IMAGINATION
GONE
WILD


A
Practical
Guide
to
Facing
the
Real


by


FATHER
BAILEY
CLEMENS




 Introduction



 Why
did
I
set
out
on
such
an
arduous
task
that
would
uncover
and
analyze


the
 sometimes
 very
 wild
 life
 of
 the
 imagination?
 
 I
 guess
 there
 were
 three


reasons,
 really.
 
 First,
 I
 had
 never
 seen
 it
 discussed,
 and
 someone
 had
 to
 do
 it.



Second,
I
was
once
so
stuck
in
the
imagination
myself,
I
had
to
do
something
to


settle
 my
 mind.
 
 Third,
 I
 realized
 I
 wasn’t
 the
 only
 one
 in
 the
 boat.
 Our
 overly


imaginative
world
was
impacting
billions.




As
a
young
man,
everywhere
I
looked,
I
was
bombarded
by
images.

I
sat
in


front
 of
 movie
 after
 movie,
 and
 it
 became
 obvious
 to
 me
 that
 these
 characters


were
 totally
 staged.
 
 When
 was
 the
 last
 time
 you
 heard
 someone
 speak
 with


dramatic
 pauses,
 and
 an
 orchestra
 in
 the
 background,
 enabling
 you
 to
 enter


another
 time
 and
 place?
 
 It
 highly
 exaggerated
 how
 ordinary
 people
 talk
 and


interact
 with
 one
 another,
 and
 I
 couldn't
 stand
 being
 duped
 by
 the
 images


anymore.
 
 The
 consequences
 on
 my
 own
 life
 and
 psychology
 took
 me
 through


some
 stressful
 times.
 
 I
 was
 discouraged
 by
 an
 imaginative
 world
 that
 left
 me


confused
 and
 anxious.
 
 With
 the
 help
 of
 God,
 I
 eventually
 found
 solace
 in


educating
myself
on
the
battle
of
the
imagination.

It
is
my
desire
that
I
help
you


do
the
same.


I
 Much
 of
 the
 inspiration
 and
 development
 of
 this
 book
 was
 derived
 from


lengthy
 conversations
 over
 a
 period
 of
 many
 years
 with
 my
 spiritual
 father,
 Fr.


Dominic
 Faure,
 a
 priest
 of
 the
 Community
 of
 St.
 John.
 
 Through
 repetition
 and


study,
 I
 was
 able
 to
 learn
 many
 of
 the
 truths
 he
 taught
 and
 share
 those
 truths


with
others
today.




 After
reflecting
on
the
whole
subject
of
the
imagination
and
how
it
affects


us,
I
was
led
to
compile
this
book
of
practical
truth
and
advice.

I
don’t
claim
to
be


an
 expert
 on
 this
 subject,
 but
 I
 hope
 to
 share
 with
 you
 some
 simple
 wisdom.



Many
 people
 come
 to
 me
 seeking
 counsel
 for
 issues
 connected
 to
 the


imagination.

I
have
slowly
realized
the
powerful
effects
the
imagination
can
have


on
us.

Sometimes
the
awareness
that
we
are
stuck
in
the
imagination
will
be
just


enough
to
get
us
refocused
on
reality.

 


May
this
book
give
you
a
new
way
to
combat
an
Imagination
Gone
Wild.



II
 Chapter
1:

Images
of
Daily
Life



 Welcome
 to
 the
 culture
 of
 images!
 
 Have
 you
 taken
 notice
 lately
 of
 our


visually
stimulating
world?

Humanity
has
gone
wild,
and
is
swirling
uncontrollably


in
 an
 abyss
 of
 garbage.
 
 Unhealthy
 images
 are
 everywhere
 ‐
 whether
 it
 is


provocative
television
programming,
soft
and
hardcore
porn
on
the
internet
and


in
 magazines,
 violent
 and
 lust‐filled
 movies,
 seductive
 billboards,
 or
 even


immodest
outfits
and
behavior
as
we
walk
down
the
street.


What
is
this
overload
of
images
doing
to
our
minds?

Will
this
culture
ever


return
to
the
real?
The
future
looks
dim
if
you
realize
how
strong
the
imagination


is
and
how
difficult
it
is
to
shut
off
the
television,
or
to
guard
your
eyes
from
even


the
soft
porn
at
grocery
store
checkout
lines.



 This
doesn’t
mean
you
have
to
bury
your
head
in
the
sand
like
an
ostrich.

It


is
important
to
note
that
imagination,
in
itself,
is
not
evil,
but
we
need
to
develop


our
 imaginations
 to
 gravitate
 toward
 the
 good.
 
 A
 healthy
 development
 of
 the


imagination
 is
 needed
 when
 we
 are
 young.
 When
 I
 was
 in
 Africa,
 the
 children


used
their
imaginations
to
build
bikes
and
cars
out
of
local
materials
such
as
wood


and
 bamboo.
 We
 can
 help
 our
 children
 to
 develop
 their
 imagination
 in
 the
 real


world
by
limiting
their
exposure
to
mass
media.


1
 But
 many
 of
 us
 were
 not
 formed
 like
 this
 in
 our
 youth.
 
 Yet,
 even
 though


our
imagination
may
have
gone
wild,
all
hope
is
not
lost.

It
is
possible
to
correct
a


poorly
 formed
 imagination
 with
 awareness
 and
 hard
 work.
 
 Many
 adults
 have


enriched
 our
 society
 using
 their
 imagination
 correctly.
 This
 was
 the
 case
 with


Michelangelo,
 an
 artist
 who
 used
 his
 imagination
 beautifully
 to
 create


masterpieces.
Architects
also
use
their
imagination
to
creatively
lay
out
buildings,


bridges,
 homes
 and
 offices
 that
 fit
 aesthetically
 into
 existing
 towns
 and
 cities.



And
once
the
structures
are
built,
they
need
to
be
creatively
decorated,
accented


and
 adorned.
 Let’s
 take
 a
 home
 for
 example;
 you
 will
 need
 to
 choose
 wall
 and


floor
designs,
pick
furniture,
and
decide
if
you’re
going
to
landscape
with
grass
or


rocks.
So,
yes,
the
imagination
can
be
used
for
good,
but
you
really
have
to
take


care
that
you
don’t
get
too
caught
up
in
it.




You
 probably
 will
 not
 even
 recognize
 how
 imaginative
 you
 are
 until
 after


you
finish
reading
this
book.

I
didn’t
really
understand
the
capacity
of
imagination


for
 both
 good
 and
 evil
 until
 I
 began
 my
 seminary
 years.
 
 It
 was
 revealed
 to
 me


through
 philosophy
 that
 much
 of
 what
 I
 had
 experienced
 personally,
 and
 was


seeing
in
others,
derived
from
the
imagination
rather
than
reality.




Now
 as
 an
 active
 diocesan
 priest,
 I
 work
 regularly
 with
 people
 of
 all
 ages


who
do
not
have
a
firm
grip
on
reality
because
they
are
so
immersed
in
images
all


2
around
them.

People
of
all
ages…
like
the
little
8
year
old
lost
in
the
imaginative


world
of
video
games;
the
teenage
girl
who
compares
herself
to
girls
in
magazines


and
 on
 television
 and
 thinks
 she
 is
 not
 pretty
 or
 skinny
 enough;
 the
 college


student
addicted
to
porn;
the
married
woman
who
loves
to
read
romance
novels


and
thinks
her
married
life
should
be
the
same;
the
married
man
who
still
can’t


rid
 himself
 of
 sexual
 images
 of
 the
 past
 and
 now
 brings
 that
 baggage
 to
 the


bedroom;
or
the
older
person
in
a
nursing
home
who
wastes
away
large
portions


of
their
day
watching
television.

Our
society
needs
help
to
break
away
from
these


unhealthy
images
and
come
back
to
what’s
real.


3






Chapter
Two:
The
Imagination
–
How
Does
It
Work?



 In
 order
 to
 understand
 imagination
 we
 need
 to
 see
 how
 it
 fits
 into


psychology.
Today,
psychology
has
become
a
modern
source
for
counsel.

Many


people
seek
help
from
their
psychologists
–
some
who
are
able
to
help
the
person


in
their
psychology
and
some
who
do
more
harm
than
good.

But
what
makes
up


our
 psychology?
 
 Very
 few
 realize
 that
 our
 psychology
 consists
 of
 our
 passions,


memory
and
imagination.

“The
passions
are
the
motions
of
the
sensitive
appetite


in
man,
which
tend
toward
the
attainment
of
some
real
or
apparent
good,
or
the


avoidance
 of
 some
 evil”
 (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11534.htm).


Memory
 is
 the
 lasting
 impression
 left
 within
 us
 by
 our
 sensory
 and
 intellectual


experiences.

Our
five
senses
and
our
passions
ignite
movement
within
us,
which


produces
 imagination.
 
 These
 sensations
 form
 the
 psyche
 of
 our
 life
 but
 never


reach
 the
 deepest
 part
 of
 us.
 
 That’s
 right,
 the
 psychological
 level
 is
 not
 the


deepest,
but
rather
the
soul
is.




 The
soul
is
made
up
of
the
intelligence
and
the
will.

The
intelligence
is
the


part
in
which
you
know
God
and
know
truth.

A
faulty
intelligence
can
be
in
error


from
 the
 influence
 of
 various
 ideologies
 we
 encounter
 throughout
 our
 life.
 
 The


4
will
is
the
part
that
loves
God
and
loves
truth.
It
is
also
the
part
where
we
intend


to
do
something,
and
it
is
either
executed
or
not.

Imagination
can
actually
affect


the
soul.

Since
the
faith
of
an
individual
comes
through
the
intelligence,
it’s
not


surprising
that
an
imaginative
moment
can
block
an
act
of
faith.

For
instance,
you


may
be
trying
to
pray
to
God,
and
your
imagination
takes
you
elsewhere.



 Let’s
go
further
in
discovering
how
the
imagination
works.

Imagine
you
go


to
visit
the
small
animal
exhibit
at
the
zoo.

While
passing
the
skunk
exhibit,
you


stop
to
observe.

You
see
that
the
skunk
has
black
and
white
stripes.

You
hear
the


skunk
 making
 sounds
 as
 it
 roots
 around
 in
 the
 grass.
 
 You
 definitely
 smell
 the


pungent
odor!

You
may
get
to
touch
it,
but
hopefully,
will
not
taste
it.

You
have


just
 experienced
 the
 reality
 of
 a
 skunk.
 
 Had
 you
 never
 seen
 one
 before,
 you


would
 not
 have
 known
 about
 a
 skunk.
 
 Now
 you
 have
 a
 concept
 of
 the
 skunk!



When
you
leave
the
zoo,
you
will
be
able
to
go
home
and
pull
up
the
skunk
on
the


computer
hard
drive
of
your
imagination.

That
is
the
capacity
of
the
imagination,


always
able
to
take
in
new
images.



 Aristotle
 explains,
 “The
 imagination
 is
 the
 process
 of
 an
 image
 [skunk]


being
 presented
 to
 us,
 which
 causes
 an
 internal
 movement
 in
 us
 from
 our
 five


senses”
(On
the
Soul,
Aristotle,
429A).

In
the
imagination,
we
are
like
spectators


looking
at
something
dreadful
or
encouraging
in
a
picture.

It
is
then
neither
good


5
nor
 bad
 because
 you
 have
 no
 certain
 control
 over
 the
 images
 that
 are
 created


within
 your
 imagination.
 
 Through
 your
 five
 senses,
 your
 image
 bank
 grows,
 to


contain
sensory
memories
of
the
skunk‐‐‐
what
you
have
seen
and
heard
of
the


skunk,
 smelled
 and
 so
 on
 (Letter
 to
 a
 Friend:
 A
 Philosophical
 Itinerary,
 Marie


Dominique
Philippe,
O.P
pg

49).





 We
should
probably
take
some
time
to
examine
where
images
come
from


and
 what
 they
 really
 are.
 
 Images
 are
 sensible,
 intentional
 forms
 capable
 of


representing
anything
really—like
a
giraffe,
a
basketball
or
a
beautiful
sunset.

In


other
 words,
 images
 are
 the
 first
 connection
 (synthesis)
 of
 our
 knowledge.
 
 We


have
a
particular
power
within
us,
the
source
of
all
images.

It
is
derived
from
all


that
makes
us
human
 ‐
the
senses,
passions,
experience,
intellect
and
will.

This


power
 moves
 when
 we
 receive
 information
 through
 our
 senses
 regarding
 the


skunk.
 
 This
 internal
 power
 can
 also
 move
 itself.
 
 The
 skunk
 or
 any
 other
 image


can
pop
up
at
any
time.



 Another
 element
 of
 the
 imagination
 is
 that
 the
 imagination
 has
 its
 own


autonomy.

It
is
no
longer
directly
dependent
on
the
reality
(the
skunk
back
at
the


zoo).
 
 The
 imagination
 has
 an
 image
 of
 the
 skunk
 in
 the
 memory,
 so
 when


someone
 mentions
 a
 skunk,
 you
 can
 use
 your
 imagination
 to
 bring
 one
 back
 to


your
thoughts.

The
imaginary
world,
which
we
develop,
has
no
limits.


6

 While
it
is
important
to
understand
the
autonomy
the
imagination
has,
we


can
 also
 discover
 that
 images
 used
 by
 our
 intelligence
 and
 our
 will,
 by
 our


passions,
and
our
instincts
also
form
the
tissue
of
our
psyche.

The
conscious
part


of
 our
 psyche
 within
 us
 is
 wrapped
 around
 clear
 images
 –
 like
 the
 beauty
 of
 a


wedding
you
attended
twenty
years
ago.
These
images
are
at
the
service
of
the


intellect.
 
 We
 also
 have
 habitual
 dispositions,
 which
 we
 are
 not
 aware
 of
 and


which
remain
in
us
unconsciously.

These
react
naturally
‐
like
when
a
child
runs


toward
a
passing
car,
the
parents
react
without
thinking
to
protect
the
child
from


harm.








 Finally,
 we
 must
 recognize
 a
 zone
 within
 us
 arising
 from
 our
 inhibitions,


misunderstandings,
 violence,
 frustrations,
 inner
 turbulence,
 bitterness,
 and
 all


that
 has
 crushed
 us
 from
 expressing
 our
 desires.
 Here
 we
 find
 that
 part


subconsciously
 within
 us
 waiting
 to
 explode,
 from
 the
 earliest
 moments
 of
 our


youth.
 
 For
 instance,
 for
 a
 woman
 who
 was
 sexually
 abused
 in
 her
 childhood,


although
she
may
no
longer
be
conscious
of
the
physical
act,
the
experience
can


still
potentially
affect
her
relationships
and
self‐image
at
a
subconscious
level.



 Can
 you
 begin
 to
 see
 the
 importance
 of
 how
 the
 imagination
 functions?



Our
 imagination
 creates
 images
 within
 itself.
 
 This
 allows
 a
 person
 to
 distance


himself
from
the
real
world.

You
are
capable
of
escaping
and
isolating
yourself
by


7
building
a
new
universe
within.
It
is
a
formidable
power.

It
is
the
ability
to
turn


away
 from
 existing
 realities
 of
 the
 universe
 and
 make
 a
 new
 universe,
 which


dazzles
the
eyes.



 Take
for
instance,
pink
elephants!

Have
you
have
ever
seen
an
elephant
at


the
circus?

And
have
you
seen
the
color
pink?

Now,
in
your
imagination,
can
you


put
 them
 together
 and
 imagine
 a
 pink
 elephant?
 
 This
 is
 the
 power
 of
 the


imagination
 that
 it
 can
 take
 two
 unrelated
 pictures
 and
 put
 them
 together
 at


random.





For
 instance,
 your
 mom
 said
 she
 would
 meet
 you
 around
 7:00,
 but
 she


doesn’t.


You
remember
that
if
your
mom
is
going
to
be
late,
she’ll
call
and
you


also
 remember
 hearing
 about
 others
 in
 a
 car
 accident.
 
 Now,
 you
 imagine
 that


since
your
mom
is
late,
and
has
not
called,
she
has
been
in
an
accident.
This
is
the


type
of
pink
elephant
that
people
imagine
unnecessarily.





 In
conjunction
with
the
imagination
is
the
memory.
People
are
not
content


with
 just
 experiencing
 feelings
 or
 imaginings
 in
 the
 moment.
 
 Our
 senses,
 by


nature,
are
constantly
changing
and
moving,
so
our
memory
has
to
preserve
the


images
in
order
to
make
use
of
them
when
needed.
We
have
this
memory
bank
of


pictures,
 and
 each
 image
 taken
 into
 the
 bank
 gets
 stored.
 
 The
 memory
 keeps


them
in
order.

Imagination
arises
out
of
this
memory
bank
and
draws
its
images


8
from
it.

You
could
say
the
imagination
is
innovative,
while
the
memory
preserves


and
conserves.





 Also
 connected
 to
 our
 memory
 is
 discouragement,
 or
 ultimately
 despair.



We
 may
 have
 an
 awesome
 experience,
 and
 hold
 that
 in
 our
 memory,
 but


sometimes
 our
 current
 reality
 doesn’t
 live
 up
 to
 the
 sweet
 memory
 of
 the
 past.



For
example,
your
family
had
an
incredible
vacation
to
the
Grand
Canyon.

There


were
no
petty
arguments
or
boxing
matches
along
the
way,
the
meals
were
tasty


and
 the
 accommodations
 were
 great.
 
 Fast
 forward
 to
 the
 following
 year‐‐the


family
 vacation
 is
 okay,
 but
 dad
 and
 mom
 are
 stressed
 about
 finances,
 and


nobody
 seems
 to
 be
 very
 excited
 about
 it.
 
 With
 time
 to
 reflect
 on
 these
 two


experiences,
 you
 may
 end
 up
 comparing
 the
 two
 years.
 
 In
 comparison,
 the


second
 vacation
 doesn’t
 measure
 up,
 and
 discouragement
 enters
 in.
 
 Although


the
 memory
 holds
 on
 to
 our
 experiences
 of
 the
 past,
 it
 gets
 more
 complicated


when
you
look
at
the
issue
of
dreams.



 Many
 people
 ask
 about
 the
 dreams
 that
 we
 have
 while
 sleeping.



Philosophers,
those
who
study
the
human
person,
would
say
that
they
are
pure


images
 that
 have
 been
 conditioned
 by
 the
 environment
 we
 live
 in.
 
 Events
 that


have
happened
to
you,
sometimes
that
very
day,
resurface
in
some
unexplainable


way
in
dreams.

While
you
are
asleep,
your
dreams
are
separated
from
your
five


9
senses
and
are
no
longer
used
by
your
intelligence.


Therefore,
they
escape
your


awareness
in
the
present
moment.

That
is
why
dreams
can
develop
in
many
ways


and
 directions.
 I’m
 sure
 you
 can
 remember
 some
 unusual
 dreams,
 but
 because


you
are
not
awake,
it
is
difficult
to
interpret
them.

Some
claim
to
figure
out
their


dreams
through
charts
and
diaries,
but
this
is
just
a
shot
in
the
imagination
that


may
leave
a
person
overanalyzing
their
interior
self.



Dreams
 transport
 others
 into
 the
 ozone
 because
 they
 are
 bored
 with
 the


reality
in
front
of
them.

You
see
this
with
people
at
meetings,
students
in
school,


drivers
out
on
the
highway,
or
even
people
sitting
in
church.

Another
person
may


choose
to
not
face
reality
by
hitting
the
snooze
button
repeatedly
to
enter
back


into
 a
 tantalizing
 dream.
 
 I
 would
 suggest,
 then,
 that
 you
 don’t
 put
 a
 lot
 of


emphasis
on
your
dreams,
because
they
are
unreliable.




10



Chapter
3:
The
Devil
First
Tempts
Through
an
Image



 I
 know
 there
 are
 some
 people
 today
 who
 do
 not
 believe
 the
 devil
 exists.



These
 same
 people
 sit
 through
 murder
 mysteries,
 read
 books
 about
 evil
 things,


play
with
ouija
boards,
and
never
really
recognize
that
these
are
harmful
to
their


psyche.
Why
does
evil
entice
so
many?


Are
they
curiously
fascinated
about
the


devil
 and
 evil?
 
 It
 seems
 many
 people,
 rather
 than
 being
 attracted
 to
 the
 good,


choose
to
follow
the
temptation
into
the
darkness
of
sin.





 It
 is
 evident
 that
 many
 people
 have
 lost
 a
 sense
 of
 the
 presence
 of
 evil.


Some
are
desensitized
by
sensual
or
violent
images
on
television
that
do
damage


to
 the
 imagination.
 With
 this
 cultural
 phenomenon,
 God
 and
 goodness
 seem
 to


have
 taken
 a
 back
 seat.
 
 Some
 professionals
 and
 university
 professors
 are
 even


claiming
there
is
no
God.
Like
so
many
in
today’s
culture,
the
dragon
holds
them


in
its
mouth,
and
they
do
not
know
it.




The
 devil
 with
 his
 super
 intelligence
 has
 succeeded
 in
 seducing
 many


people
 into
 thinking
 that
 he
 does
 not
 exist!
 
 Obviously,
 this
 thinking
 would


completely
eliminate
any
laws,
any
sins,
and
any
absolutes.

People
who
believe


this
 create
 their
 own
 world
 of
 absolutes
 and
 leave
 religious
 beliefs
 and
 order


11
aside.
 
 I
 remember
 the
 story
 of
 a
 woman
 who
 returned
 to
 the
 Catholic
 Church


after
many
years
of
being
away.

She
told
me
that
she
had
believed
“there
was
no


sin,
and
therefore,
there
was
no
devil.”




This
 is
 a
 common
 trap
 that
 too
 many
 end
 up
 falling
 into
 today.
 
 It
 is
 the


deceit
of
the
devil.

To
remember
how
this
all
began,
we
have
to
go
back
to
the


beginning
 of
 Creation.
 In
 the
 beginning
 of
 time,
 when
 God
 created,
 He
 gave
 us


angels.

One
particular
angel
called
Lucifer
had
the
keenest
intelligence
of
all.
He


did
 not
 want
 to
 follow
 the
 goodness
 of
 God
 and
 turned
 with
 his
 legions
 against


God.

But
he
was
still
not
satisfied,
so
he
seduced
others
toward
evil.



 You
may
remember
the
first
seduction
by
the
devil
in
the
Garden
of
Eden.



God,
 after
 having
 made
 the
 man
 and
 the
 woman
 in
 His
 image,
 gave
 them
 souls


and
 the
 ability
 to
 choose
 right
 from
 wrong.
 
 He
 set
 before
 them
 the
 tree
 of


knowledge
of
good
and
evil.

He
told
them
strictly
not
to
eat
of
this
tree.





 The
devil
who
is
also
referred
to
in
scripture
as
satan,
beelzebul,
lucifer
or


the
serpent.
He
was
more
sly
than
any
other
angels
God
had
made.

“The
serpent


said
to
the
woman,
‘Did
God
really
tell
you
not
to
eat
from
any
of
the
trees
in
the


garden?’.”(Genesis
3:1
The
New
American
Bible)

The
woman
repeated
what
God


had
said
about
the
tree
of
knowledge,
but
the
serpent
deceived
her
by
telling
her


that
she
would
not
die.

So
she
ate
and
gave
some
to
her
husband
too.
Their
eyes


12
were
 opened.
 
 God
 quickly
 found
 them
 in
 the
 garden.
 The
 man
 blamed
 the


woman,
 and
 the
 woman
 blamed
 the
 serpent.
 This
 first
 sin,
 called
 Original
 Sin,


caused
 our
 bodies
 to
 become
 disordered,
 and
 our
 imaginations
 went
 wild.


Suffering
entered
the
human
race
and
God’s
mercy
and
justice
took
effect.

Now,


we
strive,
with
the
help
of
grace,
to
reorder
what
was
disordered
in
the
past.



 To
 this
 day,
 the
 devil
 has
 effects
 on
 us
 that
 we
 need
 to
 recognize.
 
 The


problem
has
occupied
many
over
the
centuries.

In
the
thirteenth
century,
a
saint


named
Thomas
Aquinas,
one
of
the
most
intelligent
saints
ever
known,
said
in
his


scientific
 breakdown
 of
 theology
 called
 Summa
 Theologica,
 that
 “Angels
 can


move
the
imagination.”

He
goes
on
to
say,
“Both
a
good
and
a
bad
angel,
by
their


own
natural
power,
can
move
the
human
imagination”.

(Summa,
q
111,
Art.
2
Pt


1).
 
 I’m
 sure
 you’ve
 seen
 this
 scenario
 presented
 ‐
 an
 angel
 on
 one
 shoulder


urging
you
to
evil,
while
the
one
on
the
other
shoulder
urges
you
to
good
–
and


you
can
cooperate
with
either
one.



Good
 angels
 are
 out
 there
 working
 as
 an
 extension
 of
 God.
 God
 has
 sent


each
 one
 of
 us
 an
 angel
 to
 guard
 and
 protect
 us.
 
 Since
 angels
 protect
 us,
 why


don’t
we
call
on
them
to
help
purify
our
thoughts
and
imagination?

And
are
you


aware
of
the
effect
bad
angels
have
on
you?

The
demons
cannot
put
thoughts
in


our
 minds
 by
 causing
 them
 from
 within,
 but
 the
 devil
 is
 called
 the
 kindler
 of


13
thoughts;
he
incites
a
thought,
by
the
desire
of
the
things
thought
of,
rousing
the


passions
 or
 by
 way
 of
 persuasion
 (Summa
 Theologica,
 q
 111,
 Art.
 2
 Pt
 1).


Therefore,
the
devil
does
not
move
our
intelligence
like
the
good
angels,
he
goes


for
the
passions,
emotions
and
imagination.





The
devil
first
tempts
by
offering
an
object
to
the
senses
or
by
persuading


our
 reason.
 
 He
 wants
 to
 weaken
 our
 reason.
 For
 instance,
 when
 we
 watch


television,
 there
 is
 nothing
 real
 about
 it,
 except
 the
 plastic,
 the
 screen
 and
 the


electronic
 components
 inside.
 
 The
 moment
 we
 see
 the
 picture,
 we
 are


immediately
using
our
imaginations.

Whether
it
is
an
image
of
something
good
or


bad,
 our
 reason
 takes
 second
 place,
 and
 the
 imagination
 kicks
 into
 overdrive.



Because
 we
 are
 so
 drawn
 by
 the
 image,
 it
 is
 almost
 impossible
 to
 be
 thinking


much
when
you
are
watching
television.

I
mean,
have
you
ever
watched
people


watch
TV?

They
are
in
a
daze.

Television
is
totally
captivating!

Is
it
good
to
allow


our
reason
to
be
second
to
images?







 Since
 the
 devil
 is
 the
 king
 of
 deception,
 it
 is
 no
 wonder
 that
 he
 is
 able
 to


seduce
our
imagination.
It
is
kind
of
like
a
hot
day
in
a
desert
with
a
mirage
on
the


horizon.
 
 It
 looks
 like
 there
 might
 be
 a
 lake
 ahead,
 but
 it
 is
 actually
 bone
 dry.



Similarly,
 he
 tried
 to
 deceive
 Christ
 with
 a
 stone
 that
 looked
 like
 bread.
 
 He


deceived
 Eve
 into
 taking
 the
 fruit
 from
 the
 tree
 of
 knowledge,
 saying
 “you


14
certainly
will
not
die!”
(Genesis
3:4
The
New
American
Bible)


He
deceives
people


each
day
into
thinking
they
are
not
killing
a
child
through
abortion.

It
is
not
a
life.



That
having
sex
and
living
together
is
the
best
way
to
prepare
for
marriage.

Sex
is


okay
before
marriage.

That
pornography
is
appropriate
and
healthy
to
see.

It
is


just
a
picture;
what
harm
can
that
cause?





 What
are
some
other
ways
we
are
seduced
by
the
devil?

Discouragement


and
 despair
 are
 tools
 of
 the
 devil,
 as
 he
 gets
 people
 to
 give
 up
 the
 fight.
 
 How


many
 teens
 today
 are
 tempted
 with
 suicide?
 
 How
 much
 has
 the
 euthanasia


mentality
become
more
acceptable?

He
gets
people
to
believe
taking
their
lives


would
be
the
easier
road.





 An
 even
 further
 seduction
 of
 the
 devil
 is
 a
 spirit
 of
 isolation.
 
 We
 can
 see


how
he
works
with
an
example
from
the
animal
kingdom.

On
the
plains
of
East


Africa,
 the
 lion
 pride
 stalks
 the
 wildebeest.
 
 They
 look
 for
 weakness
 in
 a
 lone


wildebeest
 and
 begin
 their
 chase.
 
 They
 work
 together
 separating
 the
 weak


individual
from
the
rest
of
the
herd.

The
devil
works
in
a
similar
way.
He
tries
to


isolate
us
from
others.


The
devil
loves
to
get
people
thinking
they
are
the
only


ones
going
through
a
particular
experience.




For
 instance,
 a
 young
 father
 despairs
 because
 his
 wife
 has
 just
 divorced


him,
 and
 will
 not
 allow
 him
 to
 see
 his
 child.
 
 He
 wanders
 through
 the
 night


15
wondering
 why
 the
 family
 he
 hoped
 would
 stay
 together
 is
 now
 divided.
 
 The


devil
convinces
him
that
there
is
no
hope.

Or
perhaps
a
mother,
when
a
family


feud
breaks
out,
is
tempted
in
the
imagination
to
think
that
her
family
does
not


love
her.

She
may
have
been
hurt,
but
the
imagination
takes
hold
of
her,
and
she


goes
deeper
into
herself.

She
may
even
show
anger
toward
family
members,
and


further
 dissension
 causes
 greater
 confusion.
 
 This
 is
 a
 way
 for
 the
 devil
 to
 get


people
discouraged
and
fearful.



 Where
does
this
all
begin?

At
around
the
age
of
seven,
commonly
defined


as
the
age
of
reason,
we
begin
to
see
that
there
is
a
choice
of
right
from
wrong.



This
is
a
vulnerable
age,
for
the
devil
knows
which
psychological
buttons
to
push


to
 cause
 us
 emotional
 distress.
 He
 tempts
 us
 in
 our
 imagination,
 passions,
 and


memory.

Why
did
you
react
fearfully
when
Uncle
Joe
pointed
his
finger
at
you?



Was
 it
 something
 your
 father
 did
 to
 you
 when
 you
 were
 young?
 
 Even
 certain


sights,
smells,
or
actions
can
affect
you.




Have
 you
 ever
 noticed
 how
 a
 person
 can
 trigger
 an
 emotion
 or
 memory


from
 the
 past
 that
 was
 either
 pleasant
 or
 repulsive?
 A
 certain
 mannerism,


perfume,
 or
 tone
 of
 voice
 from
 someone
 causes
 a
 similar
 internal
 reaction
 as
 it


did
once
before.

The
devil
uses
these
experiences
of
past
memories
and
future


imaginings
to
bother
us.




16

 Images
 burned
into
the
imagination
can
leave
raw
wounds.
These
are
the


types
 of
 images
 and
 passions
 that
 commonly
 haunt
 an
 individual
 who
 has
 been


abused.
Abuse
that
 is
physical,
 emotional,
or
sexual
can
 take
quite
awhile
to
be


purified
 and
 healed.
 
 In
 a
 way,
 there
 is
 also
 an
 abuse
 when
 people
 overexpose


themselves
 to
 violent
 and
 sexual
 images.
 
 People
 who
 have
 experienced
 these


abuses
can
be
weakened
in
their
will
and
find
it
difficult
to
persevere
without
the


help
of
a
good
priest
or
Christian
counselor.





 Another
persuasion
of
the
devil
today
is
in
the
area
of
fears.

But
what
is
a


definition
 of
 fear?
 
 Thomas
 Aquinas
 says,
 “fear
 is
 an
 imaginative
 thought
 of
 a


future
 evil”
 (Summa
 Theologica,
 q42,
 Art.
 2,
 Pt
 2).
 You
 do
 not
 know
 that
 it
 is


actually
 going
 to
 happen,
 but
 you
 anticipate
 it,
 and
 fear
 it.
 
 What
 many
 never


realize
is
that
most
of
these
fears
come
from
man
–
rumors
of
wars,
the
threat
of


terrorism,
 the
 possibility
 of
 losing
 a
 job,
 or
 financial
 insecurity.
 Even
 the
 media


triggers
anxiety
and
fears
by
telling
us
immediately
about
everything
in
the
world.


We
build
incredible
anxiety
and
create
suffering
that
is
not
real
or
that
we
have


never
 faced
 ourselves.
 
 
 And,
 although
 you
 see
 t‐shirts
 sporting
 the
 phrase
 “no


fear,”
 it
 is
 a
 myth.
 
 Every
 human
 being
 walking
 this
 earth
 has
 fears.
 
 While
 one


fear
 may
 be
 overcome,
 there
 is
 always
 another
 fear
 popping
 up
 to
 take
 the


other’s
place.

It
is
part
of
our
human
nature.




17

 The
 devil
 plays
 with
 our
 fears
 if
 we
 allow
 him.
 
 He
 is
 an
 expert
 at
 getting


people
 to
 worry
 about
 nothing.
 
 Many
 people
 waste
 their
 time
 worrying
 about


what‐ifs.
 
 What
 if
 my
 car
 doesn’t
 start?
 
 What
 if
 no
 one
 loves
 me
 (isolationist)?



What
if
I
never
get
married?

What
if
my
airplane
crashes?

What
if
a
computer


virus
 gets
 into
 my
 computer?
 
 We
 can
 spend
 hours
 thinking
 about
 what‐ifs!



However,
 we
 shouldn’t
 become
 paranoid
 into
 looking
 around
 every
 corner
 for


where
 the
 devil
 may
 be
 lurking,
 because
 not
 all
 temptations
 are
 from
 the
 devil;


our
bodies
may
be
tempted
because
we
are
weak
from
Original
Sin.
We
need
to


go
beyond
our
sensitive
fears
and
come
back
to
reality
which
I
will
discuss
later.


18





Chapter
4:

Imagination
and
the
Media





 According
to
the
U.S
Census
Bureau,
the
projected
number
of
hours
spent


watching
 television
 by
 adults
 over
 18
 years
 old
 is
 1,669
 in
 one
 year.


(http://www.census.gov/Press‐

Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features/001702.html)
 That
 is


equivalent
 to
 70
 days.
 
 Seventy
 days
 spent
 sitting
 in
 front
 of
 a
 television
 with


quickly
 moving
 images
 pumped
 into
 248
 million
 American
 houses.
 One
 of
 the


earliest
 imaginative
 mediums
 was
 television.
 
 From
 around
 1950
 to
 now,


television
has
inundated
our
lives.

It
is
the
place
in
the
house
where
sofas
face.



Sometimes,
there
is
a
TV
in
every
room,
so
it
shouldn’t
surprise
us
that
today
the


television
 has
 become
 everyone’s
 reference
 point.
 How
 many
 times
 have
 we


heard
people
describing
some
major
event
in
their
lives
by
saying,
“that
was
just


like
a
movie
or
television
program?”


Should
it
come
as
any
great
surprise
then,


that
 the
 people
 in
 the
 media
 understand
 and
 use
 the
 incredible
 power
 of
 the


human
imagination?


In
 fact,
 they
 even
 knew
 how
 fast
 the
 imagination
 could
 take
 in
 images.
 I


remember
 as
 a
 young
 boy
 in
 the
 60s
 and
 early
 70s
 watching
 commercials
 that


19
were
of
several
different
angles,
or
a
single
camera
panning
as
a
person
displayed


a
product.

Today,
the
media
has
figured
out
how
many
images
can
be
shown
to


television
viewers
in
a
very
short
time.

The
images
of
a
commercial
today
go
by


very
quickly.

They
seem
to
be
trying
to
get
as
many
images
into
your
memory
as


possible.
 Do
 you
 think
 this
 has
 an
 effect
 on
 our
 human
 dignity?
 We
 may
 never


know
just
how
these
images
affect
us,
but
one
thing
is
certain:

We
are
not
made


like
impersonal,
inhuman
computers.

Layering
image
after
image
on
our
already


sensitive
imagination
will
impact
our
psyche.




 Although
the
television
has
played
a
big
part
in
our
culture,
computers
are


quickly
surpassing
it.

According
to
the
Nielsen
ratings,
since
February
2003,
the


average
PC
time
among
active
web
users
has
increased
approximately
five
hours


from
 25½
 hours
 a
 month
 to
 30½
 hours
 a
 month
 (http://www.nielsen‐

netratings.com/pr/pr_060314.pdf).
Regarding
the
imagination,
the
computer
may


be
 even
 more
 dangerous
 than
 television,
 because
 TV
 limits
 you
 to
 the
 channels


available,
while
the
Internet
allows
you
to
go
where
your
imagination
leads.





What
does
this
amount
of
time
in
the
world
of
imagination
do
to
you?

One


effect,
as
I
said
earlier,
is
that
it
begins
to
diminish
your
reason.

When
your
eyes


look
at
the
images
on
the
screen,
your
reason
takes
second
place.


Thinking
may


20
be
 present
 when
 you
 watch
 television
 or
 surf
 the
 web,
 but
 the
 imagination


becomes
more
prominent.




Even
with
psychiatric
and
sociological
associations
telling
us
that
exposure


to
 violence
 and
 sexual
 images
 increases
 the
 same
 behavior,
 people
 are
 locked


into
TV
and
video
games.


And
does
it
shock
us
that
there
is
less
and
less
desire


for
our
young
to
get
outside
and
experience
reality?

Bob
Hoose,
in
his
article
“Is


Your
Teen
Leading
a
Double
Life?”
in
the
July
2008
issue
of
Plugged
In,
comments


extensively
 on
 the
 negative
 impact
 time
 spent
 in
 virtual
 worlds
 has
 on
 today’s


gamers.
 Players
 lose
 their
 sense
 of
 self,
 instead
 relying
 on
 the
 successes
 and


failures
 of
 their
 online
 persona
 to
 determine
 the
 direction
 of
 their
 self
 worth.


Likewise,
those
who
sit
in
front
of
the
TV
for
hours
on
end
attach
themselves
to


and
identify
with
unreal
characters.


 


But
 we
 can
 go
 even
 deeper.
 
 The
 television
 also
 affects
 us
 by
 creating


illusions,
 most
 particularly,
 the
 sense
 that
 “everyone
 is
 doing
 it”.
 
 We
 see
 how


young
people
today
mimic
fashion,
words,
and
actions
of
those
on
television
and


in
movies.
And
the
big
illusion
that
pulls
on
many
minds
is
that
everyone
is
having


sex.
 
 How
 would
 one
 not
 get
 this
 notion
 when
 most
 every
 program
 throws
 in
 a


sex
scene
to
seduce
and
hold
the
viewer?





21
 The
 point
 is
 that
 if
 your
 intelligence
 is
 fed
 strictly
 by
 television,
 that


becomes
 your
 perception
 of
 reality,
 and
 on
 television
 everyone
 is
 doing
 it.
 
 But


that’s
 not
 reality!
 There
 are
 plenty
 of
 people
 in
 the
 world
 who
 live
 a
 chaste
 life


committed
 to
 their
 spouse.
 
 Only
 God
 knows
 every
 human
 heart,
 and
 the


implication
that
“everyone’s
doing
it,”
suggests
that
the
media
knows
each
heart


better
than
God.

We
must
be
cautious
not
to
fall
for
the
illusions
presented
to
us


by
the
media.
 


Another
 illusion
 comes
 when
 the
 media
 produces
 a
 fear
 of
 political
 or


military
events
that
may
never
happen.

Soon
everyone
is
talking
about
it.
What
if


this?

What
if
that?

You
know,
we
can
constantly
sit
around
thinking
of
variables,


but
 we
 can
 end
 up
 more
 confused.
 In
 this
 way
 the
 media
 conditions
 us
 to


mentally
create
hundreds
of
options
for
each
situation.
People
today
are
given
so


many
choices
that
they
often
become
frozen
with
indecision
and
can’t
commit
to


anything.
 
 What
 will
 help
 us
 most
 is
 recognizing
 that
 we
 are
 being
 seduced
 by


imaginative
fears.

Every
day,
people
can
face
reality,
or
instead
remain
paralyzed


in
fear,
wondering
what
disaster
may
be
just
around
the
corner.






 Also,
 since
 much
 of
 the
 world
 today
 is
 run
 by
 money,
 the
 efficiency
 issue


comes
into
play.

Somehow,
all
of
the
increase
in
speed
is
aimed
at
speeding
up


workers
 to
 get
 more
 work
 done.
 
 Could
 it
 be
 that
 the
 fast
 paced
 images
 of


22
commercials
 and
 the
 high‐speed
 internet
 connections,
 along
 with
 faster
 cars


really
lead
people
to
work
at
a
faster
pace?

If
you
see
things
fast,
you
tend
to
do


things
fast,
and
you
soon
come
to
want
everything
quickly.

We
see
this
with
fast


food
 restaurants,
 bank
 machines,
 freeways,
 or
 desiring
 quicker
 internet
 speed.


How
long
can
man
continue
to
speed
up
more
and
more
without
resting?

Does


man
have
an
end?
Since
he
doesn’t
function
like
a
computer,
there
must
be
time


to
slow
down
and
face
reality.



23





Chapter
5:

Imagination
and
Relationships



 We
 are
 often
 unaware
 of
 how
 we
 get
 stuck
 in
 our
 imagination,
 most


particularly
 in
 relationships
 with
 others.
 
 We
 imaginatively
 get
 overwhelmed
 by


images
that
distress
us
throughout
the
day.

And
most
of
the
time
we
are
chasing


butterflies
 since
 our
 imaginative
 judgment
 may
 not
 even
 be
 in
 truth.
 
 It
 can


happen
 in
 marriage,
 with
 friendships
 and
 at
 work.
 
 These
 are
 areas
 where
 it
 is


prominent,
 but
 it
 also
 may
 be
 manifest,
 among
 other
 things,
 through
 drug
 and


alcohol
abuse,
experiences
of
sexual
abuse,
dealing
with
the
psychological
effects


of
 abortion
 or
 dealing
 with
 homosexual
 tendencies.
 
 Having
 
 counseled
 people


who
have
become
overly
imaginative
in
these
areas,
I
have
seen
a
great
increase


of
 people
 who
 are
 unaware
 that
 their
 imagination
 has
 any
 impact
 on
 these


aspects
of
their
lives.





 Let’s
start
with
how
an
imaginative
look
can
affect
courtship
and
marriage.



When
a
man
and
woman
begin
their
courtship
to
marriage,
they
can
very
often


begin
 at
 the
 imaginative
 level.
 
 Today,
 people
 are
 exposed
 to
 a
 steady
 diet
 of


idealized
 marital
 relationships
 and
 romance
 novels.
 
 
 They
 begin
 to
 think
 this
 is


what
 a
 real
 marriage
 will
 be
 like.
 
 This
 romantic
 look
 at
 marriage
 can
 set
 the


24
couple
 up
 for
 a
 great
 disappointment.
 
 When
 a
 person
 has
 a
 romantic
 idea
 of


marriage,
 they
 look
 to
 the
 other
 to
 fulfill
 all
 of
 their
 needs.
 
 The
 culture
 has


indoctrinated
 them
 with
 a
 constant
 menu
 of
 movies,
 music
 and
 novels
 that
 say


you
will
find
perfect
happiness
in
another
individual.

The
reality
that
an
imperfect


human
cannot
fulfill
all
needs
becomes
apparent
soon
after
the
honeymoon
ends.





After
 some
 years
 the
 husband
 slowly
 develops
 a
 gut,
 loses
 his
 hair
 and
 is


uninterested
 in
 going
 off
 to
 some
 island
 to
 lie
 on
 the
 beach.
 
 Likewise,
 the
 wife


who
was
so
young
and
beautiful
may
lose
her
figure,
gain
some
wrinkles,
and
nag


too
much.

The
reality
is
that
marriage
is
tough.
It
takes
personal
reflection
along


with
wisdom
and
perseverance
for
a
man
or
woman
to
get
beyond
the
romantic


ideal.
 Marriage,
 in
 reality,
 involves
 struggle,
 change,
 sacrifice,
 and
 an
 ability
 to


love
one
another
each
day.





 Often
 we
 create
 an
 imaginative
 love
 that
 directs
 us
 toward
 an
 ideal.
 
 An


imaginative
love
doesn’t
want
things
to
change.
It
is
very
passionate.

It
is
stuck
at


the
sensitive
level
where
you
just
do
what
feels
good.

It
hopes
that
the
other
will


remain
the
same.

The
wife
hopes
her
husband
will
remain
the
knight
in
shining


armor.
The
husband
hopes
his
wife
will
remain
the
princess
he
married.



Many


couples
start
their
relationships
at
the
passionate
level.

They
can
remain
selfish


and
never
allow
spiritual
love
to
supercede
the
passions.

While
passionate
love
is


25
for
 me,
 me,
 me;
 spiritual
 love
 is
 putting
 the
 other
 first.
 
 Spiritual
 love
 helps
 the


sensitive
 passions
 to
 mature.
 
 At
 this
 level
 the
 husband
 and
 wife
 accept
 change


and
 face
 the
 reality
 of
 life’s
 difficulties.
 Those
 couples
 who
 never
 allow
 spiritual


love
 to
 elevate
 the
 passions
 risk
 losing
 the
 truth
 about
 what
 real
 love
 and


marriage
 are
 intended
 to
 be.
 
 Consequently,
 divorce
 could
 be
 more
 easily


accepted.




Those
 couples
 that
 leave
 the
 romantic
 idea
 of
 marriage
 behind
 begin
 to


face
 the
 reality
 that
 there
 is
 a
 labor
 of
 love.
 
 The
 huge
 expensive
 wedding
 that


took
 months
 to
 plan
 fades
 into
 the
 past.
 
 That
 glorious
 moment
 of
 being
 the


knight
in
shining
armor
and
the
princess
is
a
short
romantic
high,
which
now
fades


into
 the
 memory
 as
 they
 begin
 to
 face
 ordinary
 circumstances.
 Now
 they’ve


changed;
 they
 no
 longer
 see
 each
 other
 through
 rose‐colored
 glasses,
 and
 they


find
the
joy
in
eagerly
putting
their
spouse’s
needs
ahead
of
their
own.




 Why
do
so
many
relationships
end
up
at
the
romantic
level?

Whether
it
is


in
marriage
or
a
friendship,
too
many
people
get
caught
in
a
dreamy,
imaginative


state.

One
common
trap
 is
looking
at
the
other
at
a
purely
external
level.

Yes,


external
qualities
can
attract
us
to
others.
Beauty
is
a
good,
but
it
cannot
be
an


end.

If
we
judge
others
strictly
by
how
they
look,
we
miss
the
truth.

Someone


might
 be
 very
 beautiful
 or
 handsome,
 but
 within,
 there
 is
 a
 sinner.
 
 Someone


26
might
be
a
social
outcast,
yet
they
have
a
saintly
heart.
If
we
judge
others’
hearts


from
 a
 distance,
 it
 can
 be
 just
 as
 dangerous
 because
 we
 have
 no
 certain


knowledge
of
what’s
happening
inside.

When
we
do
this,
we
take
an
imaginative


snapshot
of
the
other
and
make
a
judgment
without
getting
to
know
them.
The


only
One
who
can
judge
in
truth
is
God.

So
the
moral
of
the
story
is:
Don’t
chase


butterflies
in
your
imagination.

Stay
with
the
reality.

Whether
it
is
in
friendship


or
 at
 work,
 we
 must
 do
 some
 interior
 homework
 to
 avoid
 getting
 caught
 up
 in


external
qualities.




The
passion
of
anger
is
another
area
of
difficulty
not
only
in
marriage,
but


also
in
friendships
and
work
relationships.

In
Scripture,
Saint
Paul
tells
us,
“If
you


are
angry,
let
it
be
without
sin….”
(Ephesians
4:26).

We
know
there
can
be
a
good


righteous
anger,
but
it’s
the
bad
anger
that
ensnares
so
many.



For
our
purposes,


let’s
just
focus
on
bad
imaginative
anger.

Anger
can
unload
within
us
very
easily,


and
can
re‐ignite
all
the
emotions
of
a
previous
experience.

This
can
be
the
result


of
a
picture
your
memory
loaded
from
an
earlier
interaction.




For
 example,
 you
 were
 irritated
 with
 at
 someone
 at
 work
 and
 had
 a
 big


blow‐up.

That
night
when
you
went
to
bed,
the
scene
of
the
blow‐up
was
still
in


your
mind.

When
such
an
event
happens
the
memory
may
percolate
for
days.

In


your
memory,
the
event
may
remain
for
much
longer.

Your
imagination
will
recall


27
it
from
your
memory
when
confronted
with
a
similar
situation,
and
will
also
recall


the
angry
feelings
that
accompanied
it.

This
is
certainly
an
unhealthy
anger
that


you
want
to
avoid.




The
 question
 you
 should
 really
 ask
 yourself
 is,
 “why
 are
 you
 angry”?
 
 In


order
 to
 find
 out
 what
 is
 causing
 the
 anger,
 ask
 yourself,
 what
 is
 the
 object
 of


your
anger?

It’s
like
an
arrow
hitting
its
target;
your
anger
is
the
arrow,
what
is


the
object?

Was
it
the
words
a
person
said?

The
tone
of
their
voice?

Did
they


have
 facial
 expressions
 or
 body
 gestures
 that
 bothered
 you?
 
 Sometimes,
 it’s


important
 to
 step
 back
 and
 try
 to
 understand
 ourselves
 better.
 
 What
 really


pushes
our
buttons,
and
did
someone
accidentally
hit
one?

When
you
recognize


the
reason
for
your
anger,
you
will
hopefully
be
able
to
break
it
down,
so
that
it


won’t
be
instantly
fueled
again
every
time
you
think
of
the
blow‐up.

When
you


recognize
 the
 object
 of
 your
 anger,
 it
 should
 begin
 to
 wane
 and
 allow
 you
 to


return
to
facing
the
reality
in
the
present
moment.




 Another
 serious
 obstacle
 to
 true
 relationships
 is
 when
 we
 imaginatively


hold
on
to
past
events
held
in
our
memories.

St.
Francis
of
Paola
said,
“Pardon


one
another
so
that
later
on
you
will
not
remember
the
injury.

The
recollection
of


the
injury
is
itself
wrong.

It
adds
to
our
anger,
nurtures
our
sin
and
hates
what
is


good.
 It
 is
 a
 rusty
 arrow
 and
 poison
 for
 the
 soul”



28
(http://saints.sqpn.com/saintf02.htm).
 
 
 He
 is
 saying
 we
 should
 get
 rid
 of
 the


recollection
or
image
in
our
memory
of
the
past
injury.

I
like
how
he
compares
it


to
 a
 rusty
 arrow
 and
 poison
 because
 this
 is
 exactly
 what
 people
 do
 when
 they


constantly
 recollect
 images
 of
 past
 injury.
 
 The
 past
 often
 looms
 larger
 in
 the


imagination
than
what
it
was
in
reality.

It
hinders
our
personal
relationships,
and


takes
us
further
from
truth.


Sometimes
the
imagination
takes
hold
of
a
person,
and
it
brings
false


suspicions
to
mind.

“Suspicions
that
are
real
or
imagined
can
be
dangerous,”


notes
Fr.
Lawerence
Lovasik
in
his
book,
The
Hidden
Power
of
Kindness.

He
adds


that,

“Suspicion…is
an
opinion,
not
too
well
grounded
in
false
assumptions,
that


another
has
an
evil
purpose
in
a
certain
line
of
conduct.
A
suspicious
person


somehow
adopts
the
general
assumption
that
everybody
must
be
deemed
guilty


of
evil
until
he
has
proved
himself
to
be
innocent.
Worst
of
all,
he
must
always


give
expression
to
his
suspicions
in
the
hope
of
making
others
share
them
with


him.

















“Many
spoil
all
the
relationships
of
private
life
by
foolish
suspicions,
such


as
the
husband
who
is
constantly
indulging
suspicions
about
his
wife,
and
vice


versa;
the
parent
who,
without
sufficient
reason,
is
suspicious
of
his
children;
and


29
the
person
who
suspects
his
friends
of
talking
about
him
behind
his
back
or
of


pursuing,
through
friendship,
some
personal
interest.





 “The
habit
of
being
suspicious
is
not
only
destructive
of
all
friendship
and
of


the
joys
of
social
life;
it
also
makes
peace
of
heart
almost
impossible.

St.
Benedict


says
‘a
suspicious
man
knows
no
rest.’
Suspicion
robs
us
of
interior
peace
as
well


as
of
external
tranquility.
No
one
loves
a
suspicious
man;
he
is
involved
in
endless


strife
and
wins
no
one’s
confidence”
(pg
98‐99).
 



 While
people
may
be
influenced
imaginatively
in
their
suspicions,
many
are


dealing
 with
 another
 imaginative
 influence,
 which
 involves
 drugs
 and
 alcohol.



Drugs
 and
 alcohol
 lead
 people
 to
 believe
 that
 they’ll
 find
 a
 perfect
 pleasure
 in


escaping
 reality.
 
 Since
 these
 substances
 are
 mind‐altering,
 the
 individual
 hopes


that
they
will
discover
something
new
and
exciting,
when,
in
fact,
they
do
just
the


opposite.

Many
things
happen
to
individuals
when
they
are
not
fully
in
control
of


their
faculties.
They
end
up
hurting
friends
and
making
enemies
when
drugs
and


alcohol
are
abused.


While
 imagination
 affects
 relationships
 in
 substance
 abuse,
 it
 is
 also


prevalent
with
someone
who
has
been
sexually
abused.

This
can
be
a
haunting


reality
of
the
past.
Often
the
individuals
cannot
kick
the
images
that
come
back
to


torment
 them.
 
 The
 images
 trigger
 the
 same
 emotions
 of
 fear,
 shame
 and
 hurt


30
every
 time
 they
 think
 of
 it.
 
 If
 these
 images
 are
 not
 dealt
 with,
 they
 may
 build


walls
around
the
individual’s
emotions.

Their
inability
to
grow
close
to
people
in


friendship,
 dating
 or
 marriage
 hinders
 their
 future
 relationships.
 
 They
 may
 be


afraid
to
let
anyone
get
too
close.




True
 psychological
 counsel
 will
 help
 a
 person
 see
 past
 psychological


wounds
or
abuse,
to
recognize
them,
and
move
on.

It
seeks
to
move
the
person


beyond
 the
 emotions
 associated
 with
 the
 abuse,
 so
 they
 can
 face
 reality.



Conversely,
poor
psychological
advice
would
dig
up
the
wound
and
talk
about
it


without
 offering
 any
 way
 to
 overcome
 it.
 
 
 The
 abuse
 can
 be
 reflected
 on
 once


again,
 but
 care
 should
 be
 taken
 so
 that
 the
 person
 does
 not
 get
 stuck
 in
 the


imagination.
 
 The
 person
 begins
 to
 heal
 when
 they
 recognize
 past
 patterns
 of


weakness
stemming
from
hurt,
learn
from
them,
stay
in
the
present
moment
and


leave
the
past
behind.



Another
psychological
wound
involves
women
who
have
had
abortions,
as


well
 as
 the
 men
 involved
 in
 the
 relationship.
 
 In
 speaking
 with
 those
 who
 have


undergone
this
great
tragedy,
I
find
they
are
horrified
to
look
back
at
their
choice


to
 take
 the
 life
 of
 their
 child.
 
 This
 is
 another
 instance
 where
 emotions
 are


triggered
by
looking
back
at
the
past.

Abortion
causes
great
injury
to
psyche
as


they
struggle
to
relate
with
others
through
life.

When
they
seek
good
counsel,
it


31
appropriately
lets
them
understand
the
mercy
and
justice
of
God.

They
begin
to


overcome
their
psychological
wounds,
receive
healing,
and
find
hope
in
life
once


again





 Men
with
homosexual
tendencies
are
also
very
imaginative.

Because
of
a


lack
 of
 fatherhood,
 peer
 pressures
 or
 poor
 body
 image,
 many
 men
 fight
 to


maintain
their
true
sexual
identity.

If
a
father
fails
to
care
for
and
hold
his
son,
his


son
may
later
want
to
embrace
in
other
men
what
he
lacked
in
his
father.

This


will
be
a
constant
imaginative
struggle
as
he
goes
from
partner
to
partner
to
seek


what
he
never
received.

He
may
overly
compensate
for
a
perceived
weakness
of


body
image,
which
may
once
again
affect
his
relationships.

For
example,
a
young


man
may
have
been
taunted
about
his
build
from
a
young
age,
and
he
goes
to
the


extreme
to
remedy
the
weakness
in
his
self‐image
by
spending
hours
in
the
gym


lifting
weights.



 So
 many
 men
 and
 women
 are
 hurting
 from
 hardships
 which
 they
 could


avoid
 or
 lessen
 by
 gaining
 some
 control
 over
 their
 imagination.
 
 Although
 you


cannot
 control
 being
 physically
 attracted
 to
 someone,
 or
 change
 the
 fact
 that


you’ve
been
sexually
abused
or
are
dealing
with
a
homosexual
tendency,
you
can


help
 how
 much
 they
 impact
 your
 life
 through
 the
 imagination.
 
 
 Only
 you
 know


32
how
far
your
imagination
has
taken
you,
but
if
you
need
help
please
find
a
good


priest
or
counselor
to
lead
you
out
of
it.



33





Chapter
6:

Imagination,
Lust
and
Pornography



 A
 society
 that
 reduces
 itself
 to
 the
 level
 of
 pleasure
 is
 one
 that
 self‐

destructs
 very
 quickly.
 
 Epicureanism
 is
 an
 ideology
 where
 the
 end
 is
 pleasure.



We
 must
 recognize
 however
 that
 pleasure
 in
 itself
 is
 not
 bad.
 
 It
 becomes


problematic
 when
 your
 life
 becomes
 possessed
 with
 chasing
 one
 pleasure
 after


another.

Benjamin
Sharpiro,
in
his
book
Porn
Generation:
How
Social
Liberalism
Is


Corrupting
Our
Future,
says
that
“never
in
our
country’s
history
has
a
generation


been
 so
 empowered,
 so
 wealthy,
 so
 privileged
 and
 yet
 so
 empty.”


(http://www.drjudithreisman.com/
archives/2006/07/from_greatest_g.html)


American
society
very
much
focuses
on
overindulgence
in
pleasures.

Some


of
those
pleasures
most
easily
indulged
are
at
the
level
of
eating,
drinking,
body


sensations,
and
sex.


For
example,
there
is
nothing
wrong
with
having
a
piece
of


chocolate
cake,
but
if
you
eat
the
whole
cake
you
get
sick.

In
the
same
way,
you


might
 have
 a
 glass
 of
 wine,
 but
 to
 finish
 the
 whole
 bottle
 would
 be
 total


indulgence.
To
have
the
body
sensation
of
a
nice,
warm
shower
is
ok,
but
to
stay


in
 the
 shower
 for
 an
 hour
 will
 drown
 your
 senses:
 Sex
 within
 marriage
 is
 a


beautiful
 gift
 from
 God,
 but
 to
 demand
 sex
 simply
 because
 you
 want
 pleasure


34
lacks
respect,
misuses
something
good
and
kills
true
love.

To
paraphrase
the
late


Archbishop
Fulton
Sheen,
a
thing
is
good
when
it
fulfills
its
purpose;
a
thing
is
bad


when
it
does
not
fulfill
its
purpose.

A
pencil
used
to
write
fulfills
its
purpose
and


is
good,
but
used
as
a
can
opener,
it
fulfills
no
purpose
(Life
is
Worth
Living
Series,


Episode
#5,
“God
and
Evil
II”).


Pleasure,
 which
 can
 be
 a
 good
 thing,
 is
 also
 related
 to
 attraction,
 but


attraction
can
be
very
misunderstood
in
today’s
culture.

For
instance,
a
married


person
may
have
an
attraction
to
someone
besides
his
or
her
spouse,
even
at
the


sexual
level.

This
doesn’t
mean
they
should
pursue
an
extramarital
relationship.



First
and
foremost,
a
person
is
to
recognize
that
having
an
attraction
is
not
sinful


in
 itself.
 
 You
 can’t
 help
 being
 drawn
 toward
 someone;
 it’s
 natural.
 
 Attractions


should
never
be
negated;
that
would
be
an
error
within
you.

The
person
who
is


married
and
has
the
attraction
should
acknowledge
it
internally,
and
at
the
same


time,
 respect
 the
 vow
 of
 marriage
 to
 their
 spouse.
 
 In
 recognizing
 this,
 they


choose
not
to
feed
the
secondary
attraction.

For
example,
the
husband,
who
is


attracted
to
the
woman
who
he
sees
every
day
at
the
post
office
at
4
p.m.,
now


chooses
to
pick
up
his
mail
at
noon,
so
that
he
is
not
tempted.




Attraction
is
different
than
lust,
although
the
two
can
be
happening
at
the


same
 time.
 
 Where
 attraction
 is
 a
 pull
 from
 another
 person
 within
 the
 realm
 of


35
reason,
lust
objectifies
another
person
and
exceeds
reason.

Reason
is
the
power


to
 think
 rationally
 and
 logically,
 and
 is
 definitely
 needed
 when
 faced
 with
 an


attraction.

Being
attracted
to
another
is
seeing
the
good
qualities
in
another
that


you
admire.
This
 attraction
does
not
have
 to
be
sexual.
You
 may
 basically
 enjoy


the
 character
 or
 personality
 of
 someone
 you
 see
 regularly
 and
 share
 similar


experiences.
 
 Everyone
 has
 healthy
 attractions,
 but
 we
 must
 always
 be
 careful


that
our
attraction
is
not
lust.



Today
the
word
“lust”
is
used
in
everyday
language
as
if
it
were
something


acceptable.

Lust
is
very
imaginative.

St.
Isidore
said,
“A
lustful
man
is
one
who
is


debauched
with
pleasures.”

(Summa
Theologica,
Second
Part
of
the
Second
Part,


Question
153,
Article
1)

When
someone
lusts,
the
focus
is
pleasure
with
a
person,


food
 or
 drink.
 
 This
 happens
 when
 someone
 both
 sees
 an
 object
 of
 their
 desire


and
is
very
easily
tempted
to
indulge
in
it.

They
have
allowed
their
imagination
to


objectify
 the
 thing
 they
 want,
 like
 when
 men
 undress
 women
 with
 their
 eyes.


When
 people
 lust,
 they
 exceed
 the
 order
 of
 reason,
 allowing
 the
 movement
 of


lust
 to
 overcome
 them.
 
 In
 our
 overly‐sexualized
 culture
 they
 selfishly
 look
 only


for
pleasure.




Lustful
 imaginations
 take
 on
 a
 whole
 new
 meaning
 today
 with
 the
 ever‐

growing
use
of
pornography.

The
statistics
on
pornography
and
its
effects
on
the


36
human
 person
 are
 staggering.
 
 The
 internet
 is
 one
 of
 the
 fastest
 growing
 places


for
sexual
addicts.

It
is
readily
available,
and
a
place
to
surf
alone
with
an
endless


mix
of
fantasy
websites.

In
2006,
40
percent
of
the
adult
male
population
in
the


United
Kingdom
logged
on
to
sex
websites,
four
times
as
many
as
in
2000.

About


1.4
 million
 women
 downloaded
 internet
 porn
 in
 that
 time,
 which
 represents
 an


increase
of
30
percent.

It
is
not
surprising
that
40
percent
of
couples
with
marital


difficulties
say
internet
pornography
is
at
least
partly
to
blame

(Cardinal
George


Pell
 –
 Catholic
 Archdiocese
 of
 Sydney


http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/Archbishop/STC/2006/200679_
519.shtml).






 America
 is
 also
 dealing
 with
 an
 invasion
 of
 pornographic
 materials.
 
 What


began
with
the
sexual
revolution
was
a
whole
generation
of
men
who
secretively


stashed
 pornography
 in
 the
 house
 where
 inquisitive
 children
 found
 it
 later;
 and


generation
by
generation,
the
problem
has
compounded
itself.

Today,
many
look


upon
 pornography
 as
 something
 that’s
 cool.
 
 College
 students
 make
 money
 as


porn
 stars,
 and
 adults
 join
 chat
 rooms
 where
 people
 are
 exposing
 themselves


sexually.

It
has
become
so
“acceptable”
and
sick
that
I
once
heard
of
a
father
who


took
the
pornographic
magazine
in
which
his
daughter
had
posed
for
his
friends


to
see,
as
though
he
was
proud
of
what
she
was
doing.

Even
the
poor
trucker
on


the
interstate
is
drawn
in
by
adult
book
and
video
stores
strategically
placed
every


37
few
hundred
miles.

People
must
see
its
harmful
effects
and
work
to
shut
it
out


and
shut
it
down.


There
is
an
epidemic
of
thousands
of
people
who
surf
the
internet
at
home


and
work
for
pornography.

This
is
a
habit
that
will
not
be
easily
broken!

Many


people
consider
the
addiction
to
pornography
harder
to
overcome
than
drugs
or


alcohol.

Underneath
much
of
this
addiction
is
a
craving
for
love
and
affection
that


is
 often
 connected
 to
 a
 radically
 disordered
 and
 unhappy
 childhood.
 
 To
 seek
 a


sexual
high
strictly
from
images
is
an
escape
from
reality
that
is
often
a
result
of


loneliness,
discontent,
or
a
lack
of
love.





 There
is
a
denial
about
the
effects
of
pornography.

Some
married
couples


are
 exploring
 it,
 believing
 that
 it
 will
 enhance
 their
 sex
 life.
 
 In
 reality,
 since


pornography
 is
 not
 real,
 people
 who
 expose
 themselves
 to
 it
 are
 duped
 by
 an


image
that
they
will
never
experience,
except
in
their
imaginations.

Besides
the


fact
 that
 we
 realize
 many
 of
 the
 images
 are
 manipulated
 or
 airbrushed,
 feeding


oneself
 with
 a
 constant
 diet
 of
 unreal
 images
 will
 only
 cause
 comparisons
 to


reality.

For
example,
when
a
husband
looks
at
pornography,
he
can
find
the
most


beautiful,
perfect
looking
woman
in
the
click
of
an
image,
versus
returning
to
his


own
 wife
 who,
 though
 beautiful
 in
 her
 own
 way,
 will
 never
 match
 what
 he
 saw


38
when
looking
at
porn.

It
actually
keeps
him
from
seeing
the
beauty
in
his
wife’s


soul.



Experts
agree
that
pornography
disorders
our
psyche.

Dr.
Victor
Cline,
an


experienced
 sexual
 therapist,
 notes
 that
 “any
 individual
 who
 regularly


masturbates
 to
 pornography
 is
 at
 risk
 of
 becoming,
 in
 time,
 a
 sexual
 addict,
 as


well
as
conditioning
himself
into
having
a
sexual
deviancy…a
frequent
side
effect


[of
pornography]
is
that
it
also
dramatically
reduces
their
capacity
to
love.

Their


sexual
 side
 becomes,
 in
 a
 sense,
 dehumanized”
 
 (Dr.
 Victor
 Cline,


http://www.morialityinmedia.org/pornsEffects/clineart.htm,
 Pornography’s


Effects
on
Adults
and
Children).

Benjamin
Shapiro
expresses
it
well:
“Pornography


was
 never
 about
 sex.

 It
 was
 always
 about
 emasculating
 men
 and
 neuro‐

chemically
 linking
 sexual
 lust
 with
 shame,
 fear,
 violence
 and


degradation…Pornography
 will
 not
 go
 away
 unless
 we
 treat
 it
 like
 an


environmental
 toxin”


(http://www.drjudithreisman.com/archives/2006/07/from_greatest_g.html).


39
















Chapter
7:

Allowing
God
To
Help
Purify
Our
Imagination



 Finally
we
recognize
the
problems
of
being
stuck
in
our
imaginative
culture,


and
it
requires
we
enter
a
time
of
purification.
The
purification
of
the
imagination


is
one
that
will
take
some
interior
reflection.

This
process
of
purifying
the
interior


images
 is
 one
 that
 does
 not
 come
 instantly.
 
 If
 people
 have
 conditioned


themselves
with
overly
imaginative
media,
it
will
take
a
good
amount
of
time
to


begin
to
face
what’s
in
front
of
them.

Let’s
be
honest;
purifying
the
imagination
is


no
easy
task.



 Where
did
this
original
chaos
come
from?

Once
again,
we
know
that
with


the
fall
of
Adam
and
Eve,
sin
entered
in
and
brought
about
a
disorder
in
human


nature.
 
 That
 included
 a
 disorder
 in
 our
 imagination
 and
 passions.
 
 Christ


recognized
that
we
poor
humans
needed
some
assistance
to
reorder
and
put
back


together
 what
 was
 broken.
 
 Grace,
 which
 is
 given
 at
 baptism,
 now
 helps
 our


nature
to
find
God
and
reclaim
order.

To
be
clear,
grace
does
not
do
away
with


nature.

If
our
nature
has
been
conditioned
for
20
years
with
an
imagination
full


of
harmful
images,
grace
will
not
necessarily
be
an
immediate
antidote
to
change.



However,
grace
will
work
with
our
nature
to
transform
and
bring
about
good.




40

 Now
if
we
are
to
dispose
ourselves
to
the
grace
God
wants
to
give,
beyond


baptism,
we
need
to
spend
time
with
Him.

There
are
several
ways
we
can
begin


to
build
a
strong
relationship
with
the
One
who
loves
us
the
most.

We
can
learn


to
understand
His
presence,
and
in
His
presence,
adore
Him,
and
hear
God’s
word


spoken
to
us.



 There
 are
 three
 presences
 in
 which
 God
 comes
 to
 us.
 
 The
 first
 is


Omnipresence.
 
 This
 is
 a
 big
 word,
 but
 it
 simply
 means
 that
 God
 is
 above
 us,


around
us,
behind
us
and
beside
us.

God
is
everywhere.

The
second
presence
is


Sacramental
 Presence.
 
 God
 gives
 of
 Himself
 through
 the
 seven
 sacraments.
 
 A


sacrament
is
a
means,
instituted
by
Christ,
in
order
to
give
us
grace.

He
is
present


in
the
Most
Holy
Sacrament
of
the
Eucharist;
He
gives
us
the
Holy
Spirit
through


baptism;
He
washes
away
our
sins
in
the
sacrament
of
reconciliation;
He
seals
the


Holy
Spirit
within
us
in
the
sacrament
of
confirmation;
He
bonds
the
love
between


a
man
and
a
woman
in
the
sacrament
of
marriage;
He
marks
the
soul
of
a
priest


to
shepherd
His
flock
through
the
sacrament
of
holy
orders;
and
He
anoints
the


sick,
to
heal
them
and
prepare
them
for
their
heavenly
journey
in
the
sacrament


of
the
anointing
of
the
sick.

The
third
presence
is
Sanctifying
Presence.

After
the


sacraments
have
been
given,
there
is
a
grace
that
remains.

This
presence
of
God


helps
us
to
grow
in
goodness
and
truth.




41

 In
order
to
be
present
to
Him,
we
have
to
keep
choosing
Him
throughout


the
day.

To
be
present
to
Christ
is
to
be
consciously
aware
of
His
presence
within


and
around
us.

Our
ability
to
make
that
choice
is
different
from
an
animal
that


functions
 by
 instincts.
 
 The
 chimpanzee
 can
 scratch
 his
 head
 and
 eat
 out
 of


instinct,
 and
 so
 can
 we.
 
 What
 makes
 us
 superior
 as
 humans
 is
 that
 we
 can


consciously
be
aware
that
we
honor
God
by
acknowledging
Him
in
every
aspect
of


our
day.




 We
also
begin
to
purify
our
minds
by
asking
God,
who
is
all
pure,
to
help
us,


as
we
offer
our
imagination
to
Him
to
be
cleaned
up.

We
join
His
presence
and


honor
Him
by
adoring
Him.

We
can
adore
Him
in
His
Omnipresence
wherever
we


are.

We
might
adore
Him
on
a
mountain,
on
our
way
to
work,
in
our
homes,
or
at


school
–
anywhere.

It
is
good
to
set
aside
little
times
throughout
the
day
when


we
stop
and
put
God
first
through
an
act
of
adoration.

Maybe
we
stop
and
kneel,


wherever
 we
 are,
 and
 say
 to
 God,
 “Lord,
 you
 are
 Creator,
 and
 I
 am
 creature.



Please
help
me!

I
want
to
love
You
more,
believe
in
You
more,
and
hope
in
You


more.”
 
 Then
 we
 follow
 with
 a
 few
 moments
 of
 silence,
 listening
 to
 Him
 in
 His


presence.
 
 I
 have
 often
 been
 told
 that
 Fr.
 Dominic
 Philippe,
 the
 founder
 of
 the


Community
 of
 Saint
 John
 said,
 “It
 is
 good
 to
 make
 a
 habit
 of
 seven
 acts
 of


adoration
throughout
the
day.”


42

 There
is
also
a
much
more
personal
way
to
adore
God.

It
involves
spending


time
 with
 God
 in
 His
 second
 presence,
 the
 Holy
 Eucharist,
 as
 He
 comes
 to
 us
 in


the
form
of
bread
consecrated
by
a
priest.

When
a
person
goes
before
God
in
the


Holy
 Eucharist,
 they
 learn
 to
 adore
 through
 a
 certain
 disposition
 of
 body,
 mind


and
 soul.
 
 Prostration
 has
 traditionally
 been
 a
 posture
 where
 a
 person
 is
 face


down,
praying
before
God.

However,
giving
God
your
time
and
attention
in
any


prayerful
posture
is
also
a
good
form
of
adoration.

The
adorer
disposes
himself
to


God
 in
 mind
 and
 soul
 by
 entering
 silent
 prayer.
 
 It
 is
 here
 where
 he
 finds
 God’s


plan
 for
 him.
 
 He
 listens.
 He
 speaks
 to
 God
 about
 life’s
 struggles
 and
 joys
 and


discovers
 something
 new
 at
 the
 level
 of
 love.
 The
 adorer
 offers
 his
 imagination


before
God
and
seeks
help
in
purification.




It
is
through
offering
up
our
imagination,
that
God,
in
His
good
timing,
will


begin
 to
 purify
 it,
 and
 bring
 it
 more
 to
 truth.
 
 When
 a
 person
 offers
 their


imagination
 they
 interiorly
 ask
 for
 God’s
 help
 in
 a
 humble
 surrender,


acknowledging
that
God
alone
can
purify
what
man
cannot.

When
you
are
unable


to
stop
your
imagination
in
prayer,
you
say,
“God
I
am
unable
to
stay
focused
at


this
time.

I
give
you
my
imagination,
please
help
me.”





 Reading
scripture
is
also
a
purification
for
our
imagination.

“Keep
my
eyes


from
what
is
false;
by
your
word,
give
me
life”
(Psalm
119:37).

If
we
truly
want
to


43
live
in
truth
and
have
our
imaginations
more
centered
on
what
is
in
front
of
us,


rather
than
on
drama
and
fantasy,
we
should
strive
to
read
the
word
of
God
on
a


daily
basis.
Reading
scripture
is
much
better
for
us
than
other
books
and
reading


materials
because
it
specifically
feeds
our
faith
and
speaks
to
our
spirit.
It
gives
us


a
 grace
 to
 know
 the
 truth,
 purify
 our
 heart,
 mind
 and
 soul,
 and
 overcome


disorders.
 
 It
 is
 a
 great
 sign
 of
 hope
 for
 people
 who
 may
 be
 struggling
 with


loneliness
and
despair.

It
is
highly
recommended
to
keep
the
Bible
close
to
you


and
to
desire
to
read
it
throughout
each
day.

Adoration
and
the
word
of
God
are


closely
 connected.
 Where
 in
 adoration
 you
 face
 God
 silently
 in
 His
 Presence,


through
the
word
of
God,
you
listen
to
Him
speak
to
you.



 A
much
more
complicated
way
of
purifying
the
imagination
comes
through


the
 study
 of
 philosophy.
 
 Studying
 the
 philosopher
 Aristotle
 will
 keep
 you


grounded
in
reality.

In
a
sense,
much
of
this
book
has
been
based
on
philosophy.



What
is
philosophy?

Philosophy
is
the
study
of
the
human
person.

When
we
take


apart
the
various
levels
of
how
a
human
person
functions,
from
body
to
soul,
we


begin
 to
 see
 how
 the
 human
 imagination
 works
 within
 us.
 
 This
 is
 the
 good
 of


philosophy,
as
we
discover
through
reason
the
intricacies
of
man,
separate
from


faith.

The
purpose
of
this
philosophy
helps
someone
to
be
able
to
share
certain


44
human
 truths
 with
 those
 who
 may
 not
 yet
 understand
 the
 love
 of
 God
 and
 the


workings
of
the
imagination.


Imagination
is
better
understood
when
a
person
studies
good
philosophy.



It
is
there
we
find
how
the
imagination
affects
us
in
our
human
lives.

I
find
it
very


interesting
that
for
thousands
of
years
philosophy
has
been
around
in
the


university
and
educational
setting.

People
actually
learned
how
to
know


themselves
better,
and
know
themselves
in
truth.

They
learned
how
to
ask


questions.
Yet,
in
recent
times,
philosophy
has
been
poorly
taught,
or
completely


left
out
of
our
college
classrooms.

This
void
in
the
lives
of
our
young
people
today


leaves
them
more
susceptible
to
the
whims
of
the
imagination.



 


Sometimes
your
imagination
overwhelms
you.
It
can
cause
you
to
become


physically
sick
because
you
can’t
seem
to
get
away
from
the
image
that
brings
this


unhappiness
or
distress.

While
we
will
continue
to
discuss
other
helpful
points
to


overcoming
this
imaginative
paralysis,
it
will
sometimes
only
pass
with
time
as


you
begin
to
face
what
comes
next
in
life.

Therefore,
you
need
to
have
the
virtue


of
perseverance
to
hold
on
until
your
stress
lifts
and
you
return
to
sensing
life
in
a


peaceful
manner.

 


45



















Chapter
8:

The
Ongoing
Battle
For
Purification



 I
 should
 mention
 that
 before
 any
 battle
 can
 be
 waged
 against
 your


imagination,
you
must
first
commit
to
being
a
person
of
prayer.

No
progress
can


be
made
without
God’s
grace
working
in
us.

With
this
in
mind,
the
first
practical


consideration
 is
 to
 understand
 the
 various
 ways
 in
 which
 you
 are
 stuck
 in
 the


imagination.

Awareness
is
the
first
step
in
overcoming
it.

How
often
do
you
catch


yourself
 daydreaming,
 while
 failing
 to
 face
 your
 daily
 experiences?
 
 When
 you


first
become
aware
of
this
tendency,
you
may
find
yourself
extremely
frustrated


with
 how
 often
 you
 are
 not
 present
 to
 reality.
 
 Remember,
 it’s
 not
 about


controlling
your
imagination;
you
have
no
control
over
it.

It
does
what
it
wants,


but
 we
 can
 help
 it
 remain
 in
 the
 present
 moment
 by
 disposing
 ourselves
 to
 the


purification
process.





 Then
once
you
are
aware,
try
to
direct
your
imagination
back
to
the
present


moment.
 
 You
 will
 need
 to
 realize
 all
 the
 types
 of
 imaginative
 media
 all
 around


you.
 
 Now,
 here’s
 the
 hard
 news:
 
 Turn
 off
 your
 television,
 limit
 your
 computer


use
to
functional
uses
only
–
email,
business,
word
processing,
or
necessary
news;


scan
 your
 video
 library
 and
 get
 rid
 of
 any
 movies
 that
 harm
 your
 imagination.


Let’s
not
be
like
some
of
the
adults
who
say
that
one
sex
scene
within
the
movie


46
is
not
going
to
be
a
big
deal.

Let’s
be
honest;
if
you
see
a
sex
scene
in
the
movie,


your
eyes
have
 visually
snapped
the
photo.

It’s
in
your
memory,
and
sooner
or


later
it
will
cause
you
to
love
less
or
sin.


In
the
words
of
Stephen
Arterburn
and


Fred
Stoeker
in
Every
Young
Man’s
Battle,
“…the
mind
can
still
create
its
own
lust


objects
using
memories
of
videos
or
by
generating
fantasies…
–
at
least
with
your


eyes
under
control
you
won’t
be
overwhelmed
by
a
continuing
flood
of
fresh
lust


objects
as
you
struggle
to
learn
to
control
your
mind.”





 Now
 that
 you’ve
 gotten
 rid
 of
 distractions,
 enter
 the
 interior
 boot
 camp.


You
 must
 learn
 to
 train
 your
 eyes
 so
 that
 you
 protect
 your
 imagination.
 
 Some


traditions
 would
 call
 it
 guarding
 your
 eyes;
 however,
 Arterburn
 and
 Stoeker


introduce
the
term
“bouncing
the
eyes,”
and
present
this
practical
wisdom:





“In
the
past,
your
eyes
have
always
bounced
toward
the
sexual
and

not
away
from
it.

To
combat
years
and
years
of
this
reflexive
action,

you
 need
 to
 train
 your
 eyes
 to
 immediately
 bounce
 away
 when
 it

comes
 upon
 a
 sexy
 image
 –
 much
 like
 the
 way
 you
 jerk
 your
 hand

away
from
a
hot
stove.

Here
it
is
in
a
nutshell:





When
 your
 eyes
 bounce
 toward
 a
 woman’s
 attributes,

they
must
bounce
away
immediately.






But
why
must
the
bounce
be
immediate?

One
might
argue
that
a

glance
is
just
a
glance.

A
glance
doesn’t
linger.





Granted,
 a
 glance
 is
 different
 from
 staring
 open‐mouthed
 until

drool
pools
at
your
feet,
but
a
glance
can
be
more
than
enough
‘eye

juice’
 to
 give
 you
 that
 little
 chemical
 high,
 that
 little
 pop.
 
 In
 our

experience,
 bouncing
 away
 immediately
 is
 clean
 and
 easy
 for
 the


47
 mind
to
understand
and
doesn’t
give
the
mind
wiggle
room
to
‘lock

and
load.’”

Bouncing
the
eyes
then
is
a
habit
that
should
be
developed
not
only
in
men,
but


also
 in
 women.
 
 Our
 culture
 today
 provides
 too
 many
 instances
 of
 immodesty,


seductive
 images
 and
 other
 enticements;
 therefore,
 it
 is
 key
 for
 people
 to
 have


strategies
in
place
within
themselves
to
counter
the
times
of
temptation.




 Another
consideration
in
purification
is
the
struggle
people
have
today
with


looking
at
themselves
too
much.

Some
religious
orders
have
even
made
it
a
point


to
limit
full‐length
mirrors
to
avoid
that
temptation.

Why?

Are
you
familiar
with


the
mythological
story
of
Narcissus?

He
was
a
handsome
man,
who
fell
so
in
love


with
himself
that
he
could
not
look
away
from
his
own
reflection.

In
the
end,
he


looked
so
intently
at
his
reflection
in
the
lake,
that
he
fell
in
and
drowned.




Very
often,
when
people
look
at
themselves
in
full‐length
mirrors,
they
can


become
too
reflexive
and
selfish.

It
can
even
lead
to
sickness.

For
example,
how


many
young
girls
who
are
anorexic
look
in
the
mirror
and
still
see
themselves
as


fat?

Or
how
many
young
people
pride
themselves
on
beauty
and
looks,
spending


hours
 primping?
 
 God
 desires
 we
 accept
 what
 he
 created
 in
 us,
 but
 looking
 at


yourself
 too
 much
 can
 confuse
 you.
 
 Do
 what
 is
 necessary
 to
 stay
 neat
 or
 well‐

groomed,
but
don’t
become
narcissistic
lest
you
fall
into
the
mirror
and
lose
sight


of
reality.


48

 This
 inward
 gazing,
 called
 narcissism,
 can
 sometimes
 cause
 us
 to
 over‐

identify
with
the
images
that
happen
within.

We
may
think
we’re
bad,
because


we
have
some
bad
thoughts.

A
heterosexual
man,
who
has
a
homosexual
dream,


may
begin
to
panic
into
identifying
with
the
images.

This
often
has
nothing
to
do


with
 the
 truth
 of
 the
 person
 within.
 
 We
 cannot
 control
 our
 thoughts.
 
 Our


thoughts,
 because
 of
 original
 sin,
 are
 disordered.
 
 Therefore,
 we
 shouldn’t
 give


any
 attention
 to
 thoughts
 such
 as
 these
 that
 may
 cause
 further
 stress.
 
 For


instance,
 the
 man
 in
 this
 scenario
 could
 react
 in
 several
 ways
 by
 having
 over‐

identified
with
the
image.

He
may
have
internal
anxiety;
he
may
begin
to
think
he


has
 a
 homosexual
 tendency;
 he
 may
 seek
 out
 many
 women
 to
 prove
 his


masculine
identity;
or
he
may
look
at
it
more
realistically
and
realize
it’s
nothing.



 People
 who
 have
 panic
 attacks
 or
 great
 fears
 have
 dealt
 with
 a
 very


imaginative
 inward
 look.
 
 It
 is
 important
 to
 recognize
 that
 they
 are
 looking
 at


themselves
 too
 much.
 They
 must
 make
 a
 real
 effort
 to
 break
 this
 cycle
 by


beginning
to
think
of
other
people
and
their
needs.

They
can
offer
their
time
at


some
 charitable
 organization
 where
 they
 serve
 the
 poor
 or
 needy.
 
 Sometimes


this
 can
 change
 the
 situation
 from
 being
 paralyzed
 by
 navel‐gazing.
 
 When
 they


begin
to
think
and
take
action
to
help
others
they
have
found
the
key
to
a
greater


49
peace,
especially
when
they
find
out
that
other
people
may
have
problems
many


times
greater
than
their
own.



 A
point
to
remember
in
all
of
this
is
that
there
is
good
imagination,
and
we


must
 nurture
 it.
 
 An
 artist
 can
 creatively
 paint
 a
 picture
 that
 will
 raise
 the


imagination
 to
 goodness.
 
 Similarly
 when
 someone
 takes
 a
 look
 at
 a
 beautiful


statue,
stained
glass
window
or
icon
it
raises
the
mind
to
think
of
God,
who
is
all


Good.

The
good
images
are
a
bridge
God
can
use
to
help
us
sense
Him.





 In
 order
 to
 maintain
 good
 imagination,
 be
 careful
 not
 to
 have
 too
 much


free
time;
it
can
very
much
be
the
devil’s
workshop
for
the
imagination.

Pray
and


make
changes
in
these
areas,
so
that
you
can
be
freed
of
addictions
or
a
life
that


is
always
looking
for
the
next
image.

Allow
the
Holy
Spirit
to
lead
you
in
your
life,


and
 help
 you
 live
 these
 practical
 truths
 that
 will
 bring
 about
 a
 certain
 level
 of


peace
in
facing
the
real.


50


Chapter
9:

Facing
Reality
in
the
Present
Moment



 When
 a
 person
 begins
 to
 recognize
 that
 they
 should
 face
 reality,
 it
 is


important
to
realize
that
God
is
experienced
in
the
present
moment.

If
someone


is
 caught
 in
 the
 imagination,
 they
 are
 not
 present
 to
 God.
 
 If
 you
 have
 a
 good


friend
who
is
speaking
with
you,
and
you
are
dreaming
about
winning
the
lottery,


you
cannot
be
present
to
him;
you
are
present
to
your
dream
instead.

It
is
then
a


constant
 struggle
 to
 develop
 a
 life
 where
 we
 maintain
 staying
 in
 the
 present


moment.
 
 The
 past
 is
 gone,
 and
 the
 future
 is
 uncertain.
 
 Yet
 in
 the
 present


moment
 we
 make
 a
 choice‐‐
 to
 face
 the
 reality
 of
 God,
 or
 turn
 away
 from
 Him.



The
 present
 moment,
 then,
 becomes
 the
 place
 where
 we
 grow
 fastest
 in
 our


faith.

This
is
where
we
need
to
stay.



 There
 are
 many
 ways
 we
 can
 learn
 to
 stay
 in
 the
 present
 moment.
 
 As


we’ve
already
discussed,
praying
to
God
will
be
a
means
to
help
us
overcome
our


overly
 imaginative
 mind.
 
 This
 also
 includes
 calling
 upon
 the
 presence
 of
 the


Mother
of
God
to
intercede
and
pray
for
our
clarity
of
thought.

By
these
means


we
 storm
 heaven
 in
 order
 to
 stay
 facing
 what
 is
 in
 front
 of
 us.
 
 We
 understand


that
 God
 gives
 us
 the
 faculties
 within
 our
 bodies
 to
 work
 with
 Him;
 He
 doesn’t


come
down
and
tie
our
shoes,
but
gives
us
the
ability
to
tie
them
ourselves.

As


51
humans
 we
 must
 understand
 that
 we
 are
 made
 up
 of
 intelligence,
 will,
 a
 body


with
senses,
memory,
and
an
imagination.



 We
can
therefore
use
our
bodies
to
help
us
stay
in
the
present
moment.

If


you
are
stuck
with
an
imaginative
image
in
your
mind
and
can’t
shake
it,
besides


praying,
use
your
body
to
bring
yourself
back
into
reality.

Get
up
and
throw
some


cold
water
in
your
face;
change
your
location
to
move
the
image
out;
take
a
walk


in
the
park;
grab
the
wool
of
your
blanket.

Somehow
use
your
senses
to
snap
out


of
it;
or
talk
to
yourself,
and
say,
“Self,
you’re
in
the
present
moment
with
God
–


I’m
not
going
to
look
at
this
image!”





 Why
 is
 it
 so
 important
 to
 understand
 the
 whole
 aspect
 of
 facing
 reality?



Because
 we
 begin
 to
 live
 a
 life
 that
 is
 more
 in
 sync
 with
 our
 nature
 as
 God


intended
it.

God’s
ways
are
not
our
ways.

Reality
does
not
move
as
fast
as
the


images
 on
 television.
 
 Take
 some
 time
 sitting
 on
 a
 mountaintop
 where
 all
 you


hear
 are
 the
 crickets,
 a
 soft
 breeze,
 and
 birds
 chirping
 in
 a
 natural
 rhythm.
 
 We


should
 all
 seek
 these
 places.
 
 It
 is
 important
 to
 get
 away
 from
 the
 man‐made


buildings
of
the
city
to
seek
the
creation
made
by
God
–
whether
the
mountains,
a


forest
 preserve,
 the
 seashore,
 or
 wherever.
 
 God
 created
 the
 natural
 wonders,


and
it
is
there
we
can
experience
reality
at
God’s
speed
with
the
peace
that
is
free


from
the
noise
of
our
imaginations.





52

 It
 is
 when
 we
 slow
 our
 internal
 pace
 to
 match
 that
 of
 nature
 that
 we
 are


most
in
tune
with
reality.

It
is
in
that
reality,
that
present
moment,

that
we
are
in


truth.
 
 Every
 time
 we
 go
 into
 the
 past,
 we
 are
 outside
 of
 truth.
 Every
 time
 we


worry
about
the
future,
we
are
outside
of
truth.
When
we
sit
down
in
front
of
the


television,
we
are
outside
of
truth.

We
are
only
in
truth
when
we
face
what
is
in


front
of
us
–
that
which
is.

It
is
not
so
easy
to
discipline
ourselves
to
stay
in
the


present,
but
with
consistent
training
and
hard
work,
we
can
certainly
improve
on


our
 ability
 to
 resist
 the
 temptation
 to
 just
 let
 our
 imagination
 wander
 where
 it


will.





 Certain
 conditions
 of
 the
 mind
 and
 body
 can
 make
 us
 susceptible
 to


imaginative
 temptations.
 
 Take
 care
 of
 your
 current
 basic
 needs;
 fatigue,


exhaustion,
hunger,
or
sickness
can
cause
the
imagination
to
go
wild.

Remember


the
old
adage,
HALT:

if
you
are
Hungry,
Angry,
Lonely
or
Tired,

you
will
be
weak


to
resist
what
the
devil
throws
your
way.

It
would
do
a
person
good
to
get
some


rest,
eat
a
bite,
reach
out
to
others,
and
settle
his
 anger.
Otherwise,
with
these


temptations,
we
can
very
much
run
the
risk
of
a
great
battle
in
the
imagination.




This
 journey
 that
 we
 face
 in
 our
 lives
 is
 sometimes
 a
 difficult
 one,
 and
 it


involves
a
great
labor
of
love
to
educate
ourselves
so
as
to
overcome
our
internal


storms.

We
must
realize
that
this
world
will
not
last
forever,
and
our
bodies
are


53
constantly
changing
as
we
age.

Still,
understanding
the
imagination
and
purifying


it
is
something
we
should
all
desire
to
do
and
pass
along
to
a
whole
generation
of


younger
 people
 who
 are
 constantly
 fed
 a
 banquet
 of
 confusing
 images.
 
 In
 the


end,
all
that
is
of
the
world
will
pass,
and
only
the
Kingdom
of
God
will
remain.

St.


John
 says
 it
 best
 in
 1
 John
 2:16,
 “For
 all
 that
 is
 in
 the
 world,
 sensual
 lust,


enticement
for
the
eyes
and
a
pretentious
life,
is
not
from
the
Father,
but
is
from


the
world.

Yet
the
world
and
its
enticements
are
passing
away.
But
whoever
does


the
will
of
God
remains
forever.”




54