Our universe is very vast and mysterious. From the beginning of civilization, we were searching for it’s beginning and evolution. In quest of finding the answers to these ultimate questions, we have stumbled upon various laws of universe. At first, most people considered these laws to be the natural way of being, while a few did study it a little deeper to formulate a set of equations to represent them and use it in future studies. And thus, our knowledge of this universe increased slowly, but steadily. By now, we all, old and young know that these laws are universal laws that can’t be violated.
But, as children we first listen to stories, especially fantasy stories by our grand parents. They play an important role in developing the imagination & creativity of children. Children fantasize about magical kingdoms and princes and their adventures. But, when we go to school and slowly learns about the real nature of universe around us, we won’t be able to digest the plain fact quickly. Our dreams of being the warrior prince who will save the beautiful princess from the evil witch’s prison, fighting the dragons and all gets shattered and lost forever.
As we mature into adolescence and youth we won’t repent of our long lost dream anymore. But, in every man or woman, there is a child who loves fantasies, and who fantasizes. It is evident from the fact that, we all secretly wish for some of our fantasies to be true, even when we know that it is most impossible. No one can deny it, for we all have, at some point or other in our life, wished for some supernatural event to happen. We all love fantasy stories and movies and wish we were actually in it. Though the child in us wish vehemently for fantasies to happen, they won’t usually happen.
Well, let me make one thing clear at this point. By the word fantasy, I mean only such acts that require violating one or more of the established laws of physics. For example: vanishing; angels or fairies, who will obey all our commands etc. Acts that are seemingly supernatural in nature like miraculous escape during accidents, etc are not included in the fantasy category.
More than once in our lives, we all would’ve wished for some magic to happen, that is strictly impossible. Our rational mind knows the truth. Yet, it’s impossible for us to restrain ourselves from such childish behaviour. As soon as we are in some difficult situation, our rational mind stops working. We can’t think straight. Or, we don’t think. We hope. Our childhood memories and fantasies are relived. We wish those memories to come true. We become a child again.
The reason for this behaviour may be because we were first taught about the magical world, where everything is possible. The mind of a child is like molten wax. As we age, it hardens. So, the first impressions on a child’s mind will always stay with him. We can’t just shake them off. They are to stay with us forever.
But, it is not a good idea to teach the children only about the universal truths and avoid any contact with fantasy stories, till they are mature enough. As I’ve pointed out earlier, fantasies play a very important role in the emotional development of a child. Sacrificing the emotional development of the child for the sake of intellectual development is foolishness. Moreover, for a happy, peaceful and meaningful life, we need to be emotionally strong. It is also the prerequisite for a good society.
There’s nothing wrong in hoping for fantasies, because hope can actually make these dreams come true (though in a real and rational way). We can still dream of those magical kingdoms and lands far, far away, where everything is possible. They prove that we are still a child at heart, that we have some goodness left in us. Let us all dream of a better and peaceful world, where everything is nothing but goodness. Now, we can join hands to realize this fantastic dream.