Imagination is the capacity for for seeing new possibilities and envisioning alternative interpretations of experience. It enables us to create and hold together complex constellations of images, stories and abstract notions, juxtaposing the present with a range of potential pasts and futures. The imagination is therefore a powerful tool in enabling us to make sense of the world by creating ever more complex and meaningful contexts and associations. Imagination is not merely fantasy, but lies at the very core of creative and critical thought.

See also: consciousness, brain, mind, reality