Learning how to visualize images in your mind relies a lot on practise, learning how to gain clarity and avoiding beliefs that you can’t do it.
Do you feel like you do not know how to visualize images in your mind? We read about the importance of creative visualization in almost all the law of attraction books and this can be very frustrating.
There are a lot of misunderstandings about visualization, what it really is and how to use it in your life.
Everybody is visualizing all the time. What did you have for dinner last night? When you think about this, there’s an image in your mind. You visualized it.
Maybe you were in a restaurant. The image in your mind has more than just a plate of food, right?
You can feel the atmosphere in the restaurant. Maybe you can remember parts of your dinner conversation, the background music, the laughter.
All these are elements of visualization. You can apply this to almost anything in your life to quickly prove to yourself that you are already using visualization.
In fact, your mind works in images. Thoughts are in fact mostly visual (although the other sensors can also be involved). When you think about your mom or your kids or your car, it instantly brings up an image in your mind.
The process or technique that is commonly referred to as creative visualization is where you would focus your attention on an image of something that you wish to create or attract into your life.
The fact that you are not drawing from your personal memory or personal experience is what mostly trips people up.
They try and close their eyes and “see” a perfect vivid image of something they wish to attract but they simply can’t hold the image or form it clearly or “see” it vividly.
If this is you, then you should know that is DOES NOT mean you can’t visualize. Everyone CAN visualize and are visualizing already.
It is just a matter of strategy and practice.
Here’s some proof: imagine a pig standing right in front of you. Now imagine he is purple in color and he wars a tutu. Now change his color to green.
Give him a black top hat and let him sing Humpty Dumpty. Can you smell the lavender cologne he is wearing?
Can you see how easy it is for your mind to create images?
It is a natural function of your mind to think in terms of images. You do not have to worry about ‘not being able’ to visualize.
Seeing, Visualization, and Imagination
You probably think that you are seeing with your eyes, right? Well, duh of course you are!? Actually you do not see WITH your eyes.
You see THROUGH your eyes. It is your brain that does the seeing. All your eyes are doing is to reflect and direct light into the back of your eye. It is your brain that creates an image from this reelected light.
Everything that you see in your external world is merely a visualization of lights and colors that your brain creates. It is in creating the image that your brain can help you understand your world.
The really interesting part is that what you see it not just a reflection of reality.
It is your brain’s interpretation of reality.
Whenever there are eyewitnesses at an accident, without fail they almost all have different recollections of the exact same event.
The reason for this is that your mind always interprets what it sees and your memory and imagination is always linked to what you see in some shape or form.
So, if you are worried about the “creative” part in creative visualization then don’t.
It will come naturally because you are already doing it to some extent.
Proper visualization by the exercise of concentration and willpower enables us to materialize thoughts, not only as dreams or visions in the mental realm but also as experiences in the material realm.
– Paramahansa Yogananda
5 Reasons Why You Have Trouble Visualizing
If you are having trouble with creative visualization then it is not a matter of ability.
Do you have the ability to hit a forehand like Roger Federer? You probably do – if you practiced as much as he did.
Creative visualization is a skill but unlike ‘talents’ it is something we are all capable of. Like walking, talking, or digesting your food, it is something that you CAN do.
So why then do you have trouble with creative visualization? Here are the 5 biggest issues.
1. Lack Of Clarity
The number one reason why most people have trouble with creative visualization is simply that they do not have clarity about what they want to manifest or change in their lives.
If you have vague or superficial intentions like “I want more money” or “I want to attract my soulmate” or any of these generic goals that almost everyone has.
You need to get really, really specific and drill down until you know what you want in so much detail that you have no problem filling an entire page in describing it.
When you know all the details of exactly what you want, then visualizing it is not hard at all. It is when you have very vague outcomes that you have to “reach” for ideas and you will usually come up short.
Start at the end. Start with having exactly what your end goal is. Once you have that fixed and you know WHY you want it and you are emotionally invested in making it happen then you can start filling in the details.
The clearer you are when visualizing your dreams, the brighter the spotlight will be to lead you on the right path.
– Gail Lynne Goodwin
What does it look like, sound like, feel like, smell like? Write it down and work on it as an artist will work on a painting where she keeps adding more detail, adjusting elements, refining proportions, etc.
Getting very clear on exactly what you want is not a one-off exercise. It is a process that unfolds as you start doing it.
Even if you do nothing else to work towards your dream life, do this. It will have the biggest impact on your life and your future.
2. Internal Noise
Internal noise are all those everyday thoughts that create a buzz inside your mind. All the millions of things that require your attention. It is what causes a lot of stress and anxiety.
This internal noise plays pinball with your thoughts and keeps your mind bouncing from one thought to another in a seemingly endless loop of thoughts that are usually very far removed from the positive and uplifting thoughts you intend to have.
Since we tend to think in terms of pictures, having a mind with a lot of noise means your mind is just creating a lot of “garbage” images.
Seeing negativity in the news tends to drag your thoughts and images that way. Before you know it you start seeing that exact same negativity in your own life.
Meditation is a powerful way to still your mind and to stop this inner chatter.
When your mind is calm and relaxed it is much easier to focus on specific things – like visualizing your dream life.
3. Resistance
Resistance refers to all the thoughts that come up as soon as your mind shift to what you want to manifest. Consciously you may want to manifest a certain high paying job.
As soon as you start thinking and visualizing your new job your ego steps in. It is that critical voice inside your head that wants to keep you where you are (because that is safe and it feels familiar).
You don’t deserve it, you are not good enough etc. and before you know it your ego talks you out of it before you even see yourself in your dream job.
Resistance can come from your limiting beliefs, past experiences or even just a lack of enthusiasm.
Resistance is something you just have to push past. It is like when your wheel is stuck. Once you get some traction it spins right out of the ditch and you can move forward.
Making your vision of your future very exciting and emotionally stimulating it can help you bulldoze right over resistant thoughts.
4. Believe That You Can’t
Whether you believe you are right or wrong, either way, you will be right.
If you believe you can’t visualize then no amount of trying or learning will help you. You need to understand the truth that you CAN and build the belief that you can.
Just because you haven’t done it much or have virtually no practice doesn’t mean you can’t.
Stop telling yourself that you can’t or that you are not good at visualizing. Commit to building this important skill and decide that you WILL master this and become really great at it.
5. Lack Of Practice
The lack of practice is largely responsible for the belief that you can’t.
There’s a saying that practice makes perfect. That is actually wrong. It is perfect practice that makes perfect.
Chances are that you are doing plenty of practice in visualization. The problem is that you are probably visualizing what already ‘is’ in your life or you amplify it by imagining the worse outcomes; your fears.
You need practice in visualizing what you DO want. This can be hard because your ego will fight you every step of the way.
An Easy Exercise to Help You Visualize Images in Your Mind
Take any object from your home like an apple or a pen. Sit quietly and hold the object in front of you. Remove all distractions that could potentially affect your concentration.
Now, look at the apple. Try and notice some details. Then close your eyes while still focussing on the apple. Try and recall some of the details. Then open your eyes again and repeat the process.
As you open and close your eyes you will start “blurring” the line between what you see in front of you and what you see in your imagination.
To take this further as you get better and better at developing this skill. When you close your eyes, start changing elements of the apple. Make it blue or see a work sticking its head out of the sie or see the apple floating.
Have fun with it.
Its an exercise and the more you do it the better you will get at it.
3 Strategies To Help You Visualize Images In Your Mind
Learning to use creative visualization as a tool to attract into your life what you do desire is a powerful skill.
Your mind is always moving towards the dominant images you hold in your mind.
The law of attraction talks a lot about controlling and directing your thoughts. Your thoughts is made up mostly of visual representations in your mind.
While your other senses play an important part, it is the visual that tends to dominate our thoughts.
1. Self Talk
The words you use have a huge impact in your life – mostly because they create images in your mind.
What you say to yourself about yourself and your life will have a massive impact on how you visualize your future.
People who are not good at visualizing usually have very poor self talk. Do you criticise yourself? Do you berate yourself? Do you call yourself bad names?
If you want to visualize images in your mind then words can be a great tool to do it. If you think of a beautiful bright red rose with a sweet smell it creates a very different image from just saying “a red rose”.
By using exciting, descriptive, and emotionally charged words you can create very clear and vivid images in your mind.
When you have an intention to manifest something in your life, look at the words you use to describe it.
Are you using exciting and descriptive words that move you emotionally?
The movie and book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne really made this concept of vision boards very popular.
2. Vision Boards
Vision board is a board where you would place a collection of images (and/or) text that represent the goals you want to achieve or the things you want to attract into your life.
The whole purpose of a vision board is to help you visualize better.
Trying to conjure up images in your imagination us hard for everyone. Finding an image that accurately represents what you want makes it much easier.
You can create vision boards on your phone or use Pinterest but I find that it tends to just get lost that way.
Doing it the old fashioned way with a journal or a pinboard works really well – but do whatever works for you.
Visualization is the process of creating pictures in your mind of yourself enjoying what you want. When you visualize, you generate powerful thoughts and feelings of having it now. The law of attraction then returns that reality to you, just as you saw it in your mind.
– Rhonda Byrne
Make sure that the images on your vision board really moves you emotionally. Also, less is more.
The important part with your vision board images is not the images themselves. It is all about being able to place yourself IN the images, making it your own, and getting emotionally involved with having it already.
Look at it often – to the point where you can clearly see the images and see yourself in ‘the scene’ when you close your eyes.
3. Multi-sensory Mental Movies
See and feel yourself active and participating in the accomplished goal.
Think only of the end result and associate as much detail to it as possible.
What would other people say to you? What would it smell like? Sound like? What would you be saying to yourself?
Creating short mental movies if ‘scenes’ where you already have what you desire is really powerful. Replaying these scenes is a really powerful exercise
Create for yourself a breakthrough goal and build a mental movie around this scene. Suppose your dream is to be a bestselling author.
Imagine the scene where you break the news with your family.See the smiles on their faces. Hear them congratulating you. Feel the joy and pride of being in that moment.
How To Visualize Images In Your Mind – Conclusion
Learning how to visualize images in your mind requires no special talent. Visualization is automatic. We are all doing it all the time whether we want to or not. The real challenge is that we tend to visualize what we already have.
We all have mental habits and patterns of thinking which is why you tend to re-create the same experiences in your life.
I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich.
– Jim Carrey
Visualizing what you don’t have is the challenge. This is where creative visualization comes in where you will use your imagination to visualize something that you want to manifest; something that is currently not in your life.
It can be hard to “see” beyond what you have or what you’ve created in the past.
Fear sets in and it keeps you from really stepping into your future through the power of your mind.
Your mind is always moving towards an image that you have of your future. Your mind is like a heat-seeking missile and the dominant image in your mind is the target.
The ability to keep your mind focused on what you DO want despite all current evidence is the real trick to creative visualization and being disciplined enough to visualize images in your mind.