Visualizations And Healing

By Author: Robert Bruce Baird
Total Articles: 190
Comment this article

One of my favourite ways of getting to know someone and allowing them to move into a free state of mind and openness to imagery or symbols is the psychological word test. It is used by many psychologists in a similar manner to a Rorschach test. I do not think there is as much value in the Rorschach test because there is no communication between the interpreter and the patient. No doubt there are circumstances when an open sharing of what the psychologist perceives is not advantageous but often it is a desire to gain a position of power and control at work. It can also mask the ineptitude of the practitioner.

In the psychological word test you establish a personal paradise before starting. In the trip through paradise the interpreter withholds the interpretation until all the answers have been given to the visualizations of that person's personal and free paradise. Just helping the person lose their fears and setting the proper mood takes skill and compassion or (hopefully you can access your empathic connections) love. It will build good visualization skills in people who have never done it before. Visualizations ...
... are very much a part of wholistic healing and dreams are one of the most important ways of working on the visualized regeneration. Breathing is a regimen of continued impact and becomes unconsciously able to attune the forces that proper visualization can attune ones' body to allow such creation. It all works together in harmony with beauty and a lack of fear when one knows the soul 'within'.

The following quote says that fear and insecurity impact how one acts towards their own body in some interesting ways. The book it is taken from is The Healing Power of Dreams by Patricia Garfield Ph. D.:
"Transformation Rituals
New Behaviors as Health Returns

People who have been injured or ill mark their return to wellness by specific behaviors. These actions are sometimes straightforward 'freshening up'. Rona, for instance, after being out of-work for several months with a mangled wrist, had her hair colored and newly styled and got a manicure the week prior to returning to her job. Hand therapists report that one of the surest signs of increased vigor in a woman with a hand injury is beginning to use nail polish again or getting a manicure. Such women, like Rona, are feeling well enough to want to look attractive. Yet these behaviors imply even more.

We saw how an alienation of the afflicted body part is typical following an injury. Using nail polish indicates that the woman is re-connecting with her formerly disowned body part. We need to ‘readopt' our body parts to become whole. We can help ourselves do this by deliberately choosing words that repossess our bodies {And visualize it in our late night before sleep or early morning when awaking exercises, of what we are and what we are going to do to make our lives what we need to fulfill our purpose.}, saying 'my scar', and so forth. We are creatures who act upon our environment; we're not simply passive recipients of forces. We can use active verbs to describe what we do or experience and deliberately use integrative imagery. (28)

Getting well is not simply the restoration of functioning. Ideally, our repaired body parts should move and function again with ease and grace. {The same is true with unused or underused talents even more so; like ESP and meditative attunements or empathy.} Bridging the gap between walking stiffly and moving with natural ease is crucial. This may not always be possible, of course, as when a body part has been damaged beyond repair or lost, but the closer we can move toward this goal, the better we will feel. Being well means we are able to use our repaired body as naturally and gracefully as possible given our circumstances {With a happy outlook borne of ‘no fear' and the knowledge you are a good person doing what really counts.}. Oliver Sacks, whose leg had been so badly injured, found himself walking in a stiff and awkward fashion when he got out of his cast. This condition persisted for some time until he was persuaded by a consultant to do an activity he loved: swimming. By performing actions that felt natural to him in the water, he discovered I that his natural grace carried over to moving fluently on land as well. He was once again able to walk with ease. Whether we dance or paint pictures, performing activities we love may help us make the final step to wellness.

Anger is a major problem for people {We are never angry at others; just angry at our own shortcomings in dealing with a situation.} who have been injured, along with depression. We must let go of our anger to get well. Hand therapist Marilyn Armbruster explained, 'Many patients get stuck in anger and don't get better. They tell me how long they waited in the emergency room and what the doctor did wrong. They go over this every time I see them. These patients often don't improve.'" (29)

About the Author Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest 'expert' at World-Mysteries.com