Anyone who has experienced success through the use of visualization will note that there is almost something magical about the process. But what if its strong effect comes from something far more scientific? What if it’s a power drawn from your body’s neuro-physiological connection- a connection in your body’s makeup imperative for healthy and normal function?
Our thoughts are powerful and visualization can have very direct physical impacts on our mind and body.
One example of this is the fact that visualization is a recommended therapy technique for stroke survivors who have suffered damage to their motor cortex. Repetitive practice of using visualization to imagine moving certain body parts, such as closing and re-opening the hand, has shown to promote neuroplasticity and lead to successful rehabilitation of damaged brain tissue.
By simply visualizing the use of certain muscles, patients can increase blood flow to the affected areas of the brain and effectively build bridges between healthy tissues, save that area of the brain and eventually recover that bodily function. (Hoffman)
By simply visualizing that we are doing or seeing something, our brains stimulate the exact same part of the brain that would be stimulated if we were actually doing or seeing that thing in real life. In a study conducted by the University of Colorado at Boulder,
participants who simply imagined encountering a threat- like a scary dog – stimulated the same area of the brain that is stimulated when experiencing a threatening situation in real life.
Beyond brain tissue and hormonal stimulation, visualization can also directly impact our physical body including our muscles. A study published in the National Library of Medicine showed that simply imagining doing certain finger exercises showed an
increase of finger muscle strength by 35%
(compared to the 53% strength increase of the group that actually performed the exercises, and 0% increase for the control group).
Being aware of the neuro-physiological connection gives us the power to retrain our mind and effectively change our reality.
Though our conscious minds may be able to decipher our reality, our subconscious minds cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. We still experience the same emotions and the same physiological response to things that we imagine and the things we actually experience.
In other words, our minds or our perception becomes our reality.
This is why it is SO powerful to focus on bringing positivity into our minds through the use of affirmation meditation and visualization. Our thoughts have physical implications that truly affect our reality. By choosing to create positive space in your mind, your perception of -along with the reality of- your life becomes more positive. Harness that power and apply it to every area in which you are seeking success!
How to Visualize
If you want to get started on your visualization journey, give the Selfpause app a try today. You can choose from hundreds of affirmation meditations for visualization in dozens of categories, or create and record a personal list of your own custom affirmations.
Download Selfpause
If you’d like to get started harnessing the power of visualization in your own life download the Selfpause app here.
