Your imagination is one of the best tools that you will ever have, and for this fact it is also healthy to both expand it and control it. Your imagination is what can ease you at night if you’re restless, though in turn it can also be what is causing you to be disturbed. If you’ve ever had it happen that you are extremely afraid of a specific place or item (portraits are great examples for items) then your imagination will often cause you to see things. I happen to be afraid of the laundry room in my basement, which also is where my computer is. It has happened before that I am so afraid of certain corners in this room that my mind will show me shadows and figures that aren’t really there. Even if I see them for a mere few seconds, it is my imagination advancing in the wrong way. (For those of you that don’t believe you can physically see something you imagine, it is an advanced form of daydreaming with your eyes open.) People often like to say that they saw portraits or figures in paintings move slightly and often times if you are afraid enough of that picture, your eyes will make it move if you believe strongly that it will. I had a friend who was terrified by the Mona Lisa, and she swore to god that she saw the eyes move once. It’s the same concept as me seeing figures in my basement.

To control this, you must get used to your surroundings or the thing that scares you so. This being done, we can move on to expanding your imagination in the right way. To get used to the place or object you’re afraid of, try reminding yourself that it’s only your imagination moving it or creating something, or try having it around more, possibly with other people in the room and then moving up to being along with it. If you do this successfully and wish to post it as a story, or if you feel no need to do this is fine. After this, please move on to exercise two in the same subforum.