Creative visualisation—or, more simply, visualisation—is the technique of consciously focusing the imagination to create a particular result. It can be used in self-development to change your reality or expand your awareness. In this post, I will discuss how visualisation—like mindfulness and meditation—can be used as a practice for finding your true self. This is important because finding your true self empowers you to develop and direct your personality so you can be more yourself and live your full potential and true life purpose. You are meant to maintain contact with your true self and integrate it into your personality, grounding its light into material reality.
Visualisation and the Imagination
Visualisation harnesses one of the great, often untapped and underestimated powers: the imagination. Unfortunately, in mass culture, the imagination is often supplanted by received images from the mass media. Along with the heavy emphasis that socialisation places on the rational mind, this leads to the neglect of the imagination, except when it is used to produce and consume art and entertainment.
We are usually taught from a young age to mistrust the imagination and believe that it is foolish to give it any sense of reality. As children, we are encouraged to grow out of talking to imaginary friends, and we are led to believe that the imagination isn’t to be trusted and can lead to delusion and madness. In doing so, we lose our freedom of spirit—for with imagination comes the freedom to find ourselves, to soar in our potential, and to live our dreams. Imagination is how we can dream and break out of our robotic and reactive patterns that reduce our humanity to little more than the role of passive consumers. It allows us to be creative and to think outside the box. Imagination is therefore vital for self-development. In fact, it is a doorway to spiritual experience.
Visualisation is an important skill because, through the imagination, it opens you to information and potential. Through your imagination, you can interact with unconscious realms, often through the language of symbols, which bridge the conscious and unconscious realms of experience. When the rational mind is rigid and sceptical, the imagination can release important information to you symbolically that could otherwise be analysed away and rejected. This happens in dreams and can also occur in visualisation. The key thing to realise is that the imagination is not only something that you can control (as with creative projects) but can also be a source of information and power. In particular, you can use it in visualisation to guide yourself on an inner journey to your true self.
Visualisation also links together intention and manifestation. When you visualise your intention manifesting by imagining a clear image of it happening, and experiencing the feeling of it happening, it will be more likely to be realised. This is why visualisation is often used in self-development to manifest goals. It is also used in healing when you visualise yourself returning to health—and was famously popularised to this end by Dr Simonton, the radiation oncologist who treated cancer by encouraging his patients to use the power of positive imagery.
The Skill of Visualisation
Visualisation is a skill that improves with practice and works well with the practices of mindfulness and meditation. For instance, you can practise visualisation mindfully, keeping out analytical distractions of thought. You can also begin visualisation from the inner space of being that you have created in meditation, thereby increasing the power of the visualisation.
When used as a technique to find your true self, it is important that your visualisation maintains the appropriate balance between conscious intention and free-form activity—the active and receptive modes of visualisation. Mindfulness can help you achieve this balance, ensuring that you do not end up dissociating into daydreams and losing your ability to guide your journey through your imagination.
In the visualisations that I teach, I begin by setting a conscious intention for the visualisation and then begin a conscious inner journey related to that intention, usually with specific milestones and features. During that journey, I allow for imagery, impressions, and symbols to spontaneously arise to reveal information. At this stage, it is important to not allow the rational mind to interject to try to analyse the meaning of the imagery, impressions, and symbols, for this will break the free flow of the visualisation and shift the brain into a less-conducive state for visualisation. Simply go with the visualisation and interact with it in your imagination.
For example, if you see a treasure chest, you can choose to open it and see what is inside; if you see a door you can choose to open it and see what is beyond; and if you meet a being, you can choose to communicate with it. Even though it is primarily a visualisation that you are experiencing, use all of your senses. You may find that you are using a sixth sense and that you communicate telepathically with any characters in your visualisation.
Visualisation is a great gift. To make the most of it, practise it regularly and treat it with equal importance to the other daily things you do.
Some Universal Symbols
As a guide, I have included below a small selection of common universal symbols relating to self-realisation and their usual meaning to assist you in your visualisations. There is never only one interpretation of a symbol, as it depends on the message of your unconscious mind, which is unique to you, and any associations you have already made with it. This means that your skill as an interpreter will need to be developed, which will increase as you develop a good connection between your conscious and unconscious mind. However, that being said, the interpretations of universal symbols given below will often apply.
- a wise teacher or sage: the true self
- a sun, star, candle, or light: enlightenment
- a flower: the blossoming of potential
- a lotus: purity and spiritual awakening
- a rose: love
- a butterfly: transformation
- a circle: unity or completion
- a path or stairway: a journey of self-development or awareness
- a door: an opening to another reality, realm, or experience
- wild animals: passions and desires
- an obstacle: an inner resistance or blockage
Through the use of symbols, you can bridge the conscious, unconscious, and superconscious realms of experience to assist your development and spiritual awakening.
Preparing for Visualisation
- Set aside some quiet time for your visualisation in a place that is free from distractions and interruptions.
- Adjust the temperature and lighting for your comfort if you are indoors; if you are outside in nature then find the most comfortable spot.
- Sit or lie down, whichever is the most comfortable. You do not have to maintain any special posture. If you choose to lie down there may be a greater chance of falling asleep. If so, sitting comfortably is preferable.
- Now set your intention for your visualisation. For example: I intend to discover more of my true self through the power of visualisation.
A Guided Visualisation
To give you an example of how visualisation can be used to find your true self, I have created a guided visualisation for you to follow below (for the recorded audio on YouTube, click here). Notice any images, impressions, or symbols that emerge during the visualisation, and make a record of them and your experience after you have finished.
Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
Allow any thoughts and tensions of the day to fall away.
Feel the muscles of your body relax as you let go of any physical tension.
Especially the muscles of the jaw and the eyes,
And any areas you notice that are more tense than others.
Feel each muscle relaxing as you let go of tension there.
Now focus on your breath as you breathe in and out,
Allowing it to flow smoothly,
Breathing in from infinity
And out to infinity.
Now recall your intention for the visualisation.
Allow it to carry you in your imagination to a safe and relaxing place in nature.
Take a moment to experience the beauty and power of this natural space with all your senses.
Breathe in the fresh air and smell the fragrances of nature.
Take in the sounds and hear the music of nature.
Use your skin to feel the textures of nature.
Look around and see the colours and shapes of nature.
Open your mouth and taste nature.
Move around your safe space and allow your energy to rejuvenate,
For you are realigning to your natural being.
Now, as you look around, you see a path stretching ahead of you,
Leading off into the distance.
This is a reassuring and strangely familiar path.
You recognise it as the path you must walk to find your true self.
In your own time, start to walk up the path, and notice your surroundings,
And anything that may appear to you.
You are gradually ascending as you walk along this path.
Very soon you will find yourself at the bottom of a big hill.
Waiting for you there is a friendly guide who seems to know you and greets you.
The guide explains that you must climb the hill to complete your journey,
And hands you everything you need to do this.
The guide takes you to a nearby well, where you drink of the purifying waters.
You bathe your face, forgetting all your worries and preoccupations.
Now you feel more clear and alive and ready to climb the hill.
You thank the guide, who embraces you and reminds you to believe in yourself.
As you climb upwards, become aware of the things on your path,
And any hurdles you need to overcome. Take a rest if you need to.
You remember the advice to believe in yourself, and this carries you upwards.
The sun is at its strongest overhead, and the higher you climb, the brighter it gets.
After a period of time, you near the summit, with anticipation,
And as you reach it, you find yourself in a beautiful, magical place.
Experience this beauty and magic, and absorb it into you.
This beauty and magic speaks of who you truly are.
Notice what is around you,
And how distant everything looks below you.
You wait in expectation, and after a while, a figure appears and approaches you.
You notice that the figure is a wise teacher or sage, and radiates peaceful light.
You recognise each other, for this is your true self.
In a timeless moment, you greet this being,
And are reminded of all that you truly are.
Take this moment to ask your true self what you most need to know
In order for you to be more yourself.
Your true self may respond with words or by giving you a symbolic gift,
Or you may suddenly realise the answer.
If you do not get an immediate answer, know that it will come to you later,
Either internally or through the development of circumstances,
And simply absorb the presence of your true self,
Which alone is enough to begin your transformation.
When the experience feels complete, express your gratitude to your true self.
You both embrace as one, and then you make your way back down the hill,
Knowing that your true self is always there when you intend it so.
Notice how you feel, and anything you encounter on your journey back.
As you reach the bottom you find your way back along the path,
To your safe space in nature.
Now set your intention to return back to your physical body,
And as you do so, feel yourself back in your body,
In the present moment,
And slowly open your eyes,
Feeling fully grounded and centred
And ready to greet the rest of the day
With greater presence,
Greater authenticity,
Greater wisdom,
Greater peace,
Greater compassion,
And greater gratitude for life.
Listen to the guided visualisation on YouTube.
Next Step: book a Guidance Call to dive deeper into your true self and how to make the changes necessary for embodying your true self and living an authentic life.
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