Positive Mental Imagery

Imagine if you will that we had a sturdy plank that was two feet wide and twenty feet long and that we raised it one foot off the ground. Most of us would have no problem walking from one end to the other. What if the same plank was put between two ten story buildings, how many of us would be comfortable in walking it’s length then? Yet the activity in both instances would essentially be the same, that of just putting one foot in front of the other. What really makes the difference?

The main variation would be that when the plank was raised up high, the dominant image in our minds would most likely be the unpleasant and emotionally charged picture of what failure would entail. Although we would want to avoid falling at all costs, the power of that image would actually begin to influence our physiology in an unconscious way, causing us to wobble or even fall (if we even found the nerve to get up there in the first place). This principle applies in many situations.

Very often we have set out to lose weight, quit smoking, find a better relationship or to become more successful and abundant, only to fall short of our desired outcomes. Eventually what happens is that although we have the best intentions, based on past experience the primary image in our minds is the anxiety provoking picture of failure. Unconsciously we then make the subtle or not-so-subtle adjustments to bring that image to fruition, further strengthening the negative cycle.

Although there are techniques in hypnosis counseling that can help disrupt this type of undesirable pattern, it is recognized that self-reinforcement afterwards is a must. Does your dominant mental image support your desired outcome? Remain focused on what you want, not what you are hoping to avoid!