Synthetic & Creative Imagination

I'm taking a 14 week class based on the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. In the early 1900's Hill was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie to investigate the characteristics of successful people.  The book is the result of his research. At the beginning each person creates their desire statement which is read twice a day during the 14 weeks. It goes as "I desire ____ dollars to be in my hands by the end of this class, April 6.  I am willing to (do or give up) _________ to receive this.  I intend to possess this money by _____ ". During the week we gather in groups to discuss and support other class members in achieving their desire.

The topic this week is imagination.  I have a rich imagination which shows up as ideas, images, words, phrases, dreams or all of the above.  In classes I teach both two areas of imagination- visualization and visioning. Visualization is the picturing or acting out in the mind an activity or upcoming event.  Visualizations can be guided by a leader or like a baseball player or golfer you can picture yourself  doing the activity as a way of preparing for the event.

In the other method, visioning, one person leads a process of meditation and asks a series of questions designed to reveal more information about the new idea.

With that background I thoroughly enjoyed and understood Napoleon Hill's definitions of imagination. He said, "Our only limitation, within reason, lies in our development and use of our imagination."..."The imaginative faculty functions in two forms. One is known as "synthetic imagination: and the other as 'creative imagination.'"
"Synthetic Imagination: Through this faculty, one may arrange old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations.This faculty creates nothing. It merely works with the material of experience, education, and observation with which it is fed."
"Creative Imagination: Through the faculty of creative imagination, the finite mind of man has direct communication with Infinite Intelligence; It is the faculty through which 'hunches' and 'inspirations' are received. It is by this faculty that all basic or new ideas are handed over to man."

So writings from two different eras, describing the same thing. Synthetic Imagination is equivalent to visualizing and reforming the current known order. while Creative Imagination is open at the top.  How do you use your imagination? Using these methods you can enhance and extend your use of imagination...and create new ideas.