Practicing Visualization & Imagery

It seems like we are always in a hurry & the idea of studying something like this may seem time-indulgent.... but to think this way is a big mistake. In order to go faster, to succeed at high levels, it is necessary to slow down & to focus deeply. This is only possible through the practice of deep relaxation & mind programming... Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder - Who's Killing the Kids is a book/workbook/workshop in our Parenting the Parent Series. Visit with me as I design the metaphors for this & other projects in progress including Lifestyle Change Made Easy & Changing Your Mind - An Introduction to Interactive Self-Hypnosis.

I'm happy to share some complimentary mp3 downloads with you. Each is a full interactive self-hypnosis session. Current ones include...
Serious Goal Building &
Becoming Consistent

KNOWLEDGE HOOK

A frequent question is “what is the difference between meditation and visualization?” Meditation is a process of deep relaxation that helps to clear & concentrates the mind. Visualization or imagery is also a process of deep relaxation, focusing on slowing the brain waves & then placing specific images or metaphors into the subconscious mind. Both are great change agents, complementing each other.

Visualization or imaginology refers to our inner movies or VCR tapes. These are at the heart of our mind bio-computer. The human brain programs & self-programs through its images. All skills & all achievements are acquired through this image-making process....whether you choose to be in charge of it or not. Obviously, it's good wisdom to choose to be in charge! Interactive Awareness & Interactive Self-Hypnosis are high-level consciousness tools that allow you to do just this. With these you can release stress, manage emotions, re-edit your subconscious mind programs & program your mind right in the moment.

Working with these tools & building skills can assist you at all levels of training & performance whether it be managing sugar addiction or winning at tennis. Everything is about learning technique & then practicing. As we go forward here, you might feel like you are making up the images, rather than seeing or visualizing them. Do know that this is perfectly fine. The mind accepts what is presented to it as truth, whether it be made up or not, so as long as the images are healthy & positive, go with your own creative thoughts. However, if a thought or idea emerges that is not healthy, simply diminish it, just as you learned to do earlier on.

MIND EXERCISE

Even if you aren't a visual thinker, you can improve your ability to visualize or image. Here is another skill builder that will enhance your toolbox.

Take any simple object, a pen, pencil, cup or similar item will do. Look directly at it until you feel you are quite familiar with it. Close your eyes & imagine you are still looking at it. Open your eyes, lookingat the object again, comparingit with your mind image. Now close your eyes & do the same. Next, move the object out from where you are observing it, scanning it with your eyes as if it were an external image. Often people expect the inner image to be exactly like the outer image, perhaps judging themselves as being a "poor imager." This is just the ego getting in the way & the emotional visitors coloring the visualization experience for you. Release them & go back to your practice, knowing that however you image or visualize is absolutely correct. There is no right or wrong. The more you practice, the more understanding you will have of the whole experience & the more real your images will become.

MIND EXERCISE

Don’t rush through this work. It’s fine to read through, but make sure you go back & take the time to truly work with these exercises. While they appear simple on the surface, they are truly involved in rather complex activities.

Take the same simple object, or choose a different one. Set it by itself, with no other objects around it to distract you. Take several relaxing breaths & now look directly at the object until you feel familiar with it. Close your eyes gently, imagining that the object is about two feet in front of you. See it in your mind’s eye & begin to scan the object for details such as the shape, shadings of color, irregularities, etc. Now open your eyes & compare the inner image with the outer image, noticing any aspects you were not aware of during your visualization practice. Close your eyes, repeating the exercise. Now practice with a different object.

MIND EXERCISE

Close your eyes & transport yourself back to your childhood bedroom. Take several relaxing breaths, making yourself comfortable. Look in front of you & see what you see. Notice the furnishings, what is on the wall. Look down at your feet, noticing what covers the floor. Now look at the wall to your left, & then to the wall on your right, noticing what you are aware of. Take some time and notice other things about the room such as windows, doors, closets, colors, textures, etc.

Here we are learning to move around & locate ourselves within a visualized space. Practice this exercise with other places, especially those from your childhood or teen years.

MIND EXERCISE

This time we are going to practice moving outside a large object such as your house. Image yourself in front of your house, noticing the position of the door, windows, plants, lights, etc. Notice the construction materials, colors. Now go ahead & actually touch the outside walls. Experience touching other things, comparing differences in sensations. Open your eyes. Take a few relaxing breaths, and go back again, or to a different site.

MIND EXERCISE

Take a few relaxing breaths, comfortably closing your eyes. Image a chair, perhaps one you are familiar with from home or your office. Stand in front of the chair, noticing the shape, color, textures, etc. Touch it. Now, move to the side of the chair, noticing what you see, and then feel. Go around to the back, repeating the process, then to the other side. Now, image yourself above the chair, looking down at it; then from under the chair looking up. Open your eyes slowly, following with some relaxing, refocusing breaths.

MIND EXERCISE

Relax deeply & close your eyes. Return to the room of your childhood, re-orientating yourself. Find the light switch on the wall & turn it on & then off. Pick up any object such as a book or a pencil, studying it from all angles. Feel it. Now watch as it floats up in front of you, hovering around the ceiling. Notice that you begin to lift up as well, gently & easily. How does this feel? Study your sensations & your spatial awareness. Maneuver yourself so as to grab the pencil. Now turn towards the open window, gently sailing through, looking down at the areas below, noticing how easy it is to go up & down at will. This very powerful visualization practice allows us to have very different relationships with our world, enabling us to control in a relaxed format.

MIND EXERCISE

Relax deeply, gently closing your eyes. Bring before you an image of someone you know. Have that person stand a few feet in front of you. Look at his/her face. Scan the face, paying attention to the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair, etc. Notice the person’s clothes & how they are standing. Image the person talking to someone else, watching the facial expressions, how the body changes during the conversation. Hear the voice & its inflections. Walk around the person, observing from the back & sides. Open your eyes slowly, acclimating yourself back to the room.

As you continue exploring this book you will have many opportunities to practice this form of mind development. Please don’t rush. If you don’t have time in the moment, go to the monthly planning sheet, making a written commitment to return to the work brought to your attention by your subconscious mind. Notice if you "sense interest" in something you are reading or exploring. This is your subconscious librarian waving a mind flag.