A San Franciscan couple, the man of whom had spent his life in his impassioned love of clocks and watches, had long dreamed of a trip to Europe to see the famous Big Ben in its towering landmark of London. They could have gone any time, but Mr. G., who had become something of a historian, waited for an opportunity to be received and hosted by an Englishman who shared his knowledge and love of this field. But long years had passed and no such opportunity presented itself.
It was the habit of Mr. and Mrs. G. to read to each other after dinner and then discuss the subject. Mrs. G. announced that she had found a new book in the library by a London author on the subject of famous clocks and watches of the world, and that she had brought it home. This was their first contact with a contemporary author who lived in the city of the great clock tower.
That night after their reading, it occurred to Mrs. G. that they had never done anything but wish and hope for their dream to come true. She remarked that they should probably be doing something creative to make it happen. So it was decided that every evening after dinner they would read from the London author’s book about clocks and then engage in a discipline of “creative silent time.”
Settled in comfortable armchairs, they each began to imagine that they were in the city of London. They visualized the great clock tower of Big Ben from the many photographs they had seen and felt the thrill of realizing their dream. Bringing all their senses into play, they felt the street under their feet, surveyed the London skyline, and watched the boats on the Thames.
They listened to the British accents of the passersby; they climbed the tiny winding stairs of the red double-decker buses and savored the view of the bustling city from that great vantage point. And best of all, they each assumed that they were being escorted to the clock tower by a prestigious authority on the subject. Losing themselves in their creative imaginal experience, they embodied all the happy feelings that would naturally be present on this delightful trip abroad.
They set a minimum time of half an hour for their nightly practice, but found it so enjoyable they always lingered overtime. What a difference it made in their spirit, their attitude, and their general outlook. They found themselves happier than they had been for years. And each time they practiced, they felt more familiar with all aspects of the trip. Knowing that they would fly, they experienced being aboard the plane and visualized the attendants going about their duties. They watched an imaginary film about London; they walked in the beautiful city parks, visited the museums, and attended a concert. And they took guided tours both within and outside the city.
After they had been practicing their creative imaginal experiences for about a month, they received an invitation to a dinner party at the home of one of Mr. G.’s colleagues, who was himself one of the greatest authorities on famous clocks of the world. They were both delighted and talked happily of buying a copy of the London author’s book to take to their host.
Sharing a knowledgeable interest in her husband’s lifelong passion for timepieces, Mrs. G. also looked forward to the pleasure of joining the conversation on this highly specialized subject. At last, the evening arrived and Mr. and Mrs. G. were graciously received by their hosts, to whom they presented the book by the English clock connoisseur. And there occurred one of the most astonishing and brightest moments of Mr. G’s life. The surprise guest of honor was the London author himself.
During the evening’s conversation, the two men established a spirited rapport and the Londoner urged Mr. and Mrs. G. to come to England, promising them a personal guided tour of the world-famous landmark.
A few months later, Mr. and Mrs. G. did precisely in the objective outer dimension of the senses, that which they had been rehearsing in their subjective imagination. Not only did their new friends honor them with a guided tour of the great clock tower, but they gave a lovely dinner party for them so they could meet several friends with their mutual interest.
Mr. and Mrs. G. walked in the lovely London parks, took the double-decker bus around the city, visited the museums, went to the theater, attended a concert, and enjoyed several guided tours. All that they had rehearsed in the creative domain of imaginal experience became a reality.
On returning home, Mrs. G. went to the library, browsed among the books on creativity, and to her delighted surprise found a variety of interesting titles on the subject. She and Mr. G. added an expanding dimension of the mind to their nightly reading.
Now that they knew how to use their imagination to create the fulfillment of their desires, they began a delightful sequence of “desire and realization” that has enormously enriched their lives.
Story from the book “The Magic of the Mind”.
