How To Make Creative Visualisation Techniques Work

Visualization is the technique that involves the use of a person’s imagination to make things happen for real. It is a surefire way of allowing dreams and hopes to come true and flourish, all by using the power of the mind. Visualization is somewhat related to the Law of Attraction, where like attracts like. It builds on this premise that once you imagine something happening, it will happen, because that great thought process attracted the tangible form which was begotten by that very thought force. This may sound confusing to those who have never heard of visualization or are skeptical about it and have never deigned to try it.

Creative Visualization

Monitoring your negative thoughts about yourself is often the first rung on the lofty ladder of creative visualization. Once you can decide to turn around those thoughts that are preventing you from achieving the things that you deserve, you are ready to begin your visualization. Creative visualization can be done by anyone, any time, as opposed to common belief. Some people hesitate when told to try it and say they do not have such imaginative powers. This is not true. Every person can learn to master creative visualization once they set their mind to it. Some people are definitely blessed with a stronger imagination than others and the kind of aura and power that makes success naturally attracted to them. For the rest of us, visualizing our success is the path to follow to remove the hopelessness from our lives and fill them to the brim with opportunities that they were once devoid of. Many famous people and celebrities from all walks of life have attested to the power and effectiveness of creative visualization. Techniques have been applied quite extensively in sporting activities with high levels of success.

What You Can Apply Creative Visualization To

In short: everything. In this case, your limit can only be your imagination, and as the principles of visualization go, there can be no limit to one’s imagination when setting goals and dreaming dreams! Some examples of situations that have been successfully visualized are listed below:

• Adopting your dream career for real.
• Attaining personal goals in sporting and athletic pursuits, music, art, drama etc.
• Getting rid of one’s insecurities and doubts and presenting a perfect artistic performance, a work presentation or succeeding at an interview for a job.
• Being able to date the man or woman of your dreams.
• Living a wholesome life like you have always wanted.

How To Practice Creative Visualization The Right Way

Some experienced individuals tout the time before you go to bed, and the time right after you wake up as the best times to practice successful creative visualization. However, this can obviously differ for different people, but these general guidelines can be kept in mind when one first starts this process.

• A very helpful first step to creative visualization is to write down what you want to imagine. This helps make a foundation for your dreams.
• A brief list is the best way, or some people would prefer to do this with a simple sketch that outlines what they are craving.
• Breathe deeply and slowly until your muscles are loose and relaxed and your mind feels calm. Close your eyes if this helps your imaginative process, but keeping them open is also okay.
• Imagine! Let there be no boundaries as you create your dream situation, packing it with as much detail and intricacies as you can.
• Stay in the moment while you let your senses explore so that the images get firmly stamped into your mind.
• Keep up your visualizing, practising regularly and remind yourself of those good feelings of success and achievement that you feel when imagining good outcomes.

Case Study: Basketball And Creative Visualization

A study conducted by the University of Chicago applied creative visualization techniques to a group of basketball players in an effort to improve their performance of freely thrown shots. The three groups in the study were:

1. These players practised their shots for 1 hour every day.
2. These players visualized making free-shots successfully while only lying down.
3. These players neither visualized, nor practised, and were told not to think about basketball.

After a month, the players’ ability to throw free-shots was tested and compared with their testing before the experiment began. The third group saw a decrease in playing performance. The first group saw an enhancement in shot-making ability by almost 24 percent due to their practice sessions. The second group – not surprisingly for creative visualization believers – also saw an increase in free-shot throws of up to 23 percent, which is very close to the practicing group. Visualizing successful playing alone had improved their skill and proficiency at basketball!

How Positive Visualization Builds Winners

Creative visualization needs a high dosage of positive thinking, and firm statements that reflect a person’s belief that he can do better and achieve more. Whether we talk ourselves into a state of growth or visualize certain events, both techniques lead towards the same outcome. Just like negative, demeaning talk can bring us down, even when we do it to ourselves, giving an uplifting pep talk to your mind will literally ‘lift’ a person to new heights and increase their potential for achievement. Creative visualization also builds on the concept of learned behavior. The actual visualization process focuses on our body’s ability to ‘remember’ certain actions and then recreate them as needed. When we push ourselves to do something when learning a new skill, our body is working its neurons to fixate that pattern of movement of our muscles into our brain. When we keep on practicing that skill, or repeating the actions enough for our muscles to be able to ‘rote learn’ them, our body becomes better at repeating that behavior due to subconscious tendencies and learning systems. Creative visualization can even be applied to data visualization that would result in improved data communication. Apply your strengths – visual thinking people do well with images, word-expressers can write their way to imagination, and linear minds can work up events as timelines.
 
Scott Heron is a freelance online consultant based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. You can keep up to date with him via his blog or simply by connecting with him via Google+.