Connections: Imagination First & The Time Paradox

So what’s the connection between imagination and time perspectives? John Boyd, co-author of “The Time Paradox” has the answer. Years before he joined Google, he spent two weeks teaching 50 students at community colleges in San Mateo California to shift more towards a future time perspective through mental simulation. 

The outcomes were both astounding and heartbreaking. At the end of the study, two students reported “I set a goal and it came true. That never happened before.” and “At first I did not understand what this mental simulation was about. But it has helped me achieve one of my most important goals, staying out of jail” (quotes from The Time Paradox). 

While mental simulation sounds like science fiction, it’s actually a fancy word for using your imagination to mentally play act several possible scenarios. Yes, it’s as simple as that. If you’re reading this, you’re probably at least some future time perspective and may have trouble believing that community college students need to be taught to use their imaginations. It’s true though. Remember we view the world through our own time tinted glasses. 

{Image Citation}