Visualization:
Imagi-Creating the Life You Want
by Rita Milios, MSW
Would you like to experience your personal best? To feel confident, secure, competent, poised and self-assured? Would you like to look and feel your "ideal" self? Would you perhaps like to work at a fulfilling job that utilizes your talents and rewards you financially? Would you like to control your own future?
Most of us would answer a resounding "Yes!" to at least some of the above questions. But too few of us know how to make these ideals a part of our lives. We too often feel out of control, not competent or confident about our goal; we often don't know how or where to start.
If we only realized that it is easy to start and it is easy to know how - once we gain a clear vision of what we want. Vision is the catalyst that jump
starts all change, that lights the way toward all growth. Without vision, goals and ideals are merely pipe dreams. Vision is that clear, constant image of what we want and where we are going that we hold in our minds.
Visualization is the "mind tool" that you can use to create that vision. Visualization is the process of creating vision, and that process is simple; it can be learned and used by anyone.
Visualization works because it creates belief, belief that can alter the circumstances of your life. Visualization literally means creating pictures in your mind. With visualization, you "speak" directly to your subconscious mind, bypassing the censorship of the logical, conscious mind. Your subconscious mind "thinks" in pictures, and you can reach the programming levels of your subconscious mind quickly and easily with visualization. Visualization is an idea, a thought form, in picture. By starting with a picture, you take a shortcut directly into your subconscious. No words have to be "translated" from conscious ("left-brain") language to subconscious ("right-brain") language. You deliver a simple, clear, direct message right into your subconscious mind.
Creating visualizations of the things you want to believe is very effective. Your subconscious mind does not rationalize. It takes whatever you give it as "truth." If you consistently picture yourself as having already achieved your goal, your subconscious mind soon believes that it is so. Then, in order to balance your inner and outer reality, your subconscious sets into motion any events or circumstances necessary to create in the physical realm that which you believe in your mind to be true. Visualization is a bit of mental "trickery." You are, in effect, tricking your subconscious into believing that an event has occurred when it has not. Then your subconscious, seeming to have "fallen behind on the job," gets to work to bring inner and outer reality into alignment. The fact that you only "imagined" the outcome of your goal does not matter. In your mind (as in space) there is no past, present, or future. Just because you pictured having achieved your goal before you did it, does not matter to your subconscious. If you can make the scene real, you can believe in it. And once you believe in it, it tends to come true.
We don't have to understand how visualization works, we just have to know that it does work. Numerous studies have been done on visualization, assessing its effect on the performance of athletes, on the ability of students to recall information, and its effect on certain healing processes. From these studies and from the experiences of countless people, we have evidence of the powerful role that visualization can play in our lives. The fact that we don't fully understand it shouldn't stop us from giving it a chance to work for us. We don't fully understand how electricity works, but that does not stop us form turning on the light when we enter a room. So it is with mind tools like expectations, affirmations, and visualization. Through experience we can come to predict that they will work for us, even though the universal laws that make their power available to us are just now beginning be understood and accepted by science.
The key, then, to using visualization effectively is to make the pictures, the scenes in your mind, real. Add all the action, energy, and emotion you can muster to the movies in your mind. The more they appear and feel real to you, the more certainly you are creating their (future) reality.
Visualization means putting pictures in your mind. For example, try to think of what you had for dinner last night. Think back over the previous
evening. What were you doing around dinner time? Who was there with you? Imagine yourself sitting at the dinner table. Look down at your plate. What do you see?
When you do this, you are visualizing, or creating a picture in your mind. Visualizing helps you remember things. This is because memories are placed into our brains in picture form. But these are not flat, one-dimensional photos Memories are more like moving pictures, complete with all the action, thoughts and feelings that were associated with the original event. By giving your mind a "cue" that hints at the original memory you can bring forth forgotten information. You simply look back over the "movie" in your mind until you see what you need.
Memories are one form of visualization. We all have memories, so we all visualize. But some people visualize better than others. For some people, who are naturally highly visual, creating pictures in their minds comes quite easily. For others, who may be more oriented toward the auditory (hearing) or kinesthetic (feeling) states, visualization takes more practice.
Why would anyone want to practice visualization? Because visualization can do much more than bring forth memories. Visualization can be creative, forming original pictures in your mind, pictures that you choose to put there. Earlier I stated that visualization is a bit of "mental trickery." It is this use of visualization that gives you the ability to create your own reality. Remember, inner and outer realities always want to match up. Once an idea is real in your mind (inner reality), it tends to be created in 3-dimensional (outer reality). The trick is to make the thought real in your mind, to truly believe in your creation.
This is where visualization can help. "Seeing is believing" for most
people. We believe what we see with our own eyes. The same holds true for mental "seeing." Visualizing a scene in your mind tends to make it more real. You come to believe in the reality of the image. At first visualization of a goal may seem forced and unnatural. But repeated visualizations, like repeated affirmations, slowly create the belief that the desired goal is possible, then probable, then, finally, a fact. And once a goal has become real in your mind, once you believe it, it starts to become real in your life.
Using affirmations (positive statements that we repeat to ourselves in a positive way) and visualization together is like a "double whammy" for creating belief in your desired goal. One or the other alone will work, but by using the two together, your success will come easier and faster. Visualize your desired goal while you repeat your affirmation for it. Create a scene in your mind where you see yourself already having achieved your goal. See yourself doing what you would be doing, saying what you would be saying, feeling what you would be feeling. By making your visualization vivid, active and exciting you add energy to it.
STEP BY STEP TO BETTER VISUALIZATIONS
Visualization is a process. It can be made better. It can be honed to perfection. The better you become at visualization, the more creative energy you will have available to you to create your desired reality.
Start by visualizing in the proper place. Close your eyes and "look" inside your mind. What do you see? Total blackness, of course. Now start to imagine a scene in your mind, perhaps your dinner scene again. Where in your head is this scene taking place?
For many people, visualizations are pictured somewhere in the area of the forehead, often right between the eyebrows. While this is OK, it is more effective to move your mind_movies out away from your head. Picturing your scene between your eyes takes more concentration because your eyes instinctively follow your inward gaze. It is better to move your mind's movie screen out about six inches from your face, out in space. This allows you to relax more and to have more spontaneous, creative images.
Close your eyes and image a movie screen (or if you prefer, a blackboard) about six inches away from your face and up a couple inches above your eyes. This is where you should make your mental pictures.
First practice making mental pictures with some simple exercises. Imagine (or "draw") on your screen or blackboard a geometric figure, a square, circle, or triangle. Keep visualizing this figure over and over for about twenty seconds. Each time your mind wanders, simply bring it back, reproducing the same image over and over. Repeat this exercise with the other two geometric figures.
Then imagine on your mental screen or blackboard a figure, a stick figure or a figure like the Pillsbury doughboy. You do not need to get details. (Most people don't really see details like hair and eyes on their figures.) In fact, when you "see" an image or visualization, it is in the form of a thought-picture, a sort of mix between an actual image and just the thought of that image. Don't expect pictures like those on television. Trying too hard to get a "good" visualization will hamper your results. Sometimes you "sense" an image more than you actually see it.
Now scan your figure with your mental eye. Note the size, shape, and sex of the mental body. Note any feelings or impressions you have about it. Then imagine this body slowly starting to become active, and to move. It might start to walk, jog, or play basketball, whatever.
Next, bring another figure into the picture. On your mental screen, see a second figure interacting with the first. Have them talk, shake hands, become animated and argue or laugh together. Practice creating pictures in your mind until you can comfortably imagine and visualize many types of scenes. Creating your own vivid scenes is the key to using visualization. Practice these simple exercises until you become a "natural" at visualization.
VISUALIZING SPECIAL GOALS
It is a good idea to create a time every day to mentally send out your visualized goals. Often people do it just before they fall off to sleep. Another good time is shortly after awakening in the morning, before you start your day. You can add impetus to your visualizations by accompanying them with affirmations, or positive statements that also reflect your goal. Following are some specific kinds of visualizations that you might use to begin creating the life you want.
Visualizations for Health: Picture yourself on your mental screen, seeing yourself at your healthy best. Imagine yourself strong, vital and healthy as you make your health affirmations.
If there are any areas in your body that need attention, imagine each area specifically, seeing it whole, complete and healed of whatever ailment it once had. Make an affirmation that the ailment is now healed. You might imagine a healing light permeating every cell of the affected area. Then, see yourself joyfully experiencing freedom from this ailment. Move the body part freely, breathe deeply, whatever, to show that the body part is no longer affected. End the visualization by giving thanks for your perfect health. You can also do these visualizations for others, imaging them on your mental screen.
Visualizations for Prosperity: See yourself experiencing your prosperity and wealth. What kinds of possessions would you have? What would your bank statement look like? Visualize yourself using and enjoying your prosperity. Also, (and this is very important) visualize the good that will come from your increased prosperity. What positive ways will you use your money?
Perhaps you have plans to help others in some way. Visualize this happening. Any time you use your increased prosperity to help others, you increase your potential for prosperity becoming a permanent part of your life. Your attitude about prosperity and plenty increases your wealth. Think of money as freedom, as a tool to help you do what you do best.
But you do not always have to give away money to use your increased prosperity to help. If, for instance, your increased wealth allows you to hire help to do jobs that you once had to do yourself, this, too, can bring good to others. Say you hire a cleaning lady to clean your house, or a boy to mow your lawn. Now you have more free time and energy. The key questions is, what will you do with this time and energy? Use it selfishly, thinking only of yourself? Or will you spend more time with family or friends, increasing the bonds between you? Will you use the time to do what you do best to help others?
Perhaps there is a special job or some volunteer work that you have been wanting to do, but never got around to. Use your prosperity wisely, and more will come to you. Think of your wealth as freedom, security, and added power to help others. When you want to create prosperity, attitude is everything.
Visualizations for Success: Picture your success in specific, positive images. See yourself performing a service of your choice that others need and appreciate. See yourself being congratulated and praised for your good work. Imagine that you have a never-ending supply of people who value and want your services. See yourself enjoying your work, feeling proud and happy that you can provide this worthwhile service.
If you are not happy with your present job, see yourself working and doing the kinds of things you would really like to be doing. Imagine yourself in the type of environment you feel best - at home, at an office, outside, working alone, or working with others. Then give thanks for this new and wonderful job (and you do not have to know exactly what this job is - you can leave that up to the universe). See yourself depositing a paycheck into your bank account. This check shows the amount of money that you need and desire from your work.
Visualizations for Happiness Imagine the kinds of things that you want and need to be truly happy in your life. Affirm that you have these things in your life as you visualize them.
See yourself and your loved ones interacting in loving, pleasant ways. Visualize a peaceful scene where your best wishes have come true. Give thanks for the happiness in your life.
There are unlimited ways to visualize. Make your visualizations unique and real according to your own desires. Always remember to visualize the positive outcome of your goal. Visualize the good that will result from having achieved your goal. Visualize yourself appreciative and thankful. The universe likes to be thanked!
Visualizations for Emotional Healing Not only can you "program" goals and desires with your visualizations, you can "reprogram" old hurts and change old nonproductive, limiting attitudes. Using visualization for emotional healing is something that you can do alone if you are committed to looking deeply and openly into your own mind. And, if your emotional traumas are not extensive, you can probably successfully use visualization and the other techniques described in my book, Tools for Transformation, on your own to help you positively transform your emotional state. However, if your scars are buried very deeply, or are related to a particularly traumatic event, you may want to seek professional help in facilitating your personal transformation. You can tell when you are too upset to work with a visualization, or when you get "stuck" and nothing seems to work, that you might have gone as far as you can alone. There is nothing wrong with seeking help form qualified professionals for your mental and emotional life. Use your own intuition to guide you.
For most people, however, visualization can be a real tool in helping them uncover and reprogram their own mental patterns. There are several visualizations that you can use to "speak" directly to your subconscious and reprogram those patterns that are not helpful to you in your present life.
One, the Small Child Visualization, is especially good for reprogramming very old beliefs and attitudes. In it you "meet" yourself as you were when you were a child. You then go back to an old feeling or problem and mentally visualize its solution by you the adult, taking the child's problem and mentally releasing it (a good releasing image is to visualize the problem being dissolved by a bright, golden sun, or to see your adult self placing the problem in a hot air balloon and letting it go). Even if you don't know the exact problem, by tapping into anxieties, fears or negative feelings, you can still get in touch with the mental program associated with those feelings and release it.
You may want to go through this visualization several times, each time dealing with a new problem or feeling. An especially difficult problem may take several repeated visualizations to clear out all of the negative energy associated with the original mental program. Just follow your intuitive feelings. They will tell you when you have repeated a visualization enough times. You will know also if a sense of peace comes over you during the visualization, or you experience the cessation of a specific anxiety.
(This article is adapted from the book Tools for Transformation by Rita Milios, available at www.ritamilios.com)
Rita Milios, MSW, is an author and psychotherapist who writes and speaks about spirituality and the use of the subconscious mind to audiences including business executives, laymen and therapists. Her topics range from intuition, dreams, visualization, and meditation, to creativity and mind/body healing. Rita has authored over two dozen books, several audio and video-tapes, and numerous magazine articles.
