Is There A Right Way To Do Guided Visualizations

Some years back when I first started getting my feet wet with guided visualizations and even hypnosis sessions, I struggled to follow along. I believed that the guided images needed to spontaneously appear in my mind’s eye without any imaginary effort on my part. That the experience should not involve imagination at all. It didn't occur to me that I should create the scenery I was being guided to experience.

I passively waited searching my mind’s eye hoping that somehow it would produce the images that I was being guided to experience. It was more like I was listening to the guided visualization but not engaging. Over time, I realized that these types of exercises felt stressful for me because I thought I must not be good at visualization. I dreaded any time I was going to participate in an exercise like this.

In later years I learned that guided visualizations should be an active experience, not passive. The act of using the imagination to steer and create the experience is an integral part of what the exercise is for. Example: You are prompted “You see a meadow up ahead” this is your queue to make this meadow as beautiful or as plain as you want to experience it.

I share this with you so the next time you listen to a guided visualization, you can make the most of it! And cheers! to you for making your visualizations much more powerful!