Visualization Success

In Norman Doidge's book, The Brain that Changes Itself, he writes that imaging an act and doing it are not as different as they sound on the surface. This is one of the most exciting emerging ideas from contemporary neuroscience. Doidge notes (p. 203-204), "When people close their eyes and visualize a simple object such as the letter "a", the primary visual cortex lights up, just as it would if the subjects were actually looking at the letter "a". Brain scans show that when we imagine action, many of the same parts of the brain are activated. This is why visualization can improve performance." Neuroscientists Guang Yue and Kelly Cole showed that, when we imagine that we are using a muscle, we are actually strengthening it. They studied 2 groups. One did physical exercise and one imagined doing physical exercise for four weeks from Monday through Friday. The "Imagination Group" visualized themselves doing 15 maximal muscle contractions with a 20 second rest between each, while they also imagined a voice shouting, "Harder, harder, harder." The "Exercise Group" actually did the exercises. Those who did the actual physical exercise increased their strength by 30%, while those who imagined doing exercise increased their strength by 22%.

Yet we dismiss things by saying, "Oh, it's all in your head?" If visualization changes muscle strength and imagery lights up the brain in the same way as if we were seeing an object in the outer world, then the power of imagination could be immense. Shouldn’t we spend as much time visualizing as doing.

This is where hypnotherapy comes into play. Even in a mild state of hypnosis, (an alpha brain wave state), your ability to visualize, (or imagine with other senses i.e. feelings, sounds), increases. The result can be profound.

Keep this in mind when you want that next promotion at work, want to increase motivation or anything else that has to do with the power of the mind.

I had a client who’s anxiety was through the roof when he had to talk in public. His heart would palpitate so loud that it distracted him from any ability to form or speak a thought. This was the most extreme case I’d ever encountered. (It was as profound as in the movie The Kings Speech,).  After we worked together, not only was he able to speak in meetings at his job, but he gave speeches at Toastmasters.  In his words, “Last Saturday, I gave the best speech ever.”

Want to give it a try?

Close your eyes.  Decide something you want.  (not something you don’t want). For example: let’s say you want more motivation.