Imagination vs. Fantasy

C.S. Lewis delineated between the two in his book “Surprised by Joy”_[1] where he talked about his early days imagining “Animal Land” which was a world he made up with his older brother. The time he spent imagining Animal Land, he noted, was great practice for becoming a writer. But fantasies about his own glory, he noted, (he would often spend time fantasizing about being a good dancer) was only practice for becoming a fool.

_[1]Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life is a partial autobiography published by C. S. Lewis in 1955. Specifically the book describes the author's conversion to Christianity which had taken place 24 years earlier.

Study Guide to Surprised by Joy - CS Lewis Foundation

Imagination draws its energy from a confrontation with desire. It feeds off desire, transmuting and magnifying reality through desire’s power. Fantasy does the opposite; it avoids desire by fleeing into a crude sort of wish-fulfillment that seems much safer. Fantasy might be teddy bears, lollipops, sexual delights, or superhero adventures; it also might be voices in one’s head urging acts of outrage and mayhem. Or it might be the confused world of separation and fear we routinely live in, a threatening yet seductive world that promises us the happiness we seek when our fantasies finally become real. Imagination confronts desire directly, in all its discomfort and intensity, deepening the world right where we are. Fantasy and reality are opposing forces, but imagination and reality are not in opposition: imagination goes toward reality, shapes and evokes it.

- Norman Fischer, from “Saved From Freezing,” * Tricycle, Spring 2005 [* http://www.tricycle.com/from_archive/2467-1.html?offer=dharma ]

The past three decades have witnessed a considerable increase in empirical research into the origins, contents, and effects of people's fantasy and imagination. What exactly is meant by fantasy and imagination, however, often remains unclear. Moreover, the two terms are often used without distinction, suggesting that they capture one and the same experience. Of course, fantasy and imagination overlap to some extent. Both activities require the generation of thoughts, and in both activities associative thinking plays a role. However, there are also differences between the two activities. First, fantasy usually takes place separately from the context from which the fantasy emerged. Fantasizing is a shift of attention away from an ongoing task or external stimulus toward a response to an internal stimulus. Imagination, by contrast, does not necessarily take place apart from an external context. Imagination is the ability to reproduce images or concepts originally derived from the basic senses but now reflected in one's consciousness ( Singer 1966 ). A second difference between fantasy and imagination lies in the degree of goal directedness. Fantasizing is typically a free-floating mental activity ( Klinger 1990 ). Imagination, on the other hand, is more goal directed. Typical examples of imagination are efforts to visualize the appearance of a monster described in a book, to “see” ... log in or subscribe to read full text @ http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405131995_yr2013_chunk_g978140513199511_ss10-1

The word "imagination" comes from the Latin word imaginare and means "to form an image or to represent".

The imagination is the synthesis of mental images into new ideas. It is the power of the mind to form mental representations of a thought, concept, dream, symbol, or fantasy. The imagination has the power to create or re-create any sensation perceived or possibly perceived by the mind. Since sensation is reliant upon the body and the brain, the imagination cannot be entirely separated from either.

Imagination is not the opposite of reality. Instead, it is a means of adapting to reality. As such, imagination is essential to reality. Mental life could not exist without the imagination. Certainly creativity would be impossible without the imagination.

The imagination is one of the most unique and important aspects of being a human being.

The word "fantasy" comes from the Greek word phantazesthai and means "picture to oneself" - and that is exactly what it is.

A fantasy is a product of the imagination. It is an imagined sequence of events or mental images (for example, a daydream). It is a form of a story from the self with one common factor: The subject imagining the fantasy appears as one of the actors in the story.

A fantasy may originate from conflicts, desires, frustrations, or wishes when the imagination interacts with reality. A fantasy may substitute for action or pave the way for later action.

In Freudian terms, the fantasy may itself afford gratification for id impulses (our darkest and most hidden drives), may serve the ego as a defense (our recognised self), or may take over superego functions by providing the imagery on which concepts are based (our self we project to others).

A fantasy can be a conscious or unconscious construction. When it is unconscious, it is sometimes spelled "phantasy". Again, mental life could not exist without fantasy. And fantasy is also a unique and important aspect of being a human being. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/19/the_odd_body_imagination_fantasy/

Imagination concerns the possible;	fantasy concocts the impossible.
Imagination deals with the real;	fantasy is found on a reel.
Imagination dreams up alternatives;	fantasy just dreams.
Imagination offers images;	fantasy produces mirages
Fantasy is a diversion;	imagination  can cause a conversion.
Fantasy lives in its own world;	imagination copes with this world.
When your projects are built on fantasy, expect failure	If your plans are born of imagination, look for adventure.
Facing a formidable wall, fantasy will try to fly on wings that don't exist;	imagination  will start to dig with hands we do possess.
We're disappointed when we're grasping and greedy--blame fantasy.	We are fulfilled by sharing and caring— credit imagination.
When life, therefore, comes to an impasse, pass up fantasy and use imagination.
For, imagination suggests another exit,	but fantasy is locked into pure escapism.
© Msgr. Walter Niebrzydowski December 30, 1990 www.fatherwaltersparish.org

Understand that when you operate within knowing difference, knowing is what will teach you imagination from fantasy -- first the following of the vibration of excitement. Recognize that though many, " fantasies" may excite you, it will not be the same type of vibration - vibration of the excitement of the imagination which fits in your life.

There will be a momentum feeling behind the excitement of the imagination.

There will simply be excitement and no momentum behind fantasy.