Keep the YOU in Visualization

Everyone sees the world in a different way and an important element of Visualization is recognizing how you look at the world around you. When you visualize, you are projecting an inner vision as a real experience but the vision will only "ring true" for you if it matches the way that you actually experience the world around you.  This will naturally be different for everyone. 

Even on a fundamental level, the way we see the world is different from the way those around us see the world.  Take something as simple and basic as color. This online test can tell you how sensitive you are to colors - the lower the score, the more sensitive you are.  The way the people that score 1-10 see the world is obviously different than the way those scoring over 1000 see the world... and that's just when it comes to visible color!  Imagine those that see slightly into the ultraviolet range or the infrared range. We really don't know what other people are seeing.  Fortunately, for visualization the only thing we really have to know is how WE see things.

Most of the mechanics of how you look at the world will be naturally taken care of during your visualization.  For instance, usually the way you see colors in your inner vision will reflect the visual color spectrum that you experience in your daily life. Sometimes you might imagine a glow around an object or imagine the colors brighter, but it would be a conscious choice if you want to highlight something as important. Otherwise, the brain will paint a mental picture that matches the pictures that you take each moment. 

But some of the more 'experiential' elements of seeing may not translate to your visualization automatically. For instance, if you think "red", "shiny" or "sweet" when you look at an apple... that should be your visualized reaction as well.  But some people see an apple and see a microcosm of the universe. Some people see an apple and think of someone that loves apples that they want to give the apple to. It all has to do with how your brain has learned to interpret "apple."  So it's very important to know how YOU experience the world around you so that YOU and YOUR PERSPECTIVE are at the heart of your visualization.

Let's take a specific example.  If you want to visualize a yacht, there are numerous mental images you can paint:

• If you normally see surface details, notice all the visual and sensory details: the colors, the shine, the feel.
• If you normally see things in relation to your relationships, notice who is on your yacht with you and how they interact and the part that your yacht plays in that relationship.
• If you normally see how things are connected, notice where your yacht is anchored, what you are doing there, how you got there and where you are going next.
• If you normally see concepts and "the big picture," notice how the yacht represents YOU and the role that it plays  in your journey of self discovery.

The more "real" you can make your visualization, the more impact and power it will have.

You are your own best coach in this because the first thing you have to do is recognize how you see the world around you.  By bringing those elements into your visualization they will become more alive and "real" for you.

So, right now, what do you see? What do you feel? What is real to you? And what is unique in the way you are experiencing it?  It starts here.

Enjoy!