Yes! Imagination. Unfortunately the word itself conjurs up images (no pun intended) of fake or false beliefs, something unreal.
And yet, what we're talking about here (and I think you put it eloquently) is the image-forming faculty of our Mind. Chinese philosophy put great emphasis on this faculty, as it was a necessary part of taking action, being the internal inspiration for the Will to take action in the world.
In the past when I've worked with clients, those who've had the best success were the ones who let their imagination flow freely... being able to imagine different possibilities was what helped them change and even improve their physical health situations.
This is great!
thank you @metametheus, yes there is the mainstream media to thank for that, that drive for us to conform and move away from that which we draw our inner strength from. Thank you for your beautiful feedback xxx