One approach if you believe you ”can’t” consciously do mental imagery
Below is a simple example to work on your mental imagery. You can do it on your own, but if you can when just starting out, find someone to talk you through the first few times. The example uses an apple but you can use any object you want. After each suggestion, pause 3-5 seconds. Longer if needed.
• I just want you to close your eyes
for a moment and just think of an
apple.
• Is it a big apple or a small apple?
• As you are thinking of the apple,
what kind of apple is it? Is it a
green one or a red one or whatever
color.
• So as your thinking of your (insert
color here) apple, does it have a
stalk on top or any leaves or
anything like that?
• Where is that apple? Is it hanging
on a tree? In a fruit bowl? On a
table?
• Now imagine it is to your right.
• Now imagine it to your left.
• Now imagine it back to where it was
when you first thought about it.
• Open your eyes – exercise done.
Even just “thinking” of the apple is mental imagery. It might be just “words” in your head. You don’t necessarily “see” the apple in your mind – yet just by thinking of the words - you do.
As you continue to practice this version of mental imagery, begin to think about other aspects of the experience. Expand the picture. Things like how you think you’ll feel, what you think you’ll hear and what other things are in the surroundings. Just think about everything that would complete the picture.
Another suggestion that might help is to consider how you would describe a scene to a blind person. What words would you use to really allow that person to get a true understanding of what’s happening. But please remember, this is a simple beginning. There are more steps you can take to become better at mental imagery.
So, even if you are like me and may never actually vividly “see” whatever you are mentally imaging, you will still reap benefits from doing it.
Mental imagery has been the secret
Mental imagery has been the secret of Olympic athletes and other professional athletes for years. But when most hear the word ‘visualization’ they think of “hippie” thinking kind of stuff. The truth is, scientifically your brain and body become what your thoughts are.
As Dr. McKay stated in the previous article, according to research using brain imagery, mental imagery works because neurons in our brains interpret imagery as equivalent to real-life action. Basically, your brain cannot tell the difference between something that’s real and whether you are just imagining it. The more detailed you can be, the more effective it will be so practice.
Just the effort of doing mental imagery, no matter what level, will still produce better results versus doing no mental imagery at all.
* A better term for mental imagery/ visualization actually is multi-sensory imagination or mental rehearsal. This is what it truly is but for this article I kept with the familiar term of mental imagery.
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