When I was a child I was often told off for being a bit of a day-dreamer. It wasn’t that I couldn’t face reality, I just felt there was more than one ‘real world.’ Because, even then, I was such a bloody minded so-and-so, I never took much notice but I can imagine that many people’s imaginations must have been stifled by such a narrow outlook.

Historians, archaeologists and even folklorists are often criticised for speculating in their line of work. But the truth is that a little imagination, even in the driest of disciplines, can sometimes be a good thing. The idea of having some vision, some dream, may be frowned upon as being unrealistic but I think it’s reality that has the problems, not imagination. Reality is not – contrary to what many people think –somehow set in stone. In fact it’s changing all the time.

At one time you could be hauled before the ecclesiastical courts for declaring that the earth revolved around the sun. Or you could find yourself in trouble if you decided to dissect a dead body for the purposes of furthering your medical knowledge. And you could certainly get yourself into hot water for declaring that god did not exist, or that he hadn’t created the earth in seven days.

Part of the reason mankind makes any progress at all is due to our imagination. Even scientists need the ability to think outside the box, to consider the possibility of proving something hitherto thought impossible.

To deny imagination, to silence its voice, is to do great injury to ourselves, both as individuals and as a society.

Okay, sermon over. You can come out now. In my next post I intend exploring these ideas a little further. Because of course, imagination is just part of the story….