Sometimes a person's imagination can take over his personality. Some people can
develop multiple personalities. People with multiple personalities imagine they are several
different distinct personalities in one body. Each personality has its own characteristics
and traits. Through their imagination the person actually becomes a different distinct
personality at various times. These are people with powerful imaginations that are out of
control. A good actor or actress does much the same thing but with them it is by design.
Their whole vocation is based on mankind’s ability to pretend (imagine). They act out the
storyteller's tales. They must pretend to be a character in a story. Their imagination is not
out of control, they are controlling it completely. Great actors may use certain tricks to
help them accomplish their art. For example, if they are required to act a sad part, they may
imagine a very sad event that they have actually experienced. Some great actors have little
personality of their own, preferring to assume the personality of the characters they are
playing. Acting is a very human skill that requires a great imagination.
Superstition is a case where a person imagines his actions or a trinket he may
possess will cause either good luck, or bad luck to happen to himself or someone else. If
he lets these superstitions influence his actions or control his life, his imagination is out of
control.
Phobias are another example of imagination that is out of control. A person's
imagination can take over if it is not kept under control. In some cases these imaginary
fears can take over and dominate the person. There are all sorts of these phobias, the
doctors have named them all. Some common phobias are fear of crowds, fear of heights,
fear of open spaces, etc. They are all based on man's ability to imagine. Most phobias do
not seriously interfere with a person's daily life but some do. They are serious if they
trigger anxiety attacks or dominate the person so that they change their lifestyle, such as
fear of leaving their house.
Anxiety attacks can trigger physical responses such as
shortness of breath, excessive sweating, trembling, stomach cramps etc. These adverse
physical reactions indicate some of the power that the imagination has over our physical
body if we let it get the upper hand. One of the remedies sometimes used by doctors to
overcome these conditions are to use the person's own imagination under hypnosis to
dispel the fear.
Anorexia is an example of a phobia where a person, usually a young lady, imagines
that she is too fat and cannot bring herself to eat. When she looks at her reflection in the
mirror her imagination leads her to believe she is fat even though she may be thin to the
point of malnutrition. This is a case of a person's imagination taking over and dominating
the person. It is a very serious disorder and if not brought under control can result in the
ultimate demise of the person. Another common phobia is a child's imaginary fear of the
dark. This is usually not serious and is outgrown as they grow older.
People with mental illness or are delirious may have an imagination gone awry.
They may have actual physical damage or chemical imbalances that adversely affect their
brain. Their imagination may play tricks on them sometimes by making them they see or
hear things that are really not there. They are suffering from hallucinations. It may even
impair their imagination and/or memory. Mental illness covers a vast area of human
suffering.
Hypnosis is a case where a person lets another person (the hypnotist) influence
their imagination. If for example the hypnotist suggests to the person that he is a dog, the
person will actually imagine he is a dog and act like a dog. The power of suggestion is a
powerful mental tool that a hypnotist, psychiatrist, storyteller, etc. can use to influence a
person’s imagination with or without the person’s permission, (sometimes called
brainwashing).
Chanting is a case where a person by constantly repeating certain phrases over and
over out loud will actually suppress their imagination.
Meditation is a case where a person concentrates his imagination on certain
peaceful visions that crowd out other more stressful thoughts. These cases are all attempts
to alter a person's imagination in some way. They are not cases where the imagination is
out of control.
Drugs can effect our imagination profoundly, producing hallucinations and
effecting our judgment. They alter the functions of the physical brain. While medical drugs
in the right doses can help us a great deal both physically and mentally, other drugs such
as alcohol, the opiates, etc., have a terrible detrimental effect on people and are responsible
for a tremendous amount of the chronic grief that mankind has to continuously deal with.
Imagination is a powerful mental force. Be careful to keep it under control. Don’t let it
get the upper hand or lead you down a wrong path.
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