How to Visualize so you can 'See' it
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Some of us don't 'see' as a preferred way of experiencing our inner world. We may 'feel', 'hear', or perhaps 'smell', and 'taste' better than we 'see'. And that goes for stored, and new, experiences.
'Visualising' is only one of our sensory modalities. Visualising can be described as seeing something in your mind's eye. If you're not able to 'see' internally, its likely that your preferred sense is 'hearing/auditory' or 'feeling/kinesthetic'. Its not that you can't see things, its just that your naturally 'preferred' method for internal experiences is through another sensory modality- like hearing, feeling, touch, smell, or taste.
If you're having trouble visualising your goals for example, lets practise and start by identifying your particular preference. Do you prefer to hear, see or taste? If you're not already aware of your particular preference begin by imagining a river. Can you picture it, do you hear it flowing, or do you just 'know' it's there?
So if you hear it better-you're auditory. If you can 'feel' the river and know it to be there then your preferred method is kinesthetic. Knowing this means you can use this process to enhance your visualisation. If you were trying to visualise money for example and but found you were more inclined to feel your image, you're predominantly kinesthetic. In this case you would imagine riffling the bills through your fingers, or opening your purse to feel the coins inside.
When you know that sound is your preferred modality, then enrich your visualisations with the rushing of the river, hearing the eddies and the ebb and flow of the water as it rushes downstream. Or in the money example listen to the coins jingle in your purse.
Some of you might believe you can't 'see'. Take heart because if you close your eyes and can remember what the front of your house looks like in a picture form, then you can visualise. If you're wanting to increase your powers of visualisation, practicing 'seeing' any picture in your minds eye. Lets keep with the river example: take a 'snapshot' of any part of the river flow - either a real shot, or one you can conjure up in your head- then close your eyes and recreate it. Start with something strong like a snapshot of white water rapids, or use a more soothing flow of a placid current around a rock if that's preferable.
The other modalities of taste/gustatory and smell/olfactory aren't as commonly preferred as visual, auditory or feeling. But to really enrich any imagery experience- whether real or imagined- incorporate as many modalities into your visualizations, immerse yourself in them and use them together. In the case of the river see it in your mind's eye, feel it, hear it, taste it and smell it.
Incorporate all the sensory modalities together into your goal plans and strategies and imagine yourself having achieved success: picture and see your new car (visual), hear the purr of the engine (auditory), run your fingers over the leather seats (kinesthetic), smell that new car smell (olfactory) and open the window (touch again) and taste the rain (gustatory).
And rest assured because the remarkable plasticity and flexibility of your mind to learn and understand new things is formidable. Continue to reinforce it through practice.
And when you're in that new car remember to internalise and fully experience the feelings of happiness, gratitude and success that go with it!
Images from texas finn and h.koppdelaney
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Hi Marisa, thanks for visiting. Glad it was helpful!
Nice hub- I never thought of it but I dont think Ivisualise either maybe imagine the feeling of achieving something but I dont think I see it either
feeling it is a really good one too. As long as it works for you go for it! I try to mix and match a little to hit all my senses
That's a nice one :)
Thanks, I always have problems visualizing something, and never really thought of your approach. I definitely going to give it a try :)
On a side note - why do we have only Aussies on this hub (except me)? Does it mean the rest of the world is not interested? ;)
okay Mischa, let me know how you go!
side note- you know what I'm not even Aussie myself but don't tell...:-)
That's what you have on your profile. :)
LOL Misha, yes but not by birth I meant :-)
Excellent article! I'm kinesthetic and it took me quite a long time to realise that I didn't have to "see" to visualise.
In fact, it is the feeeeeeling (the rate at which you're vibrating) that manifests ;) Visualising (in pictures) is a tool to help you create the feeeeeeling! ;)
Thanks, Lifebydesign, for sharing this very well written article :) I'm looking forward to reading your other hubs!
Love and Light and Magic xxx
Thanks lifeboost! Yes, isn't it great when it all comes together in your head and they all complements each other. Makes for great 'visual' entertainment!
This is a great hub - really interesting!
I'm learning now to "see" with my senses...and i'm getting better at it too :)
Thanks for visiting amy jane and ripplemaker.
Isn't it fun ripplemaker? i love being in charge of what I can do with my own mind!
For years, I couldn't "see" or visualize, especially during meditation, and this was my main complaint, but strangely enough when my 18 year old nephew passed away suddenly almost four years ago, I am able to visualize, as a matter of fact I have become so visual that if someone describes something negative, I can see it too clearly. Odd how a shock can change one's internal wiring, but I am enjoying being much more visual!
It's transforming my life in many ways, yes! :) And also, the feelings of gratitude and happiness that goes along with the visualization REALLY helps a lot.
VioletSun-I enjoy visualizing as welll, although I'm more an auditory kind of person. But it's great you're enjoying the change- and it's awesome the power of our own minds to make these changes happen. Wow too that you can see things others describe - hope you can also see positives! :-)
Ripplemaker you're right- the feelings of gratitude and happiness are important- thanks for the reminder!
Yes, I am also able to see positives, and its great. :)
Mine is definitely feeling. I "grasp" memories with my sense of touch. Nice hub. You've helped me to understand something about myself. Thankyou.
Hi CJ Stone- thanks for visiting, and I love the analogy of grasping memories, makes me wish I could do it. You know what - I'm going to give it a try!
i can attest to the effectivity of visualizing and allowing the other senses to flow with the scene. when you reach a level of "believability" the sense of joy and gratitude follows suit. and the next thing you know some of the things you visualize start manifesting in your life. thank you for making this hub. i know this will be useful to many more.
Hi dayzeebee, totally! the feelings are such an important part of visualising as well!
I firmly believe in the positive effects of visualization because as scientific as the civilization that we live in is, we usually don't believe in something unless we can see it, smell it, touch it, or taste it. With visualization, we can "see" what we desire i.e. more money or a new car, and we can begin constructing a plan to get us to that end. Good hub!
Thanks for dropping by talented_ink. It's such a useful skill yet we're so often tuned to what we see on the outside we tend to disregard what we can create on the inside. And transfering that to the external world really does help to make that plan really real. A really good exercise some people might find useful is to start with the 'after images' (when you close your eyes) that you get after looking at a bright light briefy. Focusing on the after image can help with increasing visualisation.
Very insightful and I see why you're a life results coach and consultant.
Very interesting. I guess I tend to visualize things. My best work is done when I'm "in the zone" when my mind is extremely clear (which doesn't happen otherwise.)
William, I know what you mean. The zone is like a state of heightened relaxed awareness and clarity- great you have it! If you know how to get there you can engage it whenever you want, and then maintain it.
Visualizing things is something I do best - whether it's good or not! I feel like I daydream a lot and see scenarios play out the way I want them too (usually very unrealistic :P ). Great Hub! The orange car is beautiful, BTW :)
I love the car too! BTW, be 'unrealistic' as you like, you can always pull it back a little. Plus what's 'unrealistic' for us may in fact be 'real' for others! :-)
HubPages is proving to be a boon in areas that I never expected when I joined the community. A week ago if you had of said I would read fully and enjoy an article on the different modalities of our inner world I would have laughed. Maybe it is the way you present it. Down to earth and easy to understand.
Brainstormer coming from you-that's such a compliment.
And not only do you find a huge range of stuff here, but the people are great. :-)
excellent integration of visualization and NLP
Thank you
Why thank you TKIMWRSVC- glad you stopped by.
Hey Lifebydesign: what a beautiful hub. Very uplifting, thanks!
Hey Teresa, glad you enjoyed it!
I've always felt like I just wasn't "getting it" when I tried to visualize and see an image clearly. Now, I'll try it with this approach. I tend to Feel the visualization. This was very helpful. I might try this again.
Cailin, have fun with it, and thanks for visiting!
An excellent, well-written, to the point hub. I help people design and create the lives and work they long for as a personal life coach. Part of the design part is visualizing results, as if they're already complete. I'm going to point my clients at this article to help them get stronger visual/kinesthetic images. Much appreciated!
Hi Bruce, 'as if they're already complete!' Yes! Its the best part, but sometimes the one most people struggle with. One additional step could also include some self-talk/dialogue - what would you be saying to yourself.
Great article! - this is helping me to put the peices together to solve my visualisation problems - its interesting that visualsations need to involve ALL the senses to be effective in manifesting- also this is speaking the language of the unconscious mind, which is where 99.99% of everything about us resides.
Also, I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend the work of Stuart lichtman regarding visualizing and manifesting.
Thanks for the recommendation nightrider, I'll have a look. Sure, the more sense you involve the more you can 'convince' yourself and imprint it. I would add also that if the image in all its glory is still not vivid or sufficiently believable for you, by looking closely at beliefs you hold around that image (more unconscious work) you can help identify what else might be getting in the way.
I can see/feel/hear that there's always more to add to this article to give you as much help as I can. I do plan to do an update or another hub that includes the more recent points in the not too distant future. Hope your dreams come true!
Thank you Lifebydesign for becoming a fan. This drew me to reading this first hub of yours. Will now read the others. Visualization is so important when trying to realize things in one's life. I loved your river analogy as to what we saw, heard or felt first. I could just SEE and HEAR the rushing water going over and around rocks! Looking forward to joining your fan club and reading more of your hubs as you produce them.
Hi Peggy, thanks for coming by. Glad you got the river analogy going :-). Look forward to hearing and seeing more from you too!
Hi Lifebydesign! Wanted to stop by to share a "visualization" experience from my stay in Dublin this past week. I had this big gig with senior mgmt --had to deliver a conceptual presentation on a tricky topic, ideas and innovation, and was slightly anxious about it. So two days before the event I started to visualize the whole thing: myself in front of the audience, the way I would be dressed, the slides, the way the audience would sit around the table, what they would be wearing, the way they would look at me... I visualized the whole thing, from going into the room and setting up to what I would say, to the way I would wrap up... everything. The day of the event I had it all so much into my head that I wasn't nervous in the slightest, no anxiety whatsoever, I had a strong sense of déjà vu, like I'd done the whole thing before. It went fabulously well –flying colors and all that. Four days later, I'm still a bit high from the whole thing –more on account of the goodness of visualization than on account of the successful delivery! Laugh!
Good for you sweetie! That is fantastic- this stuff is so good when its used well. You are a star! And thanks for letting us know. :-)
What an interesting article! The first thing I was going to ask is whatever made you to think of this to write it, and then I saw Marissa's comment right off the bat. Right now I'm picturing that convertable in my driveway! It look good there.
This isn't the kind of thing one thinks about too often. In acting school, we had to do exercises constantly to "inhance" our ability to visualize. To this day, i can talk you through a 30 minute experience while you lay on your back, eyes closed, that is almost like being hypnotized. I can also do it to myself. It's very relaxing, like meditation.
Very fun to read and ponder! Thanks!
Oh sure, when its done well it's so effective isn't it? My favourite is having people take me through a visualisation. Sometimes its just more fun listening to someone else's voice than my own internal head sounds! Thanks Chris :-)
You got my attention, great hub!
thanks, and welcome again :)
This could definitely help me and my team in visualizing our golf shots :)
Oh sure, apparently it works a treat! :)
Nice Hub it add more to my sense of visualisation, Thanks.
my life by design is to get up in the morning and skip the bathroom and my coffee and go straight to the computer and one of your fabulous hubdelicious hubs.....
I appreciate that epigramman. I better get writing!
This is great, just got to hold that vision!
Yes that can be tricky in the beginning but gets much easier with practise, practise, practise...:)
All the best!
very clear explanation. i can really visualize what you are talking about. thanks!
Good article and advice
Good advice for those who may find visualization a bit foreign. I am very new to hubpages (2 days ago), and I wrote a hub based loosely on this, and I actually did my first linking ... to your hub here !! Check it out and let me know if you like ... Thanks and all the best for you.
Hi Robert, thanks for the link, and welcome to Hubpages! Look forward to reading your hubs!
hey can some one help me i cant Visualize even when i say that i can see something and i still cant see anything which sucks or feel or hear when my eyes are closed if i try hard or not
I only came here because I need to practise my visualizeing skills.To lucid dream.
I can't feel it, smell it, hear it, or see it. I live in complete darkness, and yet I have two eyes to see with. Help.
Great way of explaining it - thank you. I had actually convinced myself that I was incapable of "visualizing". One way I understand it is that I can imagine but not visualize. Surely there is a difference between the two. I feel more by the way - much more I think.
I am similar to Blind man. It's just nothing there. Its just an internal dialogue and blackness. It's like a cloak has been placed over my minds eye and I sense that's it's there. But not actually seeing it. I've been searching for a method for over 20 years and also studied nlp to no avail. It's like I need a switch to be turned on inside, but I just can't seem to find it.
Same here. I certianly wish I could see in my minds eye but I see nothing....I just "know" But at night while I sleep I can dream
Great hub Robert: http://robertveight.hubpages.com/hub/You-Too-Can-S
Thanks for the link! I love the power of the mind to show us things we didn't know before. Isn't it cool?! Rock on Robert!
Hey joel, sometimes we don't see, we just 'know'. Start to trust yourself more and see what happens. Or, play with it a little - for example, you could get in the car with no particular intention or aim except to just listen. So you would drive out your driveway and ask do I go left or right? And just keep doing that and see where you end up, who you meet, what transpires, or what you learn. Oh, and practice!
Blind man, its the things we can't see with our two eyes that can be the most powerful. So you don't need your eyes, and may I also recommend, just letting it come, with no urgency or anxiousness. Its a quiet thing that can be overridden by our mind's noisy chatter and anxiety. Be curious.
Nice distinction Angie. I consider visualising a faculty of our imagination - if you see what I mean. Our imagination gives us information in a variety of ways, and visualising is one of them. You for example receive it through a sense of knowing. Now I also believe that you can develop your visualising skills, as we all can.
Hi George, I totally understand. Sometimes that happens, we shut off a part of ourselves that knows something - which maybe we don't want to see, hear or understand. For whatever reason. The fact that you can sense the 'cloak over your minds eye' is already a perception of your imagination. So well done. Can you see what that cloak is? Let me know...
Hi Shelly, you 'know', that's nice! And dreams - a whole nother story and a rich one at that! Happy dreaming!
All the best with that Kevin! That is a wonderful ability!
Very interesting hub, at least i can now visualize my dream car. Am holding the steering and feeling the smell right now. Voted up!
Marisa Wright Level 5 Commenter 4 years ago
This was the best answer to my request by far! Others have explained how to visualize for people who can "see" a picture - you've actually answered my question. Thanks!