Special Problem with Visualization

Special Problem with Visualization

Occasionally a person has completely blocked his ability to visualize or imagine at will and feels that he simply can't do it. This type of block usually arises from a fear and it can be worked through if the person who experiences the difficulty desires to solve the problem.

Usually a person blocks his ability to use creative visualization out of a fear of what he may encounter by looking inside himself fear of his own unacknowledged feelings and emotions.

For example, a man in one of my classes was consistently unable to visualize, and kept falling asleep during the meditations. It turned out that he had once had a profoundly emotional experience during a visualization process, and he was afraid he would be embarrassed by becoming emotional in front of others.

A woman client of mine had difficulty visualizing until she went through therapy and was able to get in touch with, experience, and release painful feelings that she had buried inside since childhood.

The truth is that there is nothing within us that can hurts us; it is only our fear of experiencing our own feelings that can keep us trapped.

If anything unusual or unexpected arises during meditation, the best thing is simply to look at it fully, be with it and experience it as much as you can, and you will find that it eventually will lose and negative power over you. Our fears arise form things we don't confront. Once we are willing to look fully and deeply at the source of a fear, it loses its power. If we feel overwhelmed, it can be very helpful to get support from a good counselor or therapist who can help us accept and express our feelings. This is especially important if we've had a lot of pain or trauma in our lives.

Fortunately, problems with visualization are relatively rare. As a rule, creative visualization comes naturally, and the more you practice it, the easier it becomes. If visualization is difficult for you, you may find that saying affirmations is easier and more effective.