Guided Imagery

Imagery, visualization, lucid dreaming, and many other names have been attached to the techniques used to turn thoughts into realities. The client, using images or thoughts from the subconscious mind, fills in a loosely woven story with details rich in meaning straight from the subconscious. The study of psychoneuroimmunology tells us the mind can and does affect the body’s health through imagery techniques.

Imagery is useful to help solve a problem, improve sports performance, business success, reduce pain, induce relaxation, change a habit, speed healing, and in some cases, help to fight disease. Emmett Miller is a physician who has done extensive research in the area of using the mind to improve immune function to fight cancer. In the past few years, there has been a huge number of research studies and grants to look at how and what this amazingly simple practice can do.

The subconscious usually relates to us via metaphors or symbols. Dreams are also a rich source of messages from the subconscious. For example, if you dream frequently of driving too fast and then having an accident, the metaphorical meaning could be that you are driving yourself too hard and the body needs a break. Get it? When we ignore our subconscious messages, symptoms are often the only way our subconscious can relate to the conscious mind.

So, if we look at it this way, taking an aspirin for a headache is like disconnecting the engine warning light on our car. Chronic pain for which there is no apparent cause is often found deeply rooted in the mind. Western Medicine likes to name diseases to fit symptom patterns, such as fibromyalgia, but there is no known cause for it, just theories. This does not mean it’s all in your head! Or, at least not in the negative way we usually think of when told its all in our imagination.

As it turns out, the mind is pretty powerful. Quantum physics tells us reality is all in our head. What we perceive as our material world does not actually exist- our brain makes it up for us so we can make sense of our surroundings. Many if not most diseases have roots in the subconscious and imagery is one way of accessing this information. All habits, all learning, and all behavior is maintained at the subconscious level. You’d know that if you have ever tried to break a habit simply by wanting it to change. Athletes have used the power of imagery for years to perfect their performance, and so have successful entrepreneurs. So, why not use the mind to conquer disease? Using guided imagery to “talk with the messenger” so we can get out of our own way and heal just makes plain good sense to me.

If this is something you'd like to explore, I invite you to call me at 928-273-8576.