Hello everyone.

I'm quite new to NLP, but in the short time since I discovered it, I have done a lot of reading on the subject. A lot of the strategies within NLP seem to use visualization to bring about change, and I have real trouble with trying these things because I am so bad at visualizing.

If I try to picture something, no image forms. It's like I 'know' that there is a face, an equalateral triangle or a red onion in the picture, but I can't actually see it. There are no details and no submodalities whatsoever.

Maybe this explains why I can't remember emotions from past events and am so bad at making decissions - visualisation is almost always present when people perform these actions.

There are strategies for teaching people to spell or be more organised or whatever, but visualization seems to be more fundamental - a building block that builds rather than is itself built.

Like I said, I'm new to all this, so maybe someone could help me out here.

Hi Edward, someone will be along in a minute to direct you to resources which might help you 'learn to visualise'.

Meanwhile, may I suggest an alternative strategy, which has worked for me?

It is to pay attention to that sense of knowing that there is a a face, an equalateral triangle or a red onion. Consider how you know, and perhaps where you know. Your evidence may or may not be visual.

Also, considering treating the word 'visualise' as encompassing all the senses (replacing it with 'imagine' may make it a little bit easier to do this, but that word still has a visual presupposition).

The point is that all NLP techniques can be done using whatever internal senses you personally use - they just tend to be written in visually-dominant language.

I have a theory that Americans are more visually-dominated than other nationalities, but that's another thread :-)

Hi Edward, The thing about NLP is it uses the skills we already have and builds on them to help us do what we want to do. Sometimes we Know that we have skills and sometimes we don't. NLP can help you become aware of the skills you have.
We all dream, dreaming is an essential part of our processing our experience and includes visualising, among other things, so unless you are blind from birth you can visualise.

You may have lots of skills that you use so quickly that their use is unconcious. When you think "book" how do you think it? Just turn away from the screen now and think of one of the books you have read.
How does that thought present itself? What is the experience you have with the word Book.

When you want a drink, how does that present itself? What is the experience you have with that?

When you think of someone you like to be with, how does that thought present itself? What is the experience you have?

When you draw a picture a diagram or a letter you have to visualise to be able to get the effect that you want so if you can do any of those things you can visualise. Getting the letters on the screen from the keyboard is another example, even if we cannot touch type, for a brief moment we have to cover the key to press the letter, we know it is still there. How? You would need a special keyboard or very sensitve fingertips to feel the letter so our memory must store it some how to know it is still there. The moment of using it is so brief that we don't make a huge widescreen technicolor picture. We only do that when we need to. We do the same thing when we are looking for something, Keys for example, we just don't always realise how we do things.

So think of something you realy enjoy doing, no not that, Something else you hear feel smell and see.

You know how to relax, just let your breath go.

Give yourself ten minutes to just be there in that something that you enjoy, relax into enjoying that something.

Relax and hear the sounds you hear, when you enjoy what you are enjoying.

Relax and feel what you feel when you enjoy what you are enjoying.

Relax and smell what you can smell when you are enjoying what you are enjoying.

Relax and see what you can see when you are enjoying what you are enjoying.

There is a tendency for us to read this sort of instruction too quickly to carry it out. So look at it as you would the instructions for putting together flatpack furniture or a model or a peice of equipment that you have to assemble. Read it slowly. If you still have difficulty then can get someone to read it slowly to you. Better still a workshop or practice group would give you the space and the time to concentrate on identifying the skills you have and refining them. Happy practicing.

Ed, at least you went from "can't" to being "bad at it".

Let me ask you a question. Do you have a loved one? If so, can you see the face?

Can you see your favourite childhood toy.

Do you have a car? If so, can you see it?

The reason I ask is that these are things that people often find easy to see in their mind's eye. And if you can, you can most definitely visualise.

Now, if it's visual construction (of a desired state) you find more difficult, maybe it's simply because you're not adding enough detail. You could try this: Choose the desired state you want to visualise. Then just make a picture of yourself. Then choose what clothes to put on yourself. Then choose the colours. Then choose which watch your wearing. Then decide where you're going to be and put that there. If it's indoors, set the colour of the carpet. Then set the colour of the walls. And put things inside the room.

Or, put more simply, rather than 'try' to visualise instantly on an idea that is presumably not very well specified, build it up in bits. It might work, it might not, but it's worth trying.

Cheers

Hi Edward


This topic has been covered lots of times over the last few years, if you look to the left hand side you will see "NLP forum" in white- 3 places down you will see a link to search the archive, click on that and do a search for visualization- and you will find a series of past threads that have covered this topic, after you have gone through them post if you have other questions that have not been covered, then come back and we will go from there.


J

aaaaaahahahaha

Think of anji joli running through a beech with her.... (unless you like, think of brad pit, my friends love him) pamala anderson run....

sorry, about the palm thing...

Try hypnotherapy, that increases neuro creative activity. Or the kabalah sefot meditation, I have had some very visual and sensory experiances with that.

If all else fails sit down and "OM" of "AH"

Play it by EAR!, that is what you're reading rather by hand and Edward you'll see the sounds in a different soundview wave format.

Confused? Well good if you're a musician on canvas and things start to clicking even without the hands or sense.

Well, how 'bout a centerfold a quick glance gives you all the detailed submodalities over time eternally 'cuz it's interesting to you curiously, at least to me by meta stating, and a never ending continual beginnings layering upon layering within the layers or contexturings, blah10x2

Or, go the other way out route and bring those someone elses or things out here inside.

I knew I'd take a cheap pot shot at this and why I couldn't help myself a wonder I do sometimes.

PS get those magazines or clips installed not just ready like a movie reel projector then upgrade to digital instantly within.

Good Morning! and what are you laughing at. At least that's a start good.