I suck at visualization

The title says it all. An aptitude in visualization (mind's eye) is a prerequisite for many spiritual practices. No matter how much I train, I cannot get past this first step. It's no use. I keep trying and I'm still no further. I am utterly inapt at visualization.

I have no control over my imagination. Even if I make a strong effort to visualize an object (ex.: a tree), it will not gel on my mind more than a fraction of second before it becomes something totally different (ex.: a hand, and then a house, and then a desk, and so on). Colors and forms keep fluctuating like crazy.

How do I get over this problem? Any way to avoid this? I'm looking for "visualization for dummies" level stuff here, the basics of the basics. Any help would be appreciated.

Cathcart
The title says it all. An aptitude in visualization (mind's eye) is a prerequisite for many spiritual practices. No matter how much I train, I cannot get past this first step. It's no use. I keep trying and I'm still no further. I am utterly inapt at visualization.

I have no control over my imagination. Even if I make a strong effort to visualize an object (ex.: a tree), it will not gel on my mind more than a fraction of second before it becomes something totally different (ex.: a hand, and then a house, and then a desk, and so on). Colors and forms keep fluctuating like crazy.

How do I get over this problem? Any way to avoid this? I'm looking for "visualization for dummies" level stuff here, the basics of the basics. Any help would be appreciated.

Did you run before you could crawl?

Try learning to think about nothing, empty space and a clear mind before you start thinking of something...

I would image that more u try more harder it gets, i dont know mutch of techniques but i use my imagenation this way, i image tree, it flashes in my mind and its gone, then i image it again and maybe add something, usually when i add something its start to last longer and i can see how its spreads, this times my mind shuts down for moments and imagenation gets easier. I would think that real challenge is to quiet the mind
Now i might be totally wrong since i dont know techniques and what not just home made practises..

Forget visualization, it's confusing the issue.

What you need to practice is holding your attention still on one thing for extended periods of time. That's what meditation is. Doesn't matter what your focal point it, as long as your train yourself to hold your attention still.

Be patient, takes time to build the skill, like building any other muscle.

reply to post by Cathcart


This is something that I have a particular interest because how it applies to hypnotic phenomena. I still believe that it, like any other mental function can be improved by practice and learned.

For me its color and shape that is difficult, but I have noticed that I can visualize something better with my eyes opened than closed, probably because the pathways are connected to the visual input. As for shape my problem is not about moving from one type of object to another but the viewpoint (size and spatialization) and definitions of details, the more general the object I describe or is described the less precise (shifty) is my mental image of it (it also depends on how the object is first activated I can visualize better after seeing the object than simply conjuring it out of my imagination etc).

I find myself in a conundrum because there is advantage in the two sets (being capable of free flow of mental images permits faster problem resolution, thinking outside of a set box) but at the same time I would like to get better stabilization (like you say) on the thing I am imagining. I know some people say that they visualize in a photo-realistic way, I can't...

Stay away from anything that contains caffeine for starters. That will not only speed up your body, but your mind as well.

My Advice: Since you can only think of the image for a second, I suggest think of a few to get you started.

- Sit in a quiet place.
- Relax. Try to take a few really deep breaths, between 5 and 10.
- Imagine yourself looking from the eyes of a bug or a mouse as it crawls up the tree.
- Think of the base of the tree first. Think of the color of it, how it feels, the roughness and texture.
- Then think of the trunk of the tree, the hardness, again the color, the texture.
- Think then, of the branches, how they fork out in two's and three's, getting smaller as they branch out more.
- Now the leaves, the color, the texture, how smooth they are, the veins that branch out on the leaves.
- Then think of the seeds the tree bares. It's color, texture, flowers and how they smell.
- Now you'll move away from the tree, as though you were looking down, seeing the whole of the tree, as you get higher in the air, further away from the tree.

Break it down like this, no matter what you're looking at. I understand what you mean, though. Durring active times, it's hard for me to concentrate. I do best letting the sun fall on my face, since it's peacful to me. Find your happy place then try. I too have a rampant mind that's very active, but after focusing in this manner, I find that I can drift off and visualise the way I want to.

Often times, I have to find whatever I'm trying to imagine, interesting to me or It's much harder.

Hope this helps!

reply to post by Cathcart


I'd start with the breathing exercises first. Breathe in, breathe out, in through your nose, out through your nose.

How does it feel?
Can you hear it?
Has your heart slowed down?

Once you are able to calm yourself, then you can begin learning easy visualizing techniques.

I wouldn't start with a tree, I'd start with something easier, like water (river, lake) because it flows, and moves a little, so it's easier for you to focus on, and you won't get bored.

Once you can do that, then, you can go on to harder things.
Best of luck,

PS: You can also breathe in through your mouth, out trough your nose, if you have a cold, or allergies.

reply to post by StallionDuck


Very interesting technique you've got here. Breaking the picture into little fragments and assimilating them gradually, shall will bring great progress if I can pull it off. And the moving POV should help me sidestep my attention span trouble. I don't think I've ever tried this method. This is exactly what I've been looking for. I will practice this technique over the coming weeks. Thanks a lot!

reply to post by Rainbowresidue


Yeah, I'm aware of the importance of breathing exercises, but that's also a problematic issue for me. I can't seem to control my heartbeat. Often I commence deep inhalation and exhalation, and manage to slow down my breathing, only to become aware that my heart is racing so fast it nearly hurts my chest. It tends to make matters worse, because it brings anxiety. My respiration doesn't seem to affect my heartbeat in the slightest, if that makes any sense.


Anyway, thank you everyone for your input, it is greatly appreciated. Lots of good tips here. I'll be trying this out.

reply to post by Cathcart


Before I had any training at all I used to imagine a tiny point-of-view going out from my bedroom (usually did this while going to bed or waking up), through the wall or window, and flying around the neighborhood, then the city, all over the place, into other homes, hanging above the expressway looking down, over a lake, diving into a lake, etc. Haven't thought about that in years, thank for "reminding" me.

But to focus the attention is important. Maybe touch the tip of your finger next to your thumb to the tip of your thumb, and be aware of the feeling of them touching, and stay focused on that as you walk around, shop, watch tv, etc. Always keep a little attention on the point you pick as your center-focus.

OK, here's what I did, might as well "talk" about it. My last semester at college became like my "yogi" time, and after lots of other things finally, for three months, I focused my attention on three things at every moment: the tip of the thumb and finger as mentioned above, a mantra, and a bright point I put out about eight or nine inches in front of my eyes. Kept my attention on all three things for three months, and only broke it when, for the first time in my life, I not only drove on a highway but had to drive into a major city during rush hour. That broke the concentration. Time to let those things go anyway, they'd done their job and I subconsciously found a proper way to let them go.

But the visualization, here's another one: you mention a tree. Well, you have to get the entire tree in order to visualize it, including time - so see the tree as a seed, watch it grow, watch it flourish, watch it age, watch it wither, watch it die, watch it topple over, and then watch it decay. Once you have a hold on that, do it with more detail and quicker. Go back and forth, seed to totally soil again, then backwards. But after doing an "exercise" like that for about 15 or 20 minutes, make sure to do something physical, get your attention out of your head, take a walk, run around the block, kick a ball against a wall, do something extroverted.

Some stuff to play with anyway. With all the suggestions people are giving you, and with you asking the question, I wouldn't be surprised if you are already visualizing a mile a minute.

reply to post by Cathcart


Here's a couple things that helped me get better at visualization:

1. Start with a basic object that you can visualize.
-Pick a 2-d shape (square, circle, triangle). Make it a standard color: white, black, or a shade of grey.
-If you can hold onto this image, then try to change the color of the shape (IE: Change it from white to black, or black to red).
-If everything is still going okay, change it a multitude of colors in random order (IE: Blue, Pink, Neon Green).
-If this is too easy, then try to make different parts of the shape different colors.

The more advanced section:
-Make the shape you picked a 3-d shape (cone, pyramid, cone, sphere).
-Make each face of the shape the same color.
-If the above goes fine, then change all the faces to a different color (IE: Black to white).
-If above is too easy, then make a random face change to another color.
-Rotate this shape so that the colored face is now hidden behind the rest of the shape (so you cannot see it, but you know it's there).
-Change another face to a different color, and rotate again.
-Rotate the shape until all faces are a different color.
-Make patterns into one of the faces (such as zebra stripes). If this is too easy, do it for all shapes.

Still more advanced:
-Visualize two shapes, and repeat the easier sections above on both. The reason I have you using shapes it helps to simplify the shape of real objects in the world, and thereby may help you to visualize a complex object (such as a tree).

2. Listen to some relaxing music, and try to create a "scene" to fit the music. For example, listen to the soundtrack of a movie that you have recently watched (I own the soundtrack for The Hobbit as an example). As you are listening to that music, you might find that you are replaying bits and pieces of the movie that it belongs to.

Now, do the same with some completely different calm, relaxing music - try to tie a "theme" to the music, and picture this theme - it might start out as an image that vanishes completely, or may only linger for a short period of time. The more time you spend focusing on it, the more clear the image will become.

3. Give your image some "life"; aka, add other senses to the image you are trying to focus on.

For example, try to picture yourself standing with your back to a tree in the middle of a field on a warm, summer day. You are standing before it, feeling the mix of sunlight on your arms, and the cool shade of the tree on your back. Around you, the wind whispers through the branches, and a bird chirps every now and then from a branch above. One of the tree's pinkish-red flowers floats gently towards your head, tickling you ever so slightly as it gently brushes your ear. The flowers on the tree smell of honey and apples, and your mouth waters, thinking of how those apples would taste in a pie.

See what I did above? The image is still the same (a tree), but I gave you:
touch (the feeling of sunlight,shade, and a flower)
hearing (the sound of the wind, and of a bird)
taste (an apple pie, my weakness lol)
smell (the scent of the flower)
seeing (the color of the flower)

Just because visualization has the word "visualize" in it, doesn't mean that it always relates to seeing - some can visualize the tree as a tree, whereas others may need to smell the tree (such as a pine tree), or hear the environment the tree is in, or taste the fruit of the tree, or feel the tree (as in, feeling the bark, or the texture of the leaves).

-fossilera

Practice. Put on some theta, or a range, or hemisync that feels good. And relax.

Close your eyes.

Then picture standing on a city street at the corner, near the lights. Feel the bustle around you, check out the car that just pulled up, what color, shape, who is driving it? Who's walking beside you, what shops are nearby. There are many sense involved, which ones pick up the most? sight? Hearing? Can you hear the scene? Is anyone talking. What do you smell? Touch something. How does it feel?

Then switch to a lake scene. Is it rocky or sandy, and what are you wearing? What time of the year is it? Do you hear anything? Can you taste, smell or feel anything? Explore the scene? Look into the water. Wavy or choppy, or clear? Can you shift your focus, as if RV, go deep, what is the floor like, doppled shadows? Rocky? Tropical? Any logs? Shift focus.

Picture eating in a restaurant, what is like? Asian? Italian? Fast food? Who is around? What kind of tables? What does the food look like, taste like, and what are you drinking? Can you hear the scene, touch the scene, taste it? Who are your companions?

Sometimes other senses are stronger with some, but you can work on all of them.

Do a meditation frequently and pick 3 different scenes: attempt to see, hear, touch, taste, smell it.

Sometimes the past, or even other planet, time period can blend in.

When I did this, on the street, everything seemed modern, low hung silver grey sporty car, with a man in sunglasses, lights, but then suddenly, in a modern scene a man was walking his daughter, she seemed a little bit like a 50's princess but he had a top hat, that was tall and it didn't feel like earth...

When I was eating, it was Italian, and I saw the scene, heard it, hearing was harder for me. But there was this conversation, at a table with men, as if they were foreign, wearing those top hats. Scientist feeling, it was out of step with the scene. Then I was tasting the meal and the white wine (odd it wasn't red) but German white wine was distinct, as if was really sipping it, and its been years since I touched alcohol much.

Some odd things can come in.

I didn't get those ideas on my own, this idea with the 3 scenes and visualization comes from Dolores Cannon's DVD on past life regression, but its remarkable how vivid the scenes were and also in them, odd things came through and discovered hearing isn't my best sense. But you can any 3 scenes like this.

Being able to visualize is one way to go into meditation and hypnosis/self hypnosis, quickly to deeper trance levels and it worked fast enough that within 15 minutes almost had sleep paralysis, kept feeling paralyzed.

Very good excercises for unlocking deeper memories.

Yay!! Something I'm good at! I love making movies in my head :3

What really helps me is music! Like in a Disney movie to 'set a mood'. I love trance, dance, and techno. Little lyrics the better, you need that beat!

Get emotional with your music and you will be stronger, visualization wise. I've been doing this since I was a child, I guess I have an affinity for it.