There is no lack of information on the process of visualization. I have known about it for a very long time. Mentors and coaches taught me techniques on how to visualize my goals or my dreams. I truly believed that I understood but I don’t think I ever quite got to the mental state on a consistent basis that allowed me to really create my perfect outcome. So I did a little research to see what the literature had to say about this long-standing technique.
The premise for visualization comes right from our brains' ability to imagine something before it becomes a reality. Every action, every creation, and every word first exists in our imagination. When we learn to visualize, we are bringing our awareness to the process to get a specific outcome. We can pursue our dreams and ultimately achieve them through visualization. Here is some different technique to try out. See if one fits into your comfort zone and start visualizing your future.
Visualization Techniques
Training the Mind Is Training the Body
This technique encompasses exercises to train your mind to be more receptive to what you are visualizing. There are a series of five exercises:
1st Exercise
Find a photograph and look at it closely. Memorize every detail. Then close your eyes and recreate the photo in as much detail as you can remember. This is not a test but the more often you do this exercise the better you will be at remembering the details.
2nd Exercise
This is a three-dimensional exercise. Take a small object, like your keys, and memorize every detail. Now close your eyes and see the object mentally. The challenge here is to start rotating it. See every detail from all angles. If you are feeling comfortable with this then bring in some surrounding objects. Put the keys on a small table and alternate some different colored lights on it. See how the shadows change and flicker.
3rd Exercise
This exercise builds on the second one. Recreate your little object with your eyes open. See it in the real world – right in front of you. Move it around, rotate it, play with it. See how it interacts with the other objects in front of you.
4th Exercise
This time you are part of the picture. Think of a pleasant location, a beach, the mountains. Now imagine yourself in the picture. It is important to be in the scene, not just thinking of it.
Bring in your other senses. What can you hear? Are there birds singing, the wind blowing, and people talking? Is there a scent? What can you smell? Use as many of your senses as you can in this picture.
5th Exercise
Now this location becomes a bit more animated. Begin moving around, interacting with the things surrounding you. Pick up a seashell, a pinecone from the many fir trees, and smell the ocean. Bring in a second person to share this picture with you. Hold a conversation, tell a joke, and laugh hard. How does this feel to you?
You need to bring in the realism of these exercises. Your brain does not recognize if something is real or not. But for you to be effective in your visualization you must embed it in reality so that is where your brain will place it.
Applying Visualization to Your Goals
After training your brain to be part of your visualization, you are now ready to start putting your newly learned skills to the test. Write your goals down. Go through these practices:
1. Focus on the positive. Remember that your brain flows to the negative and you need to put effort into staying on the positive side of your goal. Do not focus on the opposite of what you want. You will reinforce that negative belief. Visualize what you want.
2. Have it, don’t want it. Think of something that you really want. Do you have it? Not likely. Most often, wanting is the opposite of having. When you visualize, don’t see yourself as wanting something. See yourself as already having it.
3. Be consistent. You really have to work hard on this. See your goal as your burning obsession, a passion, and a purpose in life.
4. Be specific. Most people have vague goals. You want to have specific goals with as much detail as you can. Be specific about an amount of money, a specific outcome from a meeting, or any specifics dealing with your outcome.
5. Have emotional intensity. The more real or true you believe something to be, the more emotional impact it has on you. To enhance your visualization you want to create as much detail around it so that you can begin to feel the experience as if it were real. Once you have begun to feel it, you have crossed the threshold that leads to action.
Create a Visual Picture and an Affirmation for Each Goal
Find or create a picture of every aspect of your goal, whatever it may be – financial, career, recreation, new skills, and abilities, things you want to purchase, money you want to have.
An affirmation creates the experience as if it has already happened. For example, I am vacationing on a tropical island for two months, working just four days a week and owning my own business.
Repeating an affirmation several times a day keeps you focused on your goal, strengthens your motivation, and programs your subconscious to make it happen.
Harness the Subconscious Mind with Visualization Techniques
One of my last blogs spoke to the importance of setting goals in order to bring about a positive outcome. There was a reference to your RAS – Reticular Activating System. This was brand new to me and after researching it I was hooked on how powerful the brain was to have a system that sorted important information from non-important information. Your RAS filters out non-essential messages and provides you with the information that is most important to you at the time. This is no small feat as the brain receives thousands of pieces of information every second. This is way too much information for your brain to process. That is where your RAS comes into play. It processes all of the information that the senses create and prioritizes the things that need your immediate attention.
RAS thinks in pictures, not words. Daily visualization feeds the RAS the pictures it needs to start filtering information differently. As a result, your RAS will start to pay attention to anything that might help you achieve your goals – information that might have been passed on previously.
Understanding the different techniques available to you to visualize your goals and dreams accelerates your ability to receive positive outcomes – quickly. Taking the time to learn how to use the technique that works best for you will shorten the time it takes to reach your goals. WOW!!
References:
Canfield,J. (2018). Visualization techniques to manifest desired outcomes. Retrieved January 20, 2020 from https://www.jackcanfield.com/blog/visualize-and-affirm-your-desired-outcomes-a-step-by-step-guide/
Foong,A. How to Develop Your Visualization Skill. Retrieved January 21, 2020 from https://litemind.com/how-to-develop-visualization-skill/
Vilhauer,J. (June 30, 2018). 3 Effective visualization techniques to change your life. Retrieved January 21, 2020 from https://psychologytoday.com/blog/living-forward/3-effective-visualization-techniques-to-change-your-life/
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