Our Private Thoughts Part 2
August 19, 2025
Our Private Thoughts Part 2
Fantasies are like private movies that play in our minds, often offering some form of emotional gratification. We rarely share them because they might invite misunderstanding, judgment, or even rejection.
Some fantasies do not align with how we present ourselves to the world. They may contradict our stated values, beliefs, or personality. So, we fear that if others knew our private thoughts, they would see us as inconsistent, hypocritical, weird, or deviant.
Not all fantasies are pleasant. Some are dark or disturbing. We might picture a situation we hope never happens. So why imagine it at all? The ego uses negative fantasies as a form of preparation. If we see it coming, the mind reasons that it will not catch us off guard. Such fantasies help us to brace for what might be coming. In this way, even negative fantasies offer a strange kind of comfort or control.
But whatever their form, hopeful or fearful, we have the right to our fantasies. Like dreams, they serve a purpose. They give shape to unspoken emotions, unexpressed desires, and unresolved tensions. They help us discharge energy that might otherwise become emotional blockage.
For instance, it is common to fantasize about confronting someone after a conflict. You may never say those words aloud, but the fantasy allows a release of frustration. For example, a worker might imagine giving their supervisor a piece of their mind after being unfairly treated. The fantasy offers a release of anger and helps recalibrate the emotions. Then there are letters written that are never mailed. They release a lot of pent-up positive or negative emotion.
In some cases, fantasies can be the first step toward making something we hope for to happen. By imagining an outcome, we mentally prepare for it. In this way, fantasy aligns with the Law of Attraction: what we focus on, in part, we invite.
Fantasies also awaken creativity. Like an artist making the first strokes on a canvas, we do not always know where the image is going—but the act of imagining opens the way. Many great inventions, relationships, and spiritual awakenings began with a single fantasy about what may be possible.
Of course, fantasies can become harmful if driven by the passions such as envy, vengeance, cowardice, deceit, gluttony, lust, etc. Fantasy acts as fuel for acting out the passions. For instance, in certain mental illnesses, the line between imagination and reality can blur. Delusions, paranoia, or projections may emerge, and the person behaves as if their imagined world were true. In these cases, fantasy loses its healthy function and can lead to confusion and suffering.
As seekers of higher consciousness, we aim to become more transparent with ourselves. We do not shame ourselves for fantasizing. Like dreams, fantasies are part of the human experience. But if fantasies become repetitive, disturbing, or intrusive, they deserve our attention. Speaking about repetitive disturbing fantasies with a trusted person can help us uncover their deeper roots and begin to heal them.
Fantasy can be a spiritually creative activity. For example, imagining ourselves held in the arms of the Divine can remind us that we are supported by a higher power. Fantasizing having a conversation with God can spur on a real dialogue. Imagining the divine light or the energy of Mother Earth filling us may be a simulation, but they may lead us to experience these as real.
Spiritual practice: What spiritual quality do you long to embody, such as peace, compassion, or courage? Begin to visualize it. Let your imagination create the space for it to become real in your life.
Self-inquiry: How have your fantasies served you? What have they revealed about your desires, fears, or inner world?
Dear God, May we picture a world of peace. And let that vision guide our steps. Amen.
