue as well), let’s just say that mind wandering is essential for tackling the challenges that lay ahead of us. If we don’t let our minds wander, how will we ever explore what’s possible next?
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Beautifully put, "Optimism drives curiosity. Curiosity plants courage. Courage gets us off the couch and into empowered action."