Inspiration & fantasies may seem like the same but are vastly different. The imagination intakes both similarly. But one is birthed from the body's fight or flight system & the other catalyzed by an appreciation of something, even in the bad.Fantasizing is an effort of escapism from reality while inspiration is an attempt at impacting reality. We often fantasize when we are bored or uncomfortable etc, in hopes of passing time with more ease.Inspiration comes when you're able to see the possibilities of what's infront of you in the present. The attention to detail & awareness of yourself.

Inspiration Vs Fantasizing

The imagination powers the way you see the past, present and future. The image of the future is hope. Hope is built by what you feed it today. The best food for hope is knowledge, understanding and faith. Learning new things helps us broaden our horizon. Understanding things helps broaden our capabilities and belief helps us broaden our performance. The imagination thrives under the inspiration of hope. The power to channel the strength & joy of your future through hope, is the power of the imagination. With a goal in mind, it provides a way forward.

Hope Is The Mind Tiller

In other instances, instead of guilt, shame & regret, we seek to escape from a reality that we feel is too much to bear. We begin to fantasize on the what ifs, & explore those mythical timelines in our imagination. Slowly, we begin to yearn more for the fantasy as it temporarily eases our stress, but it also removes us from the present & in turn impede our ability to impact it for the better.Fantasizing may seem harmless at first but it is teaching the mind to interact with the unreal parts of your experience. The escape isn't just from the pain, but also a vacancy from your driver's seat.

Trauma Influences Imagination Escapism

The imagination is meant to be inspired, to see possibilities by appreciating what is available to it. While it is no simple task to see the good in everything, the imagination powers the image of the reality you will perceive. Therefore it is not the image of the past nor the image of the present that should influence us, but rather the image of the future. Not allowing what has happened, nor your present circumstance, to completely change the image of your future. Perhaps it may refine as we learn and grow, but appreciating the image of the future will enable us to remain inspired by it.

Revived Imagination 

When the trauma overwhelms the mind, when the replays become suffocating, when the inspiration no longer comes, the imagination chooses numbness. This coping mechanism shuts down the ability to perceive to spare ourselves the trauma. This numbness while copes in one way, icreates a hopelessness and despondency. Without the active imagination, the mind is unable to perceive future possibilities, & it is disconnected from the past that you could learn from. The dead imagination disrupts our interactions with one another and the ability to deeply commune with each other in the intangible ways.

Snuffed Imagination

The imagination is the mind's eye: how we perceive & even interact with intangibles in the cosmos.When we experience trauma, the imagination relives the moment over & over, searching for ways to avoid the experience in the future or overcome it. With every replay of that moment, we experience a second hand trauma compounded on our original experience.Eventually, we blame ourselves for what happened, taking on guilt, shame & regret. Through repetition in the mind, the imagination conforms to a reality where only shame, guilt & regret are the only thinkable outcomes. This stunts our perception.

Trauma Hijacks The Imagination

It is easy to acknowledge the direct impacts of trauma but some of its more life altering impacts are what it has on the mind.In addition to the impact from the direct interaction, the imagination is not only stunted but also becomes a place where you relive the origin of the trauma, over and over, snowballing new trauma from the imagination with the initial trauma, maimed by things like regret and guilt.Eventually, the imagination only becomes familiar with the past, being rooted only in what has happened and not being able to fathom a future any different.

Trauma & The Impact On The Imagination 

By understanding how trauma fully impacts us, we can become more self aware and find the capacity to overcome.

#1 New York Times bestseller “Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society.” —Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing in this New York Times bestseller Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

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#1 New York Times bestseller “Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society.” —Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing in this New York Times bestseller   Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

Bessel A. Van der Kolk is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Bessel A. Van der Kolk has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Bessel A. Van der Kolk's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.