One of our greatest powers is the power of imagination. Many of the greatest artistic, scientific, philosophical, and political achievements of human history flow from our ability to imagine, envision, and innovate, to create something from nothing. But the visionary can’t have a breakthrough unless they can imagine it first.
There are other reasons imagination matters, too. Setting aside world-changing epiphanies, imaginative powers also play a role in keeping the brain active and healthy. According to a study published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, people who engage in artistic and imaginative activities in middle and old age are 73 percent less likely to suffer memory and thinking problems, such as mild cognitive impairment.
