Guided Imagery
Guided imagery is a form of deliberate, directed daydreaming—a purposeful use of the imagination to support health and healing. It deploys evocative words and phrases, usually accompanied by music, that are designed to create rich, multi-sensory fantasy and memory. The immersive voice tone, relaxed pacing and choice of language and music create a hypnotic, receptive mind-state that is ideal for supporting desired changes in mind, body, psyche, and spirit.
Imagery is a specific kind of hypnosis that also falls under the general category of meditation. In Europe, it is often called autogenic training. Calling it "visualization" is misleading. Effective guided imagery uses, not just sight, but also sound, smell, taste and—most importantly—feel. It can also evoke emotion to enhance its efficacy.
Guided imagery can be useful for a large variety of symptoms, including general wellness, reducing stress and anxiety, anger management, and self-esteem. In cancer, it has been shown to improve:
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Nausea/vomiting
- Anxiety
- General distress
Try This
Kaiser Permanente has an open access page that offers 20 imagery streams: Guided Imagery Audios Online. Options include Cancer: Coping; Cancer: Chemotherapy; Cancer: Radiation Therapy; Pain; Stress; Relaxation and Wellness; Sleep
Why It Works
There are 3 basic, operating principles behind the effectiveness of guided imagery:
- To the body, sensory images created in the mind are almost as real as actual events.
- In a relaxed, altered state (trance state), we are capable of more rapid and intense healing, growth, learning and change.
- When we have at our disposal a technique that gives us a sense of autonomy and locus of control, we are empowered to feel better and do better.
Guided imagery, by its very nature, combines all three of these principles, resulting in a user-friendly, versatile, portable inner tool kit, available any time and any place, to help people maximally achieve their healing or performance goals.
