What is visualisation?
Visualisation is the ability to create an artificial image within ones mind that is derived from our perception of things. Most of the time the images we create are from previous encounters with the external world, such as objects, people and sounds, but as we know our dreams frequently consist of things we have never seen, touched or heard before. This alone supports the argument that our imagination is in theory limitless.
Though a phenomenal feature of the human mind, the ability to visualise can distort our reality if we are not careful.
How Misunderstood Visualisation can Distort Reality
We’ve all woken up from a disturbing dream at some point in our lives and let out a sigh of relief the moment realise it was just a dream. These dreams do not only occur during sleep, it is also possible experience disturbing dreams when we are awake too. Many of us wander about our days aimlessly thinking and daydreaming for much of the time, but we’re not even aware of it.
The main difference between a disturbing nightmare and a disturbing daydream is the level of consciousness we are at when experiencing them. When we’re asleep, the vast majority of us are completely unconscious, hence at the time of the dream, we don’t actually know we’re dreaming until we wake up. When we do, we can quickly arrive at that distinction. When we’re awake, we move from an unconscious to a conscious state so become aware of the sensations and emotions that result from the dream, and often the idea that caused them too.
The difficulty with these ’daydreams’ is that they can occur wherever we are at any point in time, so when we suddenly feel anxious when we’re comfortably lay on the couch, or when out socialising with peers, all that we know is we want to get out of whatever that situation is as quickly as possible. As we enter that heightened state, the initial idea along with a wide variety of other connected ideas can flood our minds and that state can continue to exacerbate.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca - A Roman Philospher, or better known as one of the late Stoics said that “we suffer more in imagination than reality’. And it’s true. Our imaginations are so powerful that ideas can generate the very feelings of situations as if we’re actually there. It works in several ways. A common one for example would be the feelings we get when we’ve just booked a holiday. In the lead up to that holiday, we experience copious amounts of excitement, oftentimes even more than we feel when we actually get there. And the contrary applies; you know that nervous/anxious feeling we get prior to going out socialising…
If we do not bring a level of control over these situations, we can literally live a life in a distorted reality rather than in reality itself. We can believe that the ideas our minds create are how things actually are, and depending on their extent, have us confined to a make believe world, by which live our lives accordingly.
Understanding the need to distinguish between what is real and what is merely a psychologically fabrication (out here vs in there).
Almost all of us at some point in our lives will experience a mental image and witness difficult emotions resulting from it. We have to be able to recognise that the image created was merely an idea, and the consequential feelings are merely an effect of that idea. In such situations, being able to at least recognise that nothing in our surrounding environment at the time is a threat, thus whatever we feel stems from a mere a fabrication created by our minds, not something that exists in physical reality is a huge starting point.
The second is how we control our experience and our emotions so that they do not spiral out of control. This is the harder part but we can all do it with practice.
Meditation/Mindfulness strategies to manage uncomfortable emotions/sensations resulting from our Imaginations.
4-7-8 Method.
To practice 4-7-8 breathing, find a place to sit or lie down comfortably. Be sure you practice good posture, especially when starting out.
Prepare for the practice by resting the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, right behind your top front teeth. You’ll need to keep your tongue in place throughout the practice. It takes practice to keep from moving your tongue when you exhale. Exhaling during 4-7-8 breathing can be easier for some people when they purse their lips.
The following steps should all be carried out in the cycle of one breath:
-
First, let your lips part. Make a whooshing sound,
exhaling completely through your mouth. -
Next, close your lips, inhaling silently through your
nose as you count to four in your head. - Then, for seven seconds, hold your breath.
-
Make another whooshing exhale from your mouth for eight
seconds.
When you inhale again, you initiate a new cycle of breath. Practice this pattern for four full breaths.
The held breath (for seven seconds) is the most critical part of this practice. It’s also recommended that you only practice 4-7-8 breathing for four breaths when you’re first starting out. You can gradually work your way up to eight full breaths.
Box Breathing
Box breathing, also known as square breathing, is a technique used when taking slow, deep breaths. It can heighten performance and concentration while also being a powerful stress reliever. It’s also called four-square breathing.
Step 1: Slowly exhale
Sitting upright, slowly exhale through your mouth, getting all the oxygen out of your lungs. Focus on this intention and be conscious of what you’re doing.
Step 2: Slowly inhale
Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose to the count of four. In this step, count to four very slowly in your head.
Feel the air fill your lungs, one section at a time, until your lungs are completely full and the air moves into your abdomen.
Step 3: Hold your breath
Hold your breath for another slow count of four.
Step 4: Exhale again
Exhale through your mouth for the same slow count of four, expelling the air from your lungs and abdomen.
Be conscious of the feeling of the air leaving your lungs.
Step 5: Hold your breath again
Hold your breath for the same slow count of four before repeating this process.
Benefits of box breathing
According to the Mayo Clinic, there’s sufficient evidence that intentional deep breathing can actually calm and regulate the Autonomic nervous system (ANS).
This system regulates involuntary body functions such as temperature. It can lower blood pressure and provide an almost immediate sense of calm.
The slow holding of breath allows CO2 to build up in the blood. An increased blood CO2 enhances the cardio-inhibitory response of the vagus nerve when we exhale and stimulates our parasympathetic system. This produces a calm and relaxed feeling in the mind and body.
Body Scanning Meditation
Consciously focusing on our body helps us to develop a deep awareness of our physical sensations and how they relate to our emotions. Recognising where we hold your stress and tension in our body may help us gain insight into our thoughts and feelings. This information may lead to improved wellness for our physical and mental health.
Here are a few key benefits of body scanning meditation:
1. Helps reduce anxiety
You may not even be aware of the anxiety-based tension you’re holding in your body until you do a quick body scan. Recognising when and where you feel tension can help us better manage Anxiety.
A meta-analysis of 47 studies showed that mindful meditation practices like body scan meditation help decrease anxiety.
2. Decreases stress levels
It’s hard to avoid stress nowadays. When cortisol (also known as the “stress hormone”) levels are chronically high, your physical and mental health can suffer. Increased cortisol levels can lead to various problems, including poor sleep, weight gain, difficulty concentrating, a weakened immune system, and high blood pressure. The high levels of cortisol and stress reactions become a vicious cycle where you feel like you can’t calm down. Doing a body scan meditation practice for at least eight weeks helps lower cortisol levels.
Body scan meditation has a few simple steps:
- You should be in a comfortable position. You can sit in a chair or lie down.
- Breathe deeply and intentionally. Let your breath slow down as you breathe into your belly. Don’t let your shoulders go up and down with your breath. Instead, allow your belly to expand and contract. Imagine a balloon in your belly inflating with each inhale and deflating with each exhale.
- Begin by bringing awareness to your body. Start from your feet, moving up towards your head, or do it from head to toe if you’d like. At each body part, notice what you feel there. If you feel pain, accept the pain and your feelings towards the pain, and breathe through it. Move to the following body part when you are ready.
- Continue scanning through your entire body. Pay attention to where you’re holding tension. For some people, the back or neck can be prime areas of tension. Pay attention to areas of pain, pressure, or tightness. While a true body scan meditation often only involves noticing these discomforts and not necessarily trying to change them, you can imagine sending a breath to those painful areas. This helps to relieve tension at the moment.
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References
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/4-7-8-breathing#How-does-the-4-7-8-breathing-technique-work?
2. https://ro.co/health-guide/body-scan-meditation/
