In light of books’ comfortable company, readers often get engaged with the pages and start living inside the book’s world. Imagination is strongly involved while reading as words have neither colors nor images to describe themselves yet your brain manages to fully visualize the image.
Moreover, some of the well-known quotes about reading do no more than reveal the strong engagement of imagination in the activity of reading, of which I mention: “Reading is dreaming with open eyes” and “Reading a book is like traveling without even leaving your place”.
I bet you heard of these before! And so imagination does exist primarily while reading. Furthermore, it develops and grows with reading.
What is imagination
First, we must give this vague and abstract phenomenon a simple definition.
Imagination is the ability to create and see things in your mind even if you’ve never seen or perceived them before. It takes place when your brain connects different concrete elements with sophisticated coordination, allowing us to manipulate complex situations and big ideas.
The way we imagine helps us boost our innovation as we tend to analyze things from different perspectives and see all possibilities. It helps us reach our real potential and improve our emotional intelligence and sense of understanding. Therefore, overcoming our boundaries and circumstances.
How do books improve the skill of imagination?
Books are known to be a good resource of knowledge, they provide us with much new information and expose us to different ideas. Nonetheless, it improves imagination in these multiple ways:
1- It gives you the chance to create your own scenes
Did you ever notice how the images get clear in your mind while reading a fantasy book (especially if you are an introvert)? How you sit there contemplating the details the way it was described? And how you see the characters behave and hear their voices?
Unlike any other activity, reading gives you the chance to imagine things with your own style. It enhances your ideas and perspectives. Furthermore, it frees you to personalize scenes according to who you are.
We may read the same book but imagine it differently. Because we are simply different and that’s what makes imagination skills special.
2- With time, it makes your imagination wider
Reading is considered to be a healthy brain activity. And we all know by now that reading has life-changing benefits, especially in the long term.
Reading keeps your brain active and improves your concentration levels. Along with time, the accumulation of these effects results in a wider imagination. As you keep on practicing what we previously mentioned. Moreover, you become more imaginative and able to concrete new ideas and concepts.
3- It relaxes your brain, relieves stress, and reduces distractions
One of the main reading benefits relies here. Relaxation, meditation, and stress-free.
Reading was scientifically proven to be an effective solution against stress and anxiety. Starting from there, a relaxed brain is always able to produce more and get distracted less.
And that’s a plus for our imagination, as it encourages a healthy environment and conditions for your thinking.
4- It improves your creativity
Imagination and creativity are two related terms. Being creative requires a big sense of imagination, to be able to discover and see new things. And back to Albert Einstein’s quote, imagination is what allows new inventions, and creative projects.
Keep that in mind! Starting your reading journey, or keeping a reading habit, can be the key to unlocking your full creativity potential in some time. How amazing!
5- It creates a sense of freedom and throws boundaries away
What’s more, reading grows the freedom of imagining in you, it shows you places of your thinking that you never knew existed. While reading, you are free to imagine the words the way you want and put things together according to your style. No boundaries, no judgment. Just freedom and enjoyment!
Reading tends to enhance your thinking freedom too. It teaches how you are always free to imagine and compose things how you wish.
Also, can you imagine a life without imagination, without being able to open a book and travel? I can’t picture that and I don’t want to, as it is a blessing to have an opportunity to go somewhere that is not real and experience things that can’t be real. Going on adventures, discovering some feelings, or even exposing yourself to new ideas and concepts, are all part of the deal, and much more.
Conclusion
To sum it up, reading opens doors for you to experience your human existence from different perspectives. (as it gives a unique experience if you’re a polyglot for example). It helps you sharpen your imagination, and take your skills to another level. Also, because the human brain is a muscle, it is constantly in need of stimulation, and reading is indeed the best practice.
If you still do not read books frequently, you may want to know about reading slumps, slow reading, and critical reading!