Imagination and Science

Jules Verne, a writer who was not himself a scientist, nevertheless inspired generations of scientists. He did not invent the idea of the submarine, but in his book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, he worked out a number of conceptual issues so that submarine use could become widespread, and he opened up the wonder and beauty of the undersea world, so that people would be inspired to try. Similarly, he was not the first to propose the idea of flying to the moon, but in his book From the Earth to the Moon, he developed the story in such a way that, once again, people were inspired to try, eventually landing people on the moon and returning them safely to the earth. Imagination has always led the way to breakthroughs in science.

Nikola Tesla cited a vision he had while walking in a field as the basis for his invention of the alternating current motor, which he eventually developed, perfected and patented. He made it clear that it was vision that led to his greatest scientific breakthroughs, while his mastery of technical skills in the field allowed him to translate the vision into the reality.

Albert Einstein famously stated “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” as well as “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”

Einstein went on to say “We can’t know something is possible or impossible until we try it, and without imagination it would never occur to us to try it!

A disciple notes: “Men of science must be having imagination!”

The Mother writes: “A lot. Otherwise they would never discover anything. In fact, what is called imagination is a capacity to project oneself outside realised things and towards things realisable, and then to draw them by the projection. One can obviously have progressive and regressive imaginations. There are people who always imagine all the catastrophes possible, and unfortunately they also have the power of making them come. It’s like the antennae going into a world that’s not yet realised, catching something there and drawing it here. Then naturally it is an addition to the earth atmosphere and these things tend towards manifestation. it is an instrument which can be disciplined, can be used at will; one can discipline it, direct it, orientate it. it is one of the faculties one can develop in himself and render serviceable, that is, use it for definite purposes.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter III Imagination, pp. 31-32