Creative Visualization

In 1978, as a recent college graduate, like so many others in the same situation, I was fearful and unsure of what path my life was going to take. Sensing my insecurity, a good friend gave me a small book titled 'Creative Visualization,’ by a New Age author I had never heard of named Shakti Gawain. This little book changed my life in ways that still resonate today. Inside its pages, I learned that we each have the power to use our natural, innate faculties of imagination and visualization to create whatever we truly desire in life, be it love, joy, happiness, prosperity, self-expression, improved relationships, rewarding work, inner peace, or, perhaps most importantly, excellent physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. I still have that little book, now 45 years old, with its dog-eared cover and rumpled pages turned brown with age, and it is one of the most treasured books in my library. It taught me the practice of creative visualization, an art and skill that has guided my life and remains one of the most powerful self- transformation tools I know of, with the ability to revolutionize one’s life in miraculous ways.

To give you an example, I was diagnosed with diabetes ten years ago and struggled with all the related consequences – kidney issues, vision problems and neuropathy in the lower extremities, requiring surgery for broken toes and resulting in a foot ulcer that would typically take months to heal. A year ago, while on vacation, my foot wound again became infected, necessitating weekly trips to visit the wound care specialist, who told me to stay off my feet, eliminating any healthy exercise activity like walking, hiking, dancing or gym visits. This was miserable enough, but as the months went by, despite conventional medical intervention, the wound refused to heal and in fact got larger and deeper. I started to panic when a foot x-ray showed that I had osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis is an extremely dangerous condition where infection has entered the bone. Many diabetics who get osteomyelitis face foot amputation, with a shortened life expectancy, further complications and an unhappy future on crutches or in a wheelchair.

Lying depressed on the sofa, I pored through my library, looking for something interesting to read. Shakti Gawain’s little book jumped out at me, and I saw it as a sign to return to my practice of creative visualization. I went up to my cabin in the mountains for ten days and spent it in solitude, meditating and practicing creative visualization. I affirmed that the osteomyelitis was exiting my body, that my diabetes was improving and that the foot wound was finally healing. The following week, I went to my appointment with the wound care specialist. She entered the room with a somber look on her face, prepared to tell me the worst – that I would need months of intravenous antibiotic treatment and possibly surgery. As she began her routine treatment of my foot wound, an amazing thing happened. A fragment of bone the size of a tooth literally came out of my foot right into her hands! I’ll never forget the look on her face. Her eyes were as wide as saucers – she had never experienced anything like that before! Follow-up tests showed that there was no longer any osteomyelitis, and the specialist was able to cancel the appointment she had made for me to see the head doctor who was scheduled to discuss radical treatments with me. Best of all, within a month the wound completely healed, leaving only a tiny crease to remind me of where the bone fragment had made its unannounced exit. Since that time, I have also managed to formally reverse my diabetes, with my latest bloodwork revealing my lowest A1C score ever. There are no logical explanations for this, as diabetic medication has never worked for me, so I can only attribute it to diet, lifestyle changes, and creative visualization. If you are plagued with pain or physical limitations of any kind that are crippling you and sapping all the joy out of your life, I recommend that you learn about creative visualization and make it a part of your daily health practices – it is something that you will never regret.

So what is creative visualization exactly? Shakti Gawain’s description is the best and simplest definition of the practice. “Creative visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life … you use your imagination to create a clear image of something you wish to manifest. Then you continue to focus on the idea or picture regularly, giving it positive energy until it becomes objective reality … until you actually achieve what you have been visualizing.” The author recommends four basic steps:

1) setting your goal (deciding what you want to focus on, selecting easy, simpler

goals before graduating to more difficult or challenging ones)

2) creating a clear idea, picture, or ‘feeling’ (mentally creating it in the present

tense)

3) focusing on it often (two or three times a day is ideal) and

4) giving it positive energy (using suitable affirmations to suspend disbelief and

eliminate negative or judgmental responses.)

Those who are familiar with meditation will find it easy to prepare for the practice of creative visualization, which is similar to meditation in many respects. Focus on one goal, something which you would like to realize, such as an event you would like to have happen or something in your life that you would like to improve. Take the time to sit or lie in a totally comfortable position somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed, close your eyes, and mentally relax each muscle in your body from head to toe, feeling all tension and stress flowing away into the ether. Breathe deeply and feel the breath moving in and out of your body. Once you have attained a state of deep relaxation, begin to visualize your desired goal exactly as you would like it to be, bringing it into the 'here and now’ in your mind. Using your imagination in this way will likely come naturally, almost like daydreaming, and feels very pleasant and enjoyable, so add all the colorful details you want to your mental picture. Use whatever vivid imagery that works best for you, like being at the edge of a huge tranquil lake, a warm white sand beach, or other panoramic vista. Making affirmations is also an important part of the practice of creative visualization. Affirmations are simply short, positive statements that you make to yourself that put a positive spin on the issue you are addressing. If pain is a problem for you, as you visualize, use positive affirmations in the present tense, for example, “I am healthy and strong, and free of all pain now” or “It is wonderful to be doing (fill in your favorite activity) without any pain in my body.” If doubts or negative thoughts come up, just let them wash over you and go on their way. At the end of your visualization session, which can last just a few minutes or as long as you like, calmly state “This, or something better, now manifests for me.” This statement keeps you in a positive, affirmative state of mind and ensures only the best, unique outcome for you.

Creative visualization is not a new concept. In fact, it dates back to the time of the Roman orator Cicero, who described the practice as ‘mentis oculi’ – ‘seeing with the mind’s eye,’ referring to the mental faculty of conceiving imaginary scenes or recollections. Imagination is the fuel that has driven creative genius through the ages --- think of Michaelangelo envisioning the figure of David within a huge slab of marble

before bringing the famous statue into physical reality, Van Gogh overcoming his demons to produce hundreds of brilliant works of art, or Mozart composing his extraordinary symphonies and requiems seemingly out of thin air. Imagination and creative visualization have been the driving force behind all great works of literature, art and music over the centuries, inspiring us all with their timeless legacies. The human ability to dream, imagine, visualize and create is a moving, dynamic force behind our evolution as a race, and propels us forward into the future with hope and optimism. Now we are entering the ‘Imagination Age,’ a new global culture and economy whose philosophical basis states that the power of imagination will become the key mode of human thinking, bringing about a worldwide elevation of our collective emotional intelligence and evolutionary progress. The worldview of creative visualization has grown exponentially from its mid-twentieth century New Age ethos into a mainstay in

our current world of business, finance, sports, technology, psychology, the arts, health and wellness.

How does creative visualization actually work? Shakti Gawain outlines four major interrelated concepts for us. They are:

1) The physical universe is energy

2) Energy is magnetic

3) Form follows idea

4) The law of radiation and attraction

While the scientific concept that the physical universe is energy was new to the general public just 40 or 50 years ago, Einstein’s theory on energy (E=mc2) is now universally known and accepted by scientists, physicists and the world at large. While things in our physical world appear to be dense and solid, quantum physics dictates that, on an atomic and subatomic level, the universe is actually composed not of ‘matter’ but of smaller and smaller vibrating particles of pure energy, making up one unified energy field. In layman’s terms, this means that we are all ‘made’ of energy, as is everything around us, whether we perceive it or not. Your thinking processes, and specifically thoughts themselves, are composed of fine, light energy that is easily changed or transmuted. The physical body is more dense and less fine, but can also change fairly quickly and easily. Matter, which manifests as inanimate solid objects like rocks, trees or other heavy, dense objects, is much slower to change and requires more energy to affect. All types of energy have the ability to interact with and affect each other.

The second concept postulates that all forms of interrelated energy are magnetic, meaning that energy of a particular vibrational quality will attract to itself the energy of a similar vibrational quality. For example, all of us have had the experience of ‘accidentally’ running into someone who we just ‘happen’ to be thinking of. In practical terms, as it relates to human thinking, if you believe that you are going to have a bad experience, you are very likely to have one, while if you believe that you will have good experiences, you will. A good life credo is “whatever you expect is expecting you.” If you dwell on illness and disease, you will attract it; if you cheerfully and optimistically envision perfect health in your daily thoughts, you will be rewarded with glowing health. The Universe is ever involved in human affairs and will always give you what you want.

The third concept, form follows idea, is another tenet in the law of quantum physics. In order to manifest something, you must first have an idea of what it is you want to manifest. This is not a complicated concept --- in fact, it is something that you do, subconsciously and consciously, all day long. You think, “I’d like to go for a walk today,” and then you go out for a walk, or “I’m tired; I think I’ll go to bed now” and shortly afterwards, you do just that. An idea can be seen as a kind of blueprint or design plan that creates an image of the desired form, which acts to magnetize and guide the energies of the universe into that form, eventually manifesting it, in exactly the same way that the architect designs a house on paper, anticipating the construction and completion of the house on the physical plane.

The fourth concept, the law of radiation and attraction, is best known for having reached a global audience some years ago with the publication of the enormously popular bestseller ‘The Secret.’ However, this principle has its roots in Biblical teachings, specifically the law that states that “you reap what you sow.” The Law of Attraction is allied with quantum physics in the sense that whatever you focus on in your thoughts is energetically attracted quite quickly to you in a magnetic way. Altogether, this can be a wonderful, even miraculous experience. Be sure to make the distinction between occasional ‘positive thinking’ or ‘wishful thinking’ and the operation of the great Law of Attraction though --- the former is much more superficial, and unlikely to get you that Hollywood mansion or Lamborghini in the short term (or even the long run!) The Universe does require you to be serious, to seek perfect self-expression in this life, and to do the work that you were put on this Earth to do. If you can commit to the task in a joyful, positive and expectant manner, you will surely reap what you sow, and in the allotted time, you will be rewarded with a glorious, bountiful harvest, and much more besides.

Creative visualization is a technique, like meditation, that challenges you to explore and discover the deepest facets of your life, from your birth, through childhood to your present life. Learning the practice of creative visualization can open up avenues leading to deeper and more meaningful growth. It is here that you may start to learn what is holding you back from experiencing joy and happiness in life, and where your limiting and negative beliefs may have come from. When did your pain first start? How long has your pain lasted? Months or years? How many? Can you pinpoint the origins of your pain, the time and circumstances when it started? Is the physical pain an outward manifestation of inner trauma and emotional pain still held in the body? Once you begin to see more clearly and to understand where your negative attitudes and self-judgments come from, the sooner you will be able to find that they are dissolved from your mind and body through regular creative visualization practice. For most people, commitment to this practice results in diminished or even eradicated pain and the dawning of a joyful new state of being.

It is important to note that creative visualization is not a method of ‘mind control’ or coercion. The practice of creative visualization cannot in any way be used to control the behavior of others or cause them to do things that you think they ‘should’ do or to make them act against their will. It is a tool that the Universe has superbly designed for your own personal growth and self-realization. By learning to use your natural creative imagination in an increasingly conscious manner, you are provided the key to opening up to the innate goodness, bounty and perfection of human existence. By opening your mind to these possibilities, realized through constant practice, you stimulate your natural desire to enrich your experience and transform negative conditions into positive ones that support a heightened awareness of love and joy. Creative visualization is truly a form of ‘magic’ that brings you into closer harmony and alignment with the natural laws and principles that govern the workings of the Universe, where miracles and healing regularly occur.

Creative visualization is closely related to guided imagery, the main difference being that in the latter, a trained practitioner or professional helps the client to generate mental images that recreate sights, sounds, tastes, smells, touch and movements as well as creating subjective and meaningful new personal imagery. Visual mental imagery is predominant and creates the strongest changes in physical reality. For example, studies have shown that when athletes train their minds to perform a specific activity through the use of creative visualization, they subsequently perform those tasks, whether scoring a goal or winning a race, with perfect accuracy in reality. Scientific research has shown that the mind does not differentiate between what is real and what is imagined, and the brain creates new neural pathways based on whatever we are imagining and visualizing as if it is actually happening in the tangible ‘real’ world. Professionals work with their clients to engage in ‘process visualization,’ which envisions every step towards the desired outcome with all senses engaged, or ‘outcome visualization’ which directly envisions the desired end result. Guided imagery and visualization in general have been used by psychology professionals for years to enhance sports performance, ameliorate pain and expedite wound healing, as well as to alleviate depression and anxiety, improve confidence and self-esteem and ease social fears. While professional counseling may be recommended for those with chronic pain or deep emotional issues, it is also very possible to achieve excellent results with a regular daily practice of creative visualization.

To summarize, creative visualization in the art and skill of using mental imagery and affirmations to create lasting positive changes in your life. You have the ability to use the power of your imagination to create your desired life goals, eliminate negative habit patterns, improve your self-esteem and confidence, achieve your work or career goals, develop and enhance your creativity, boost your strength and vitality, increase yourprosperity and abundance, experience deep relaxation and freedom from stress, improve your health on every level, and develop personal life mastery. It is a vast and deep subject with unlimited potential to improve your life on every level. As you practice creative visualization, you will find that you easily make small changes at first, but very soon it will become an instinctive, habitual part of your thinking process, a continual awareness leading to an elevated state of consciousness and being where you know that you are finally in charge of your own life.

“Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the Universe

is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and

everything your heart truly desires must come to you.”

- Shakti Gawain