In this recording, Archimandrite Athanasios Mytilinaios (1927-2006), answers the question: “How can someone fight against his fantasy [imagination]?” You can’t “unplug” fantasy. However, we can make sure it does not “bear” dirty things. This is when we avoid storing “inflammable material,” meaning material that catches fire easily. Do not add to your imagination “inflammable material.” When you watch a film in cinemas or on TV, in reality, you add “inflammable material.”
#christian #orthodox #fantasy
Audio source: “Catechism”, no. 86 (in Greek)
Archimandrite Athanasios:
There is one more question. Let’s see it. It says, “How can a man fight against his fantasy?”
Since we’ve already discussed the issue, I would say quickly and concisely due to time constraints [the following].
Fantasy is found between the nous and the senses. According to the Fathers [of the Orthodox Church], imagination is a post-fall phenomenon. God created the nous and the senses.
How did fantasy come to be? When the devil said to Adam and Eve, “If you eat from the [forbidden] fruit, you will become gods.” At that moment, fantasy was born. They fantasized themselves being like-gods, themselves being equal to God. They fantasized it. Did it exist? No, they fantasized about it. However, this was not a product of the nous nor a product of the senses because they were only seeing a fruit, nothing else. Thus, fantasy is found between the nous and the senses. It is a post-fall phenomenon as I underlined.
It is the space of reconstructions («ανάπλαση»). [That is, in fantasy], reconstruction takes place. Fantasy is “lighter” than the senses, but “thicker” than the nous. She has this ability of reconstruction, to add, to subtract. If we see something and [then] close our eyes, fantasy starts working. There we can add, we can subtract. She has this add-subtract ability, [meaning] the ability of reconstructing the image.
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, we all have fantasy. Christ did not have fantasy. He is the new Adam. He did not have fantasy.
We use [fantasy] along with the storage of both good and bad material. Thus, we recall at times the objects that our mind has stored. Fantasy, particularly, unfolds during the hours of rest when we are lying or sitting and doing nothing else. At that time, the whole material of fantasy starts to unfold before us. Unfortunately, fantasy is exploited by the devil. Much exploited by the devil.
Our dreams use the material of fantasy because what I saw, read, came to know entered memory as material which then is reproduced in dreams, good or bad ones. Saint Nicodemus says that since we have fantasy, we are obliged to use it on virtuous images and on the memory of God. The memory of God [equates] to virtuous images.
The question asks how one can fight against the bad images of imagination. You can’t “unplug” fantasy. However, we can make sure it does not “bear” dirty things. This is when we avoid storing “inflammable material,” meaning material that catches fire easily. Do not add to your imagination “inflammable material.”
When you watch a film in cinemas or on tv, in reality, you add “inflammable material.” You think nothing actually happens at that time. However, at some point later, when a temptation arrives,
the whole material you have piled up in your mind is activated and it will blow you up in the air!
Even more, the dirty thoughts of fantasy are fought through “the method of congestion.” Add good memories in yourself so that there won’t be any space for bad memories. Add virtuous fantasies and there won’t be any space for bad fantasies. Thus, we must have a lasting memory of good images.
If we have in ourselves really bad images, then we will have to change place, we will have to change ways, we will even have to change habits, if needed. Because, probably, some place, some way, some habit could be reminding us of something really dirty we’ve done.
Finally, bad fantasy is fought with prayer. That’s all on this question and may the Lord bless you.
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