The first step in learning to visualize well is realizing that you already visualize all the time already. The only way you know how to draw a circle is by seeing a picture of it in your head before you draw it. To know whether something looks right or wrong you have to see a picture of it first in your mind. The reason some people aren't aware yet that they visualize is that they already do it so well. You are getting the information that you need in such a quick flash of the picture that it was gone before you were even aware that it had appeared. Can you tell me that you have never fantasized about how a certain person would look walking up to you naked?

Another important thing you will realize about visualizing is that it's not only visual. It includes all of the sounds associated with the picture or movie. The way everything feels. All of the smells. All of the tastes. It's not just a picture. It's a whole experience.

When you are visualizing something that you've seen before in the world move your eyes up and to the left or look straight ahead. These are the two places where the majority of people see things that they are remembering. When you are creatively visualizing something you've never seen before, move your eyes up and to the right. This is where most people see things that they are creating in their minds. Some people are switched, though. To figure out which way you do it ask someone to watch you while you make a picture of your car and notice where you move your eyes to.


This chapter is divided into 6 Excercises and a Troubleshooting section...

Labels: Chapter 3 - Visualization

Exercise 1
Look at the palm of your hand. Now dose your eyes and see a picture of it. Make sure that your eyes are up and to the left or straightforward while you do this. What do you see? How clear is the picture?

Now look at your hand again. Notice all of the lines in your hand.
Notice how the shadows give it depth. Notice the different colours.
Notice where your hand is not. Notice the background. Notice the space
around your hand. Now that you are consciously aware of more information, dose your eyes and see this picture of your hand.
Now look at your hand again. Wiggle your fingers. Notice the changing shades of colour. Notice the ways the lines move. Notice the play of the shadows. Now dose your eyes again and see this movie.
Notice how much easier it is to keep the pictures in your mind when you're noticing specific things.


Exercise 2
The next step is to start creating pictures. Let's start simply.
Imagine a picture of a ball. Make it a white ball on a black background.
Invert the picture. Now it's a black ball on a white background. Now notice if the ball makes a shadow on the background.
Now give the ball some colour. Make it green. Make it blue e. Make it red. Put a striped pattern on it. Notice how the stripes wrap around to make the ball 3D. Turn this picture upside down. Flip it over. Now have the ball bounce out of the picture and bounce back in. How does the bouncing of a ball sound? Imagine picking it up. What does the texture fee! like? How does it smell?


Exercise 3
Imagine you needed to tell someone how to get to your car. Describe it to them noticing the pictures you make while you do it. Notice if you zoom in on certain aspects that you need to describe. Notice how you know what brand of car it is.
Imagine going to your car yourself which hand do you unlock the door with? What do the keys sound like?

What do they feel like? Which hand do you open the door with? Does the door make a sound when it opens?
Do you do anything else before you get in the car? What is the first thing you do when you sit down? Is the seat soft? Is it comfortable le? This will turn the picture of your car into a movie of you getting into it.
Remember to put your eyes up to the left or straight forward while you do this.


Exercise 4
Look at the picture of your car again. Now imagine it with square wheels. When you do this remember to move your eyes up and to the right, Make a movie of how the car would run with square tires. See a whole freeway full of cars moving around with square tires. Now see your car being the only one with round wheels.



Exercise 5
Now we're going to play with the qualities of a picture. I want you to imagine a control panel in front of you. It can be anything from the equalizer on a stereo to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. On this controlpanel I want you to label the controls with these qualities:

• Size
  
• Movie/Slide
  
• Distance
  
• Location
  
• Shape (round, square, etc)
  
• Bordered Number of images
  
• Colour Black and White Associated/Dissociated (looking through own eyes/watching self)
  
• Focused/Unfocused
  
• 3D/Flat

Make each of these some kind of a slide where you can change the quality a little at a time. For example, if you were going to go from black and white to colour, just add a little bit of colour at a time. Have your partner lead you through manipulating the qualities of the picture. Actually reach out and grab each control, and make the movements big. Notice when you change a quality of the picture if the sounds, feelings, tastes, or smells change.



Exercise 6
Now imagine pictures of something you enjoy doing, and something you don't like doing but have to. Notice where the pictures are spatially in front of you. Notice the 3 major differences in the qualities of the two pictures. Now, change the qualities of the thing that you don't like to do to match the qualities of the thing that you enjoy doing. Then slide the picture of the thing you don't like doing into the place of the thing you enjoy doing, if it hasn't already gone there on it's own. Do this 5 times. Notice how it feels differently to you now. Notice how the sounds and feelings associated with it change.

Labels: Chapter 3 - Visualization

If the person you're working with is trying to look down and visualize, grab the picture and pull it up. If you're not quite sure where the pictures are, ask these questions. Where does it feel like the picture is? What direction do the sounds associated with the picture come from?
If you're not sure where the pictures notice your posture. Do you slump? Do you tilt your chin up? Is your head tilted to the right or left? You can also have someone look where your eyes move to when you visualize things.

Labels: Chapter 3 - Visualization