Experience and Imagination

3 months ago By Yogi Anoop

Direct Experience and Imagination: The Search for Reality

When we talk about human consciousness and experience, we realize that the mind can think only about what it fully knows or what it is entirely unfamiliar with. There are two primary states: one in which we have a complete experience of an object or event, and the other where we form a concept or belief about an object without any direct experience.

Once we have experienced something, there is little room for imagination or fantasy about it. Take a simple example: a banana. If you have eaten a banana and tasted it, it is not possible to fabricate too many imaginary details about its taste. The truth is that this experience cannot be fully captured in words. The more we try to describe that taste in words, the more distorted it becomes. The essence of the experience can only be conveyed in limited words.

On the other hand, if a person has never tasted a banana and only heard about its taste, they can only imagine it.

This is where a deep philosophy begins—imagination and fantasy exist only in the absence of direct experience. Until we directly experience a scene or an object, the mind will create stories far removed from reality. Take ghost stories, for example. No one has actually seen a ghost, but stories abound, claiming that someone’s distant relative encountered one. When asked if the person telling the story has met a ghost, they always attribute it to someone else. Yet, the fear persists within them.

The core point here is that the more the mind indulges in imagination, the farther it moves from reality. It becomes nothing more than a mental game. However, when something is close to us, it becomes easier to experience. And as soon as experience begins, the imaginary aspect of the mind starts to fade away. The mind becomes occupied with the practical experience, and thoughts naturally slow down.

We can understand this concept better with another example. Let’s talk about the body—if someone has deeply experienced their body, mind, and sensory processes, there is no room left for unnecessary imagination or fantasy. You directly feel every sensation and experience within your body, senses, and mind. The satisfaction derived from this experience is internal and direct, leaving no space for imagination.

However, when there is a lack of bodily experience—when we engage more with the outer world and less with our inner self—then imagination and fantasy about the body grow stronger. It is a known trait of the human mind that the more unfamiliar we are with something, the more fearful we become of it. For instance, 99% of people are afraid of medical checkups simply because they fear discovering a hidden illness.

Here is where the significance of yoga practice becomes clear. In yoga, there is a strong emphasis on direct experience. The greatest direct experience is of the self, the soul. I would say that yoga is based entirely on direct experience. There is no greater experience than understanding oneself. The journey of yoga involves delving deeply within, experiencing one’s own existence, body, and mind. The more you understand yourself, the more the realm of imagination diminishes. Gradually, thoughts are needed only to express the experience itself. Notice that thoughts exist only when there is a lack of experience. Once experience happens, thoughts naturally disappear. This is why, through yoga, a person moves toward thoughtlessness, which is the true form of peace.

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