Visualization is simply the conscious seeing or thinking through a scenario, task or activity. Other names for visualization include mental imagery, mental movies, eidetic thinking, mental pictures and “seeing with the mind's eye.”
Often beginners believe visualization involves seeing images on the back of their eyelids, as if they are dreaming. Most people do not visualize at this level. It’s not important. What is important is the concentration on the task and the conscious thinking through of what a scene would look like, or the tasks to complete some activity. Sometimes you may get fleeting images of some part of your visualization. If that’s the case just accept them and keep going. Don’t spend time chasing these images.
The words “visualization” and “imagery” are in some ways misleading. While the dominant sense is usually vision, visualization does not just involve seeing. The more senses you involve, the stronger the effect. Hear a switch click when you turn it on, or feel an engine turn over and the vibrations when you start it. Smell fuel when you check a fuel tank. Feel a rope as you trim the sail, or hear the shutter click when you take a photograph. Hear the applause of an audience after a presentation. All these can significantly improve how you’re your visualizations work.
Let’s look at three steps for visualization—prepare, visualize and finish. I also provide some general tips.
When starting out or when visualizing several chunks of information, write down a script or set of points you want to visualize. This helps keep you on track during the exercise. You may also want to consider recording the steps on to a cassette or computer, and play this while visualizing. This helps when visualizing a complex time-based scenario or task.
Visualization works best when you are in Memletic State. Key parts of state for visualizing include:
· Clear goals. Goals and assertions are an important part of visualization. Review your key goals and make sure your visualization fits within those. Also, review some assertions and perhaps add a few more on the specific benefits you wish to gain from this visualization.
· Concentration. Your mind may wander during visualization exercises. Review the concentration techniques and use the relevant ones (such as a distraction log) during your visualizations.
· Relaxation. The last activity before starting your visualization exercise is a relaxation exercise. Relax your body and brain.
See the Memletic State chapter for more information on these points.
When you are ready, sit down and be comfortable in a straight backed chair. Have the material you are using in your lap. Don’t lie down as you may fall asleep.
When you are starting out, plan to spend three to five minutes on a visualization session. You can build up to longer sessions as your concentration improves.
If you have an alarm available (preferably soft), set it to the time you want to finish. If you find yourself easily distracted, you may want to have something beep every thirty to sixty seconds. If you have computer, an easy way is to record the sound of a beep followed by thirty seconds of silence, and then replay the recording in a loop. When you hear a beep, check you are still concentrating on the right content. If not, just bring your attention back to your task.
There is no magic or art to visualizing. Simply start thinking through the steps, task or scenarios you wish to visualize. Here are some specific tips:
· Verbalize the steps or scenarios. When first starting visualization, in general or a new exercise, verbalize what you want to see. Describe in words the steps or scenario you are visualizing. If you are visualizing a red house, simply say out loud or in your mind: “I see a red house. It has a red tile roof and red brick walls. I am standing out the front on the garden path. It leads up to the front door. I walk up to the wall and run my hand over the brick. It feels rough and cool.” Either try to visualize it as you read, or read it and then close your eyes and repeat the content in your mind.
· Use an internal perspective. In most visualization, see your actions from an internal perspective. See the scenario from your own eyes. An alternative is the external perspective, where you see yourself through someone else’s eyes. Typically the internal perspective works best, especially for mental rehearsal.
· Use the senses. As well as seeing, build in as many of the senses as possible. Think of the sounds that would be present in that scenario. Are there any scents or smells you would expect? What forces or sensations would your body or hands feel? Would you have a particular taste in your mouth? You do not physically experience each of these sensual experiences. Rather, you just need to think about what they would feel like.
· See only the correct way. I once heard that rally car drivers train to look where they want to go, rather than at a tree they could hit, when they are skidding sideways. I like this point because it highlights how powerful our focus is. If the driver looks in the direction they want to go, there is a good chance they gain control and go that way. If they focus on a particular tree, there is a good chance they will hit it.
Visualization is similar. Only focus on the correct way of doing a task or procedure. If you are visualizing a possible future, focus on the future you want. Don’t let possible negative outcomes distract you. If they do arise, write them down for reference and move on.
· Introduce variability and interference. In the Task Variety and Task Interference techniques (described below), I discuss how variability and interference in training can help you deal better with unexpected circumstances and strengthen learning. Use these techniques in your visualizations. Introduce some scenarios that may represent a diversion or unexpected event on your way to your objective. Then, visualize yourself dealing with that event in the most positive way.
· Visualize with compelling inevitability. Take a moment and visualize something you know is going to happen. For example, getting ready for work tomorrow. Go through the normal routine in your mind. Now change the timeframe and visualize something that is far into the future. Notice the differences between the two. Usually the images of what is likely to happen are brighter, colorful, larger, louder, and clearer in our mind. If we are not sure about a possible future outcome, the images are usually not as clear. They may be grey and fuzzy, smaller or just difficult to even see in a mental image.
You can use this effect to your advantage. Give your visualizations a sense of compelling inevitability by adding qualities associated with events we know are likely to happen. Imagine your mental pictures are brighter and more colorful. Make them big in your mind’s eye. Imagine the sounds as extra loud. Come up with several scenarios that are likely to happen if you achieved your goals. Visualize those scenarios with clarity.
For example, if your goal is to be an airline pilot, a scenario might go like this. You finish an international flight, leave the airport in a cab, and check in at a hotel. You spend some time preparing for the next day’s flight, and then go to bed. All of these are standard activities that you can imagine yourself doing as an airline pilot.
· Experiment with field of vision. For many people, their eyes often focus in particular areas depending on the memory they are accessing. If trying to remember events from the past, they typically look up and left. For events happening now or soon, they usually look straight ahead. For possible future events, the usual location is right and up. You may want to try this yourself. Think of examples in each of these categories, while looking in a specific direction. Is it easier or harder for each direction?
If you do find a pattern, use this to your advantage. If you want to bring a possible future event closer, try to visualize it in the centre to mid-right of your vision. If you want to put a recent mistake behind you, visualize it being off to the far left (as well as smaller, in black and white, and fuzzy).
Note that some people have different patterns, or are the other way around (swapping left with right, or up with down). Adjust the directions based on your own patterns.
· Practice and expand. You may want to try doing some regular visualizations when first starting out. Use a simple visualization exercise, such as a scenario or task, and visualize it for a few minutes. Do it at the same time each day.
You can also expand your use of visualization away from set exercises. When you are studying or using other techniques, simply relax for a moment and visualize some part of the content or technique. You can visualize anywhere—on public transport, in a meeting, while exercising, or while waiting for an appointment. The more often you do this, the easier and more effective your visualization becomes.
Finish the visualization exercise with some positive assertions and a brief relaxation exercise. Bring your focus back into your environment. You may also want to update your notes. Perhaps add some ideas on how to improve the exercise. You could also write down some general comments on how you felt during the exercise (concentrated, aware, distracted, or other feelings).
Here are some further visualization tips:
· Eyes open or closed? It doesn’t matter too much, as long as you stay concentrated. Keeping your eyes open has the advantage that you can refer to notes. Keeping them closed can help with concentration.
· Don’t chase fleeting images. Sometimes you may get fleeting full picture images while you visualize. Don’t go chasing that experience. Simply keep focusing on the task or scenario. If you get more images, simply note them and keep going. If on some days you don’t get any, don’t worry. You don’t need full picture images for the visualization process to work effectively.
· Use it to supplement real training. Visualization is a great way to augment physical skills or tasks. You should still do at least the minimum amount of physical training you need to become competent though. Use visualization alongside physical practice. So why visualize? Because even small amounts of visualization can provide larger benefits, as long as you still do the basic physical practice you need.
· Use the same timeframes as reality. Always try to do time-based task visualizations in similar timeframes to the real scenario, task or activity. Shortening or lengthening the time it takes in your mind may cause you to perform the task differently in reality. For example, the touchdown part of landing an aircraft usually only lasts ten to fifteen seconds. If you stretch this out to two minutes in visualization, the motor skills, perceptions and co-ordination will likely differ from the real task.