What is Mission? - Mission 3

Scientists call these new cells “imaginal” because they are the cells that form the butterfly.  They are the “imagination” of a future reality, the butterfly. These imaginal cells come together and form the tissue, organ,, and ultimately the organism we call the butterfly.

Similarly the transformation of any struggling society (the “worm”) begins with “imaginal individuals”. These individuals already embody the future in their present deeds and initiatives. The future form of a sustainable society starts becoming a reality in the present when these “imaginals” act on and implement an image of the future and then organize and form networks with other imaginal individuals to turn this positive image of the future into reality and transform the ecological, cultural, economic, and political life of the country.
The movement has incorporated “Imaginal” in its name to emphasize a central point: there can be no authentic sustainable society if individuals in that society do not undergo a path of inner change and self-transformation.

Recall the worm. It dissolves itself!  It dies to its present form and possibilities. Likewise an imaginal individual is willing to undergo the existential pain that arises from “dissolving” an existing friendship, worldview, and lifestyle if these latter have become obstacles to the pursuit of integral human and societal development.

The imaginal individual becomes detached or “homeless” to what many in society have accepted as “normal”: poverty, corruption, environmental destruction, mis-education, exploitation, conflict and so on. The imaginal individual has the courage to take up the challenge of transforming the “normal” into “healthy”.

Creative new powers arise in this process of inner purification. The imaginal individual develops a new and more comprehensive and inclusive identity as well as a deeper understanding of and commitment to a sustainable society. These creative new powers are ultimately spiritual in nature.

The new can never come from a repetition of the old. That is why “imaginals” tap into their inner creativity to birth the new. And this inner creativity is nothing but one expression of the spiritual capacities latent in all human beings.

In short, “imaginals” are the bearers of a future that wants to be born through and with them. Without the imaginal quality, the quest for a sustainable society is doomed. Self-transformation, within the context of societal responsibility and transformation, is at the heart of MISSION and will be the heart of a more spiritual and integral civil society, new socially green businesses, and new politics.