They're coming to take me away...away...away....
Oh, wait, no, that's paranoia, not imagination, although I suspect the two may be closely related.
Imagination is a wonderful and terrible thing. It can soar us to the heights of wonderment or plunge us into the depths of terror. Certainly the ability to be entertained by books and movies depends on our capacities to suspend disbelief and use our imaginations, to fall into strange new worlds and live, even if only for a few hours, as someone totally unlike ourselves.
Another side of imagination, however, can make our lives a living hell. Have you ever noticed that most human fears, phobias even, are really based in our over-active imaginations. Sure, some people have very concrete reasons for their fears: a near-drowning experience led to aquaphobia; being trapped in a closet led to claustrophobia; or being bitten by a dog led to cynophobia.
Most people's fears are, in my opinion, just a result of imagination. I mean, really, a fear of bats because they might bite you or suck your blood? What did a harmless spider ever do to you? Or a mouse, for that matter? Not to mention darkness, bees, snakes, rats - okay, rats are just disgusting, but that's beside the point.
Yes, many of the creatures we fear have the theoretical potential to harm us. No one likes to be stung by a wasp, after all. Of course, it was such a fear of wolves, cougars, and other predators that led to their extermination many parts of the world. Really, though, it's our imaginations that take those small possibilities and blow them completely out of proportion to the situation. Yes, you might get bitten by a rattlesnake in the Arizona desert, but that garter snake in the grass isn't going to harm you at all. I grew up in Alaska, for example, so why on Earth would I have a fear of snakes, reptiles which don't live in cold climates, other than that I have an overactive imagination. (That was purely a theoretical example; I actually think snakes are pretty cool.)
I was hiking near my house yesterday afternoon on a gravel road (more a trail) I hadn't been on before. I just wanted to see where it went. About a half-mile in, I saw a black bear print. Pretty soon, I saw a bunch, including some I suspected were grizzly prints based on their size. Before long, it was obvious I was on a bear highway. Needless to say, I turned around and went back the way I came. Prudence being the better part of valor and all that.
At this point, my imagination took over. Every rustle in the brush was a bear ready to attack me. Surely there was an overprotective mama with cubs stalking down the trail after me. I looked over my shoulder frequently, but couldn't quite overcome my fear of looking silly in front of a non-existent audience to sing or talk out loud.
My imagination fed my fears in very physical ways, too. I could feel the effects of adrenaline flooding my system: my steps were quicker and my heart beat faster. A fight-or-flight response was in full swing. I wonder if there's a feedback mechanism that causes the physical responses to increase fear, even imagined fear, like fear causes the physical responses?
So, yes, there certainly was a real possibility of danger from a bear, but I had no concrete reasons to think danger was imminent. I'm no master tracker, but I don't think the prints I saw were especially fresh. I did not see, hear, or smell a bear, and, yes, bears have a definite aroma. That fight-or-flight response was purely the result of my imagination.
I wish there were a way to control my imagination, to tell myself that whatever I'm fearing isn't based in reality and therefore should not elicit such a strong reaction. Such an ability would certainly make sleeping in a tent in the wilds of Alaska more comfortable.
Do you have any fears you've learned to control? If so, how did you do it?
