What Are The Senses Of Imagination?

Close your eyes for a moment, try to think of anything. You can still sense things in images and feelings. The sensations in your minds are imaginations, they are the sixth sense of your soul.

Imagination not only is a fascinating aspect of the human mind but also it's a collection of images, ideas, and sensations that originate from the real life experiences. Imagination involves sensorial qualities of practice of creating and producing art.

Imagination is a collection of internal senses which reflect the external sense perceptions. Imagination exists between external sense perception and the intellectual soul or the human body. The mind receives and processes the perceptions of the external senses. 

Senses and Aspects of Imagination 

Imagination and the sensory senses are inseparable. Although the experiences during imagination are not present in reality they influence creativity and perception of reality. The information taken from the environment by the sensory organs help the mind to create imaginations.

Moreover, images, ideas, and feelings we create during imagination originate from situations and experiences of our daily interactions with the environment. The internal input of feelings to imagination gives it a texture of contextual and experiential stimulation.

Aspects of Imagination

Imagination varies in terms of how it occurs and the senses that influence it. External and internal factors such as emotions and sensory feelings influence the senses and kinds of imagination we produce and experience.

• Visual Imagination: The ability to see images or scenes in your mind's eye. This is often used in activities like visualizing a story or imagining a future event.

• Auditory Imagination: The capacity to hear sounds, music, or voices in your mind. Musicians often use this to compose music or recall melodies.

• Sensory Imagination: This includes the ability to imagine tastes, smells, and tactile sensations. For example, recalling the taste of your favorite dish or the feel of a soft fabric.

• Conceptual Imagination: The ability to think abstractly and form new ideas or concepts. This is crucial in problem-solving and creative thinking.

• Emotional Imagination: The capacity to feel emotions in response to imaginary situations or scenarios. This is often what makes stories, movies, and books so engaging.

We create mental images and sensations using the experiences from stimuli we encounter in the actual environment.

The senses may range from light, emotions, sounds, touch, smell, and taste. Our minds can mould these interactions and experiences into imagination which can be termed as another version of experiences by the mind itself drawn from its actual experiences. The sensory senses collectively make a single organ of sense, a common sense.

Imagination is a powerful tool that enhances creativity, empathy, and problem-solving. How do you use your imagination in your daily life?

References 

Sulfaro, A. A., Robinson, A. K., & Carlson, T. A. (2024). Properties of imagined experience across visual, auditory, and other sensory modalities. Consciousness and Cognition, 117, 103598–103598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2023.103598

Christian Philosophy 32. (n.d.). https://www3.nd.edu/~maritain/jmc/etext/cp31.htm

Kärkkäinen, P. (2020). Internal senses. In Springer eBooks (pp. 865–869). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1665-7_246