Creative Visualization for Personal Growth
The Law of Attraction, Magic, and Manifestation
Jun 28, 2009
The 2006 film The Secret catapulted the law of attraction into mainstream awareness. The theory has ancient roots spread across many cultures, and today many people associate it with the New Age and New Thought movements.
Creative visualization is a process integral to the law of attraction and manifestation. For those without mystical or metaphysical leanings, creative visualization can nonetheless be honed as a skill for personal growth and healing.
The Basics of the Law of Attraction and Manifestation
Whether you idolize or fear him, Aleister Crowley's reputation preceded him. The renowned occultist defined magic as “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will.” This is a basic assumption underlying manifestation.
The law of attraction is based on the idea that everything in the universe is comprised of energy, including thoughts. Proponents of the theory believe that energy of a certain vibrational density will attract similar energy. If thoughts radiate their own energy and are capable of attracting similar energy, then it follows that thoughts influence both internal and external reality.
Crowley’s definition of magic speaks to the idea that a person’s will shapes external reality, drawing upon that which is energetically congruent with the person's intention. The extent to which one is able to manifest a desired change is rooted in the focused strength of his or her will.
While law of attraction advocates use the field of quantum physics to substantiate their claims, many critics chalk it up to pseudoscience. Another criticism is that it feeds into victim blaming. In 2007, the New York Post quoted comedian Dave Chappelle as saying, “Tell those starving kids in Africa who haven't eaten for five days that what they need to do is visualize roast beef and mashed potatoes: 'The problem is, kid, you have a bad attitude about starving to death.’"
Using Creative Visualization for Personal Growth and Healing
Research suggests that creative visualization can effectively assist people in creating positive change. In a study published in Research Quarterly, Australian psychologist Alan Richardson found that athletes were able to improve muscle memory by visualizing certain athletic activities. Athletes who visualized making free throws on a daily basis over a period of 20 days improved just as much (24%) as athletes who physically practiced for the same amount of time.
Numerous studies have also shown creative visualization, such as guided imagery, to have positive health outcomes. Cancer patients who, in addition to medical treatment, visualize their bodies successfully destroying cancer cells have higher remission rates and life expectancies. Creative visualization is also effective in pain-management.
In her book Creative Visualization, personal development guru Shakti Gawain explains, "Creative visualization is magic in the truest and highest meaning of the word. It involves understanding and aligning yourself with the natural principles that govern the workings of our universe, and learning to use these principles in the most conscious and creative way.”
Creative visualization coupled with positive affirmations can strengthen will, increase focus, shift negative thinking, dislodge obstructive personal narratives, and clarify intentions, all of which are powerful areas of growth in and of themselves.
Perhaps this is because visualization taps into cognitive processes. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a psychotherapy modality that suggests thoughts influence emotions and behaviors. Creative visualization is a cognitive process and as such can reinforce healthy thought patterns while transforming unhealthy ones.
To begin a creative visualization practice for personal growth, consider the following guidelines:
- Set your intention. Be specific, which requires some degree of self-inquiry. Your intention may be tangible, like finding a meaningful position at a non-profit organization. Or it may be subjective, like being more positive. In this case, what does being more positive mean to you?
- Visualize it. In a paper summarizing his study about athletes and visualization, Richardson wrote that the most effective visualization occurs when the visualizer feels and sees what he's doing. In your mind's eye, create a picture of your intention as if it has manifested. Imagine yourself in the scene. What are the sights, flavors, smells, and textures? What emotions do you feel? What are you doing?
- Focus on this image often. Repetition will help you attune to your intention.
- Create affirmations to assist you in the process. Affirmations are an effective way to work with thoughts and cognitions. Persistent negative thoughts are habitual thoughts, which show up as entrenched neural pathways. Affirmations can help you break these habits and create new neural tracts.
For more information on creative visualization, please see Creative Visualization Exercises.
Sources:
- Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shakti Gawain, Bantam, 1997
 |
