A world of mental invasion
| Objective: To envision a completely different universe in order to reveal the hidden dimensions of the concept of imagination! |
Duration: 30 to 90 minutes
Material:
- Sheets of paper and pens
- Coloured pencils and markers
- A device to record or film
Instructions:
Thought experiment: Imagine a world where... we could enter into other people’s imagination! What would this world look like? Would it be fantastic or horrible? How would this world be different from ours? How would life change? Would you want to live in this world of mental invasion? Why or why not?
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- Think about the effects. As you imagine this world, you may experience positive, negative and even mixed feelings that can help you identify your impressions. What might be possible consequences of being able to enter into the imagination of others? Make a list of three positive and three negative points, and add reasons to explain your impressions.
- Variation: Consider how this world might affect life in different contexts, such as: relationships, school, jobs, government, art, religion, etc.
- Create a character. To take your thinking one step further, think about how this alternative world might affect different people in society. For example, how would a politician, an artist, a policewoman or even a dog react? Who do you think would struggle the most in a world where it’s possible to enter into the imagination of others? Invent a character who lives in this world and write a short story that describes their unique experience from their point of view, in as much detail as possible!
- Represent this world. Based on your reflections, imagine how you could represent your impressions of this alternative world—through a drawing, a collage, a diagram, a poem, or a dance. Your style can be realistic, abstract, comic, dramatic, etc. How could this world help us better understand—and even improve—our own?
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Bonus: When we do a thought experiment like this, we often get very vivid images of the alternative world, like a movie script that is unfolding. Do you have an idea of this film in mind? Imagine its genre, give it a title and visualize the first few minutes. Then, create the trailer for the film using Hollywood techniques, and make a short video or audio recording that will make everyone want to see it in theatres! |
| Tricks for tots: To help you invent your character, play the "conceptual chair" game: Sit on a chair pretending to be your character, and ask a family membre to ask you questions about life in this world where it is possible to invade the imagination of others. Answer the questions as if you were the character, imagining his thoughts and feelings! |
| Tips for teens: What if you entered the imagination of a particular person? Who would you choose and why? Imagine that you could control the imagination of that person, what would be the positive and negative consequences of such power? Do you think it might be justified to control another person's ideas? Why or why not? Consider the implications for our own world: Are there devices or institutions in our society that control our imagination? Advertisement? Social media? Religion? School? |
Share your creative reflections by sending them via email.
Include photos of your projects and notes of your thoughts, as well as your first name and your age!
