Imagination is a very powerful force of nature. It is primarily due to the power of imagination that we have managed to advance as much as we have today in every field that is out there. I would wager that without imagination, we would all pretty much be hoping that the sky does not fall on our heads ( which is still widely believed in quite a lot of places ). Now, most of us would argue that religion is also a form of imagination, but let’s table that discussion for another time.
Imagination must not be confused with dreams. Dreams can be categorized as mild hallucinations occurring naturally when you snore. They may be good, they may be bad. But, ultimately, we have no control over our dreams. The moment we close our eyes, we absolutely have no clue what image might be projected in our brains. It is altogether a different story that most of our dreams are bizarre or they might be what most of us term as “nightmares” ( do keep in mind that the ‘mare’ in “nightmare” is a mythological demon and not a female horse ). Unfortunately, very few of our dreams are actually pleasant experiences, which we hope come true ( this is if you don’t find weird pleasing ). There are instances when some of us also might have ‘visions’ or ‘glimpses into our future’. When that happens, it is considered wise to consult a doctor or if need be, a seer or an exorcist ( or become a soothsayer yourself ). Our elders, at times, advise us to follow our dreams or, in numerous other scenarios, to give up on them. It is very important to note that you most certainly MUST NOT follow your dreams. I am quite certain that you do not want to end up in the middle of an oasis with trees bearing watermelons ( Warning: Do not rest under them please ) and creatures that look like a crossbreed of a combination of your third-grade science teacher, a penguin, and an iguana; that and also you not covered in pumpkin juice and dressed as a “Hipster Pharaoh” ( one of my acquaintances had this dream and certainly not me ). This is where imagination comes into play. If you are fortunate enough to remember your dreams, the following morning would involve you pondering over it. Thinking about it may lead you to ask certain questions, such as “How cool would a ‘Hipster Pharaoh’ be? “, and that might lead you to endeavour to find a convincing answer to the question ( people might have different questions, depending what catches their attention in the dream ). And thus, somewhere in between finding a bizarre answer to an equally or more bizarre question, you might have an epiphany and stumble upon an inspiration or an idea ( or however you would like to term it ), which might end up setting you on a journey to an altogether different path and before you realize it, you are the next big thing in the fashion industry.
You are supposed to follow your aspirations, not your dreams. Everything is connected to one another, but not everything is the same. If you have an idea with you, or a question, to which you alone are capable of finding an answer, then your dreams and your imagination hold the key to solving the mystery. The molecular structure of benzene was supposedly discovered when someone had a dream about snakes twirling and twisting and biting their own tails ( not judging anyone here ).
These days, we are too caught up with responsibilities and burdens forcefully places onto our shoulders without any explanation as to why we are burdened with it that we slowly begin to let go of the monsters under our beds and our very own dream theme parks and fairy tales. We are slowly being stripped off our imagination and our dreams and derive pleasure and comfort in the fantasies that other people create. We cheer the superheroes created by someone else, all the while unknowingly destroying our own.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having weird fantasies ( even if they are not meant for kids ) or imagining your life to be dramatically turned around by the ideal person you always wished was your partner ( can be anyone, even yourself, narcissism is a thing you know ). Do not let anyone tell you otherwise ( although I would strongly recommend you to not let them turn into delusions ). Do not let go of your dreams, do not let go of your imagination, cling onto it. If you can find solace and comfort in them, stick with them. Fight dragons, save princesses, save princes, save ogres, save puppies, go crazy. It is very rare in this world to find true joy, and the one place where you can be certain you will always find it is within yourselves. So my advise to you is that whenever you sleep, always relax yourself and sleep with a blank canvas in your head. No matter how bizarre the dream, live it. For when you close your eyes, you enter a world that is completely rid of logic, and sometimes all we need to cheer up, is the thought of someone messing with gravity, at will.