imagination
"Perception and imagination are linked because the brain uses the same neural circuits for both functions," says Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics and director of the Center for Neuropolicy at Emory University. "Imagination is like running perception in reverse."
"Imagination is like oil on a turbulent sea. People without imagination lead a life that they call practical but in its essence it is animal life that cannot see farther "
"The imagination is like a knife which may be used for good or evil purposes"
You can say to a child "Your imagination is like a wild stallion. It's strong and powerful. You need to tame it. You need to be in charge. Once you do that, imagine how much fun you're going to have with it. If you don't establish that you're in charge, what is that going to be like? You're going to be holding on for dear life and, how much fun will that be? Not much!"
"Fair enough, and that happens in a delicate interplay between imagination and reason. But all too frequently, reason throttles the imagination, and that's serious because without imagination, nothing new will ever be created. I believe imagination is like a Darwinian system."
"The way you think is the way your life is going. And this may not bless some of you, but it's intended to help you: If your life isn't going well, if things are a mess, it's because you've conceived it in your imagination. Your imagination is like soil. Soil doesn't care what kind of seed you plant in it; the moment it's planted, the soil starts producing. It's the same thing with your heart and your imagination. Your imagination will conceive something and automatically start making it come to pass, whether it's positive or negative. It's like your spiritual womb. That's a big statement."
"Imagination is like a keyhole. We can only see a piece of that world at a time, just like we can only see a small piece of our world at a time. Think of the extruder head of a 3D printer. Things are developed layer by layer, line by line."
"Preserving space for the gift of imagination is like keeping an empty chair at the table for an unexpected guest."
"Imagination is like dancing on a tightrope. It requires skill. Rigor. And a certain bravery. You're gonna fall off the wire."
"Imagination is like x-ray vision except it's totally normal and natural. It sees through convention, beyond the lines, outside the box, envisions the life of your dreams."
"A friend of mine has an indoor/outdoor pool at his house. When you sit inside he has this lovely pool in the room next to his kitchen. It is utterly relaxing in that room. When you go outside he has this great pool with a slide and a diving board and it's all surrounded by a beautiful patio. Yet it's all the same pool. The water flows under a glass window from the outside to the inside and back again."
"I'm not going to be so ridiculous as to say that a big imagination is like a disability, because it isn't. However, as I suggested, imagination is part of my child, and it is part of her all the time, regardless of whether it is convenient. As a parent, I have a choice about whether I foster her imagination, or tolerate it"
METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.