One time my oldest son asked me to test his imagination. Apparently, he had played around with it and wanted some outside input to learn more about what he could do. We had talked about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_image before and I knew that he could picture moving scenes composed of known images. So I suggested
a five with green white stripes—diagonally. That took some time—apparently, the green was difficult for some reason, he had to converge there from black via dark-green
three mice
three mice, one yellow, one red, and one green
the three colored mice running behind each other in circles (all no problem)
he himself
he himself in a mirror looking from behind (no problem)
two almost parallel mirrors with him in between (he claimed to see his image infinitely repeated; I think he just recalled such an experiment we did another time).
a street corner with him on the one side and a bike leaning on the other wall with the handlebar facing the corner and with a bicycle bell on the left side such that he cannot see the bike.
dito with him looking into a mirror held before him so he can see the bike behind the corner.
The latter took quite some time, partly because he had to assign colors and such so that he could fully picture this and then the image in the mirror. I checked by asking where the handlebar is and the bell. I had significant difficulties imagining this and correctly place the bell. I noticed that it is easier to just see the bell once the image in the mirror has gained enough detail (the walls before and behind me, the corner, the bike leaning on the corner, the handlebar).
I also asked for a square circle which got the immediate reply that it is logically impossible.
If you have difficulties doing these (are judge them trivial): This is one area where human experience varies a lot. So this is not intended to provide a reference point in ability but an approach to teach human difference, reflection and yes also practice imagination—a useful tool if you have it. If not you might be interested in what universal human experiences are you missing without realizing it.
Philosophy with Children—Mental Images
One time my oldest son asked me to test his imagination. Apparently, he had played around with it and wanted some outside input to learn more about what he could do. We had talked about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_image before and I knew that he could picture moving scenes composed of known images. So I suggested
a five with green white stripes—diagonally. That took some time—apparently, the green was difficult for some reason, he had to converge there from black via dark-green
three mice
three mice, one yellow, one red, and one green
the three colored mice running behind each other in circles (all no problem)
he himself
he himself in a mirror looking from behind (no problem)
two almost parallel mirrors with him in between (he claimed to see his image infinitely repeated; I think he just recalled such an experiment we did another time).
a street corner with him on the one side and a bike leaning on the other wall with the handlebar facing the corner and with a bicycle bell on the left side such that he cannot see the bike.
dito with him looking into a mirror held before him so he can see the bike behind the corner.
The latter took quite some time, partly because he had to assign colors and such so that he could fully picture this and then the image in the mirror. I checked by asking where the handlebar is and the bell. I had significant difficulties imagining this and correctly place the bell. I noticed that it is easier to just see the bell once the image in the mirror has gained enough detail (the walls before and behind me, the corner, the bike leaning on the corner, the handlebar).
I also asked for a square circle which got the immediate reply that it is logically impossible.
If you have difficulties doing these (are judge them trivial): This is one area where human experience varies a lot. So this is not intended to provide a reference point in ability but an approach to teach human difference, reflection and yes also practice imagination—a useful tool if you have it. If not you might be interested in what universal human experiences are you missing without realizing it.