Using the Imagination

A Path to Healing and Wholeness

This month is all about our imagination—and in this blog, we’ll focus on how imagination helps us express our wholeness more authentically. Imagination is a sacred inner faculty that supports our spiritual growth and creative expression. It becomes a powerful channel through which our higher self can speak, move, and heal.

Charles Fillmore, one of the co-founders of Unity, wrote, “Spirit imparts its ideas through a universal language. Instead of being explained by words and phrases as used in ordinary language, the idea is formed and projected in its original character. This system of transferring intelligence is called symbolism. It is the only universal and correct means of communicating ideas” (The Twelve Powers of Man). When we begin to align our imagination with spiritual principles, we activate a creative energy that transforms how we see ourselves—and the world.

Imagination as a Tool of Conscious Creation

In her book Divine Audacity, author Linda Martella-Whitsett explains, “Studies have shown that our brains are present to see what we are looking for, which means we continuously create more of the familiar. However, our prefrontal cortex, a recent evolutionary development, gives us the capacity to envision possibilities beyond our present knowledge. By this power, we can leap from what is to what can be.”

That ability to form new thoughts and ideas allows us to manifest a reality based on our deepest values and desires. When imagination is guided by spiritual truths—love, peace, joy, abundance, and freedom—it becomes a co-creative force for wholeness and healing.

Practicing Sacred Imagination

One powerful way to engage your imagination is through a simple practice of guided visualization. During prayer or meditation, ask yourself:

• What would a peaceful world look like to me?
• What would a loving world look like to me?
• What would an abundant and prosperous world look like to me?

Allow your imagination to fill in the details. Feel the vision take shape within your heart. The more we imagine the world we wish to live in, the more attuned we become to taking action aligned with that vision.

Imagination is not just for dreaming—it can be a vital tool for transformation.

Switch-To Image

Visualization can also be helpful in moments of emotional distress. Louise Hay often taught people to create a “switch-to” image—something you could recall in your mind to bring a sense of peace and grounding. For her, it was yellow roses. For me, it’s my cat. For you, it might be a sunset, a waterfall, or a joyful memory.

To build your own, spend five minutes during your prayer or meditation focusing on this image. Feel the emotion it stirs—comfort, joy, serenity. Over time, this image becomes a reliable tool to help regulate your emotions and return to center.

Honoring Different Ways of Imagining

While many people can easily visualize in images, some cannot. About 2–4% of people experience a phenomenon called aphantasia—an inability to voluntarily visualize images in the mind. But that doesn’t mean their imagination is lacking.

I’ve worked with students who have aphantasia since 2009, and we’ve developed “linguistic visualization” methods together—where people imagine through words, sensations, or knowing. These approaches are just as effective for spiritual growth and healing. Imagination isn’t a single way of seeing—it’s a broad and inclusive faculty that shows up uniquely in each of us.

Einstein, Science, and Imagination

Albert Einstein famously said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.” What many people don’t know is that Einstein relied heavily on imagination and visualization to develop some of his most profound scientific theories.

Before writing equations or performing experiments, Einstein often used mental images—what he called thought experiments. He imagined riding alongside a beam of light to understand the nature of space and time. This process of inner visualization played a pivotal role in his development of the theory of relativity.

Einstein’s story demonstrates the power of our imagination. It is a useful tool for scientific exploration and in all areas of life. When we give ourselves permission to imagine beyond the boundaries of current knowledge or experience, we unlock creative and transformational potential.

Art as a Sacred Practice

Over the past few months, I’ve been working with Unity Arts Ministry and participating in Amy Steinberg’s Garden of Good program—an open creative community that has inspired me deeply. You can learn more about the Garden of Good here: INSERT LINK

These experiences led me to pick up a paintbrush again, and painting has been profoundly healing. Art has given me a way to express feelings I had no words for—grief, joy, trauma, freedom. One of the pieces that emerged from this process is titled “Cast All Your Votes for Dancing”, inspired by the poem by Hafiz (translated by Daniel Ladinsky). This joyful, soulful poem invites us to choose celebration, wholeness, and the sacredness of the body—even when sorrow or depression tries to return.

You are with the Friend now… Be wise. Cast all your votes for Dancing!”
—Hafiz, trans. Daniel Ladinsky

“Painting this piece helped me remember what brings me joy. It reminded me that imagination can be both expressive and restorative.

The Healing Power of Shared Creativity

When I first started sharing my artwork, it was with a small circle: my religious trauma support group, my local Folx with Faith chapter, and friends in the Garden of Good. In some New Thought spaces, I was told it might be better to stick to “rainbows and butterflies.” I think there’s a term for that—spiritual bypassing?

But what I found is that people resonated most deeply with the honest, raw, emotional pieces. People told me that something inside them healed by seeing it. That’s the power of imagination—when shared authentically, it creates healing ripples beyond the self.

I have chosen to share these paintings because even if it helps just one person, that would be enough.

Imagination & the Mind’s Vast Capacity

The Buddhist Sutra of Hui Neng reminds us:

“The capacity of the mind is as great as that of space. It is infinite… All universes are as void as space. Intrinsically our transcendent nature is void and not a single thing can be attained.”

Imagination invites us into this space—this sacred void from which beauty, compassion, and vision arise. It allows us to reframe, to rewrite, and to reimagine what healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth can look like.

So this month, I invite you to engage your imagination:

• Paint, dance, or write.
• Meditate with joyful images or sounds.
• Envision the world you want to live in.
• Choose joy as your guiding force.
• Cast all your votes for dancing.

Upcoming Event

Join us on June 28, 2025, for a very special online event with Paul Luftenegger—an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter known for heart-opening music that supports healing, self-love, and global compassion. Paul’s music is beloved in spiritual and affirming communities across the world.

This one-of-a-kind session will include music, inspiration, and discussion about the role of imagination, intention, and vibrational healing in personal transformation. Don’t miss it!

🕥 10:30 AM CT
🎶 Paul will lead us in reflection and conversation around creativity, divine love, and how music can be a spiritual tool to reimagine a more loving world.

This event is hosted by Folx with Faith. Registration is open at:

About Folx with Faith

Folx with Faith is a spiritual community rooted in love, inclusion, and authenticity. We create safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies to explore spiritual wholeness through discussion, music, workshops, and shared practice.

Whether you’re deconstructing, reconstructing, or rediscovering your faith, we are here to support you on your journey.

How You Can Support Our Mission?

At Folx with Faith, we create safe and inclusive spaces where queer individuals and allies explore spiritual wholeness. Rooted in love and authenticity, we celebrate diverse spiritual paths and foster a community of belonging. Whether you’re exploring Unity, New Thought, mysticism, or just your own truth, you are welcome here.

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