Hy !

I'm curious how some of you guys improved working with pictures because I have difficulty in getting the submodalities of my internal images and even harder to keep an image in my mind for some time.
Now I'm aware that this takes practice of course cause that's why all this meditators spend years and years to play around in their head to do "miraculous" things

I ask you how did you started playing with your internal imagery and what techniques / ideas did you apply to become better over time. . .to be able to make very finite distinctions in the submodalities ?

For example for me when I close my eyes and focus on a memory after some 3-5seconds it disappears, goes away or something else comes in it's place.

What are some of your advices and ideas ???

Thank you

Hi Shanti,

If holding internal images is a problem, can you remember the sounds or voices etc that relate to the same memory? if you can then can you also remember how you felt? then go back to what you saw and keep stacking all 3 modaliles.

now start to notice more subtle things like is the image colour or black and white, what direction do the sounds come from, where does the feeling start in your body etc..

All of this stuff takes practice and to start with it is easier if done with someone else.

Jason

If an internal picture of a memory seems to disappear after several seconds, do you have the smae experience when imagining things that have not happened? eg can you create a visual representation of something that is not a memory, a daydream, a fantasy etc, and if so how long does it last?

I ask because for me the internal visual SMD is one that needs to have an element of change to keep it going.

Trying to hold a static unchanging image is harder than visualising a progressing story. For me a "still" will appear, be registered and fade, where as a movie will be watchable for as long as I care to pay attention.

Have you experiemented with movies vs stills?

Is there a particular purpose to holding an image for a longer period that you are trying to acheive?

If you are just working with or elicitng SMD's this is best done fast anyhow... if there is another purpose like better retention of visual detail there may be some useful exercises for that specifcally.

Genrally the rule is practice practice practice - my best SMD is visual so I have never had to put much effort in, but I worked very hard on improving my Auditory acuity and it was just practice.

Thank you for your replies

I just went tot the NHR seminar in UK held by Meta with Richard B. and John La Valle and as I talked with people the ones that could go in deeep trances and do wild hypnotic phenomenons could visualise really good.

We did for example arm catalepsy and I had someone imagine a huge flow of water going through his arm from left to right in horizontal line infinite line. She did it really quick and easy and I couldn't bend her arm no more. after maximum 1min trance induction.
Then I tried it and I wasn't able to do it.
I asked her how she did it and she said "well I could see very clear my body and the flow through my arm"

One big interesting problem I have is that I can't stabilize an image of my body. I tried look in mirror close my eye open close and maintain and build an image of my body but it vanishes and without any visual input it's hard to do anything.

I'll keep practicing and if you have interesting ideas of how you play inside your brain just post them.