Some things you don’t talk about. And, practicing visualization was one of those things we didn’t talk about 35 years ago. It is a technique my sister and I first read about in a book by Shakti Gawain called Creative Visualization. Back in those days such ideas as the mind-body connection were considered airy-fairy. Even so, this “little” book went on to sell more than six million copies. Essentially, it is about the practice of making mental images and confirming statements toward attaining a goal. Luckily, there’s a lot of research proving that mental practices like visualization are incredibly powerful aids to achieving life goals, especially those to do with health, business, the creative arts, and sports. For many years, elite athletes like professional athletes and Olympians have used visualization to enhance sports performance.
In Dr Gemma Newman’s new book, Get Well, Stay Well, Gemma talks about using this technique. She mentions research that was done using a group of volunteers. One group had to sit and visualize themselves doing bicep curls with a dumbbell for 15 minutes five days a week. One group did the same but they saw themselves doing the exercise in the distance. The control group did no visualization and no exercise. In the end, the group who saw themselves doing bicep exercises up close, in real time, in their mind’s eye had increased their bicep size and strength – purely by imagining themselves doing the workout.
Therefore, in everyday life, if there is some hurdle coming up, I could use this technique to see myself doing whatever it is, in real-time, up close, feeling the good feelings associated with things going well, telling myself positive statements, and that would help me to achieve that positive goal. Gemma advocates using visualization regularly to be more effective and affirmative.
When she was interviewed on Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s podcast, Feel Better, Live More, Gemma told us a story about Mohammed Ali. Apparently, Ali used visualization as part of his preparation for a fight. He would see every move he was going to make, every punch, right down to the knock-out punch. In fact, he started telling people in press conferences exactly when he’d deliver the knockout blow. He was requested by management to stop doing so, as it was adversely affecting the betting!
Ali instead wrote on a piece of paper when he’d deliver the knock-out blow, and slip the paper inside his glove. After the fight, he’d strip off the glove and throw it into the audience then ask whoever caught it to take out the piece of paper and read it out – revealing that he’d written out beforehand when he would deliver the knockout blow – and how did he know? Because he practiced visualization beforehand. But he didn’t call it that, he called it Future History – which I love. It demonstrates that it is possible to craft our own future or at least influence it. For my purposes, I have re-coined it, “Picturing Future History”. It’s simple, free, and you don’t have to move from the spot.
Since being reminded of the technique, I have been using it daily. What do I visualize? Myself getting younger stronger and healthier every decade. Why not? At the moment my sister is sick and some days stays in bed. I reminded her of our old days of practicing Creative Visualization and suggested that on her bad days, she imagine herself walking and doing a workout. My sister also has to undergo painful medical procedures. I suggested she imagine herself painless and tell herself she is pain-free.
The new studies are showing that visualization reduces the perception of pain – therefore, the experience of pain. Scientists are doing research into this at the moment to help relieve chronic pain sufferers. I’ll be watching the developments with interest. Techniques like this can support us in so many ways. It’s an exciting new technology of another kind. Picturing Future History is simple, free, and organic (LOL), you don’t have to move a muscle, and all it costs is a few moments of your time.
For all the world’s faults, I sometimes think this is an exciting time to be alive.
What new research and scientific studies have lit you up lately?
Talk to you later.
Keep reading!
Yvette Carol
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Our bodies communicate to us clearly and specifically, if we are willing to listen. ~ Shakti Gawain
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Yvette Carol, Author 