Guided Imagery or Visualization

The power of the mind to influence the body is quite remarkable. Although it isn't always curative, imagery can be helpful in 90 percent of the problems that people bring to the attention of their primary care physicians.

Images and Other Senses Are the Means Used by the Brain to Communicate with Our Other Organs

Images aren't necessarily limited to visual but can be sounds, tastes, smells or a combination of sensations. A certain smell, for example, may invoke either pleasant or bad memories in you. Similarly, going to a place where you had a bad accident may instantly invoke visions of the accident and initiate flight or fight response.

Think, for example, of holding a fresh, juicy lemon in your hand. Perhaps you can feel its texture or see the vividness of its yellow skin. As you slice it open, you see the juice squirt out of it. The lemon's tart aroma is overwhelming. Finally, you stick it in your mouth, suck on it and taste the sour flavor as the juices roll over your tongue.

More than likely, your body reacted in some way to that image. For example, you may have begun to salivate.

Imagery is the language that the mind uses to communicate with the body. You can't really talk to a wart and say 'Hey, go away,' because that's not the language that the brain uses to communicate with the body. You need to imagine that wart and see it shrinking. Imagery is the biological connection between the mind and body. As we will see, this is extremely useful in mind body healing.

Imagery Can Involve Negative Visualizations Too

 It is estimated that an average person has 10,000 thoughts or images flashing through his mind each day. At least half of those thoughts are negative, such as anxiety of meeting a quota, a coming speech, job related anxiety, etc. Unharnessed, a steady dose of worry and other negative images can alter your physiology and make you more susceptible to a variety of ailments, ranging from acne to arthritis, headaches to heart disease, ulcers to urinary tract infections.

Your thoughts have a direct influence on the way you feel and behave. If you tend to dwell on sad or negative thoughts, you most likely are not a very happy person. Likewise, if you think that your job is enough to give you a headache, you probably will come home with throbbing temples each day. This is just another clear example of the power the mind exerts over the body.

But if you can learn to direct and control the images in your head, you can help your body heal itself. Our imagination is like a spirited, powerful horse. If it's untamed, it can be dangerous and run you over. But if you learn to use your imagination in a way that is purposeful and directed, it can be a tremendously powerful vehicle to get you where you want to go, including to better health.

Your imagination can be a powerful tool to help you combat stress, tension, and anxiety. You can use visualization to harness the energy of your imagination, and it does not take long-probably just a few weeks-to master the technique. Try to visualize two or three times a day. Most people find it easiest to do in bed in the morning and at night before falling asleep, though with practice you'll be able to visualize whenever and wherever the need arises.

Imagery Had Been In Use in Ancient Civilizations

Imagery had been found to be very effective for the treatment of stress. Imagery is at the center of relaxation techniques designed to release brain chemicals that act as your body's natural brain tranquilizers, lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels. By and large, researchers find that these techniques work. Because imagery relaxes the body, doctors specializing in imagery often recommend it for stress-related conditions such as headaches, chronic pain in the neck and back, high blood pressure, spastic colon, and cramping from premenstrual syndrome.

Researchers at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio found that people with cancer who used imagery while receiving chemotherapy felt more relaxed, better prepared for their treatment and more positive about care than those who didn't use the technique.

Several studies suggest that imagery can also boost your immunity. Danish researchers found increased natural killer cell activity among ten college students who imagined that their immune systems were becoming very effective. Natural killer cells are an important part of the immune system because they can recognize and destroy virus-infected cells, tumor cells and other invaders.

In another small study, researchers at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio found that seven people who suffered from recurrent canker sores in their mouths significantly reduced the frequency of their outbreaks after they began visualizing that the sores were bathed in a soothing coating of white blood cells.

Imagery can also help alter menstrual cycles and relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. In a preliminary study, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston found that 12 of 15 women, ages 21 to 40, who used imagery for three months lengthened their monthly menstrual cycles by an average of nearly four days and slashed their perceived levels of premenstrual distress in half. They also reported fewer mood swings.

At the University of South Florida in Tampa, researchers asked 19 men and women, ages 56 to 75, who had chronic bronchitis and emphysema to rate their levels of anxiety, depression, fatigue and discomfort before and after they began using imagery. The researchers concluded that imagery significantly improved the overall quality of these people's lives.

A study at Yale demonstrated that patients suffering from severe depression were helped by imagining scenes in which they were praised by people they admired- a clear boost to their self-esteem.

Visualization and other relaxation methods may produce significant benefits, often by helping to ease pain and lift depression. Research is continuing to determine whether even more spectacular results can be achieved.

A controlled study of fifty-five women examined the effects of imagery and relaxation on breast milk production in mothers of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit. They received a twenty-minute audiotape of progressive relaxation followed by guided imagery of pleasant surroundings, milk flowing in the breasts, and the baby's warm skin against theirs. They produced more than twice as much milk as compared to those receiving only routine care.

In another study, a group of metastatic cancer patients using daily imagery for a year achieved significant improvements in NK cell activity and several other measures of immune functioning.

At Michigan State University, researchers found that students could use guided imagery to improve the functioning of certain white cells called neutrophils, important immune cells in defense against bacterial and fungal infection. They could also decrease, but not increase, white cell counts. At one point in the study, a form of imagery intended to increase neutrophil count unexpectedly caused a drop instead. Subsequently, students were taught imagery explicitly intended to keep the neutrophil count steady, while increasing their effectiveness. Both of these goals were achieved.

 Other studies have shown that imagery can lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and help treat insomnia, obesity and phobias.

Two cases are quoted below from literature on the effectiveness of imagery.

Heidi, thirty-five, was scheduled for a round of chemotherapy for breast cancer. The treatment was to take place on Friday and she and her husband had tickets to fly to Hawaii on Saturday for a week's vacation.

As is routine, she was called into the treatment center for a blood check on the Monday before to make sure her white cell count had recovered enough from the previous treatment to allow her to qualify for the next one. To her shock, she was told that her white count was only about half what it should be and she would probably have to forego her vacation.

For four days she practiced imagery intensively several times a day, concentrating on raising her white count. She used images of the bone marrow releasing a steady, strong flow of white cells into her bloodstream and spreading throughout her body. She also imagined directing her breath into the bone marrow and thereby nourishing the stem cells (that produce the white cells) so that they could grow and release more white cells.

On that Friday, she went in for another blood test. Her white count had more than doubled. She was able to have the treatment and the next day was able to walk on the beach with her husband.

Carol Anne was scheduled to undergo a complicated abdominal surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Her surgeon told her that patients undergoing this procedure typically lose ten to eleven units of blood.

For several days prior to the surgery, Carol Anne practiced a form of imagery in which she pictured her body going through the surgery without losing any blood, the tissues knitting back together smoothly, no complications, and a speedy recovery. She also imagined the look on the surgeon's face when he realized that no blood had been lost.

The day after the surgery, the surgeon came into her room and congratulated her on how well she had come through the ordeal. To his amazement, she had required only one unit of blood. When she told him of her preparations, he smiled and walked out shaking his head.

Virtually everyone can successfully use imagery. It's a question of patience and persistence. It's just like learning to play a music instrument or learning to fly an airplane. You put in the time, you put in the discipline, you will be able to do it. It is the same with imagery. Practice, practice and practice. You will be able to do it.

How much time it will take before you begin to see results depends on the severity of your ailment, the vividness of your imagery and your own determination. A person who has a sprained ankle, for example, may get pain relief in just one five-minute imagery session, while it may take weeks for a person who has severe burns to notice any significant pain reduction. For almost any chronic ailment, it's going to take a lot more time for imagery to work.

Most proponents suggest practicing your imagery for 15 to 20 minutes a day initially to ensure that you're learning to do it properly. But as you become more skilled and comfortable with the technique, you'll be able to do it for just a few minutes at a time as needed throughout the day.

The most effective images are the ones that have some meaning to you. When battling tumors, people might imagine that their healthy cells are plump, juicy berries, while their cancerous cells are dried, shriveled pieces of fruit. They might picture their immune system as birds that fly in and pick up and carry away the raisin-like cancer cells, while the rest of the cells flourish. Another common image is that the immune system cells are like silver bullets coming in and annihilating the tumor cells.

Other experts recommend actually personifying your condition and "reasoning" with it. This way you also have a chance to learn from your condition. If you're plagued by headaches, for example, you might imagine your headache as a gremlin tightening a vice across your temples. Ask the gremlin why he's there and what you can do to make him loosen his grip. He might "tell" you that you have had too little sleep, too much junk food, or not enough rest and time away from work. Take his advice, and there is a good chance your headaches will subside, experts say.

Loosen your clothing, take off your shoes, and sit comfortably in a chair. You can also use one of the yoga or meditation postures. Dim the lights, if you prefer. Close your eyes. Take in a few deep breaths. Picture yourself descending an imaginary staircase. With each step, notice that you feel more and more relaxed.

When you feel relaxed, imagine a favorite scene. It could be a beach, a mountain Slope or a particularly enjoyable moment with friends or family. Try to go into this scene each time you practice your imagery. If you can create a special, safe place where nothing can hurt you and you feel secure, it will make you more receptive to other images.

Once you feel comfortable in your favorite scene, gradually direct your mind toward the ailment you're concerned about. Use one of the images

Suggested by experts or allow your mind to create one of its own. Let the image become more vivid and in focus. Don't worry if it seems to fade in and out.

If several images come to mind, choose one and stick with it for that session.

On the other hand, if no images come to mind, try focusing on a different sensation. For instance, imagine hearing fish frying in a skillet or smelling wildflowers in a Meadow. If all else fails, think about how you feel at the moment. Angry? Frustrated? What color is that anger? What image is evoked? Use these feelings to forge images.

Each time you do this, imagine that your ailment is completely cured at the end of the session.

At the end of your session, take a few more deep breaths and picture yourself re-climbing the imaginary staircase and gradually becoming aware of your surroundings. Open your eyes, stretch, smile and go on with your day.

Several different types of imagery are used depending on the application.

Most visualization techniques begin with relaxation, followed by summoning up a mental image. In one simple exercise known as painting, you close your eyes, cover them with your palms, and concentrate on the color black. Try to make the color fill your whole visual field, screening out any distracting images. To reduce stress, try concentrating first on a color you associate with tension, and then mentally replace it with one that you find soothing; for example the color red changing to blue. Or you may find it more relaxing to picture a peaceful natural scene, such as the unruffled surface of a pond, gently rolling hills, a serene waterfall, evening in a beach watching the sun set, etc.

In a technique called guided imagery, participants visualize a goal they want to achieve, then imagine themselves going through the process of achieving it. Severely ill patients, for example, are urged to picture their internal organs and imagine them free of disease, or to picture tumors shrinking, or invading microorganisms succumbing to aggressive immune cells.

We will look at the important ones here.

In this technique, devised by the psychoanalyst Leuner, the patient it taught to visualize a standard series of scenes such as a meadow, a mountain, a house, and a swamp. Later, the patient's imaginings are examined for sources of conflict, irrational beliefs, and interpersonal problems.

Here the patient is asked to assume an attitude of passive acceptance toward his mental experiences. In this condition, the patient is to verbalize, without restriction, all the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that occur to him. Strong affect, often with marked emotional and facial involvement is likely to emerge. The session continues until the effective discharge has run its course.

This technique is based on the reinforcement paradigm. It postulates that imagery processes can be modified according to the same principles that govern the modification of overt, visible behavior. In covert sensitization, the patient first imagines engaging in some behavior he wishes to change, say, an addiction. This is quickly followed by the imagining of a highly unpleasant event. Thus, the addictive behavior becomes paired with a highly aversive event and therefore is less likely to occur in the future.

In this method, the individual systematically visualizes the desired correct coping behavior. This technique has seen much use in sports.

See Also:

The Truth About Affirmations
Affirmations are a way of tricking the subconscious into giving us what we want. This kind of mental trickery keeps many people stuck in the very states they are trying to escape. If it is true that what we resist persists, then affirmations can perpetuate the very things we are trying to eliminate.

The Strangest Secret
Your belief system, like your computer, doesn't judge or even question what you input; it merely accepts your thoughts as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Think thoughts of defeat or failure and you're bound to feel discouraged. Continuous thoughts of worry, anxiety and fear are unhealthy and often manifest in the body as stress, panic attacks and depression.