The Power of Visualizing

A lot of things come to mind when I hear the term "visualizing", and I hate to admit it, but my mind is initially filled with images of fighting aliens and saving the school in a heroic fashion. You know, typical middle school boy ideology manifested and something along the lines of "I'm too cool for this learning shit. When I first heard the term used I thought it was just a fancy substitution for "daydreaming", and only reserved for pretentious people to be like, "I visualize while y'all daydream." Yeah okay, I bet you play chess as well.

It wasn't until I started to do my own research into the subject that the difference between visualizing and daydreaming became very clear. All it takes is a simple internet search to learn that daydreaming is more incoherent and episodic whereas visualizing involves a set goal and purpose. I have learned more about this distinction by reading books such as, "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill and "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" by Joe Dispenza as well as listening to Andrew Huberman's podcasts on the subject. If you want more in-depth descriptions of the power of visualization, I would check out these sources (linked below). Now for the power of visualizing.

Visualizing can be described as, using your imagination to envision images and mental scenes with the belief that they are already true. To get the best results, the visualization should be applicable to a real-world situation. In addition, you should keep it short but repeat it many times and combine it with real-world experience. For instance, let's say I am an aspiring soccer player and I want to improve my juggling skills (keeping the ball in the air with both feet). My goal for the day is to achieve 25 consecutive juggles without the ball touching the ground. Before I attempt the action, I will visualize myself completing the 25 juggle (first person POV) making sure to be as descriptive and vivid as possible. I would imagine the sun on my skin and the gentle breeze tugging on my shirt and most importantly, I would imagine the feeling of excitement and joy of reaching my goal. I would end the visualization while maintaining faith that I have already succeeded at completing 25 juggles. After repeating this process multiple times, make sure to combine it with real-world experience, in this case, I would actually practice juggling a soccer ball. Making a commitment to completing visualization before doing a task is sure to bring more success and is a great way to learn faster. Michael Jordan said it best, "You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them."

The power of visualization comes from within the brain and its allocated systems. There is a lot of discussion on whether or not the brain can distinguish the difference between reality and imagination, what we know for sure is that when you imagine something you activate a lot of the same network systems that would be active when actually completing the task. This is why visualization is so powerful and can help enhance the speed and accuracy at which a skill is learned. In essence, when you visualize, you are priming your brain for future action by reinforcing the neural pathways that are required for said action. This is why consistent visualization is one of the greatest tools to generate success in life. I think it is also worth mentioning that similar effects are produced by your thoughts and emotions. If you think negatively all the time and hold the belief that you are undeserving of the things that have come into your life, you will prime yourself to continue to think and feel this way. You will strengthen neural pathways that cause negativity. At the same time, the opposite is equally true, and if you think positively you are destined to see the world in an optimistic light. It's time to start taking advantage of the power of visualization you have been gifted.

Links:

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill (Has a lot of testimonials and real-world stories)

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself - Joe Dispenza (Has a lot of science, combines neuroscience, quantum physics, and biology. Very mystical)

Andrew Huberman podcasts

Science-Based Mental Training & Visualization for Improved Learning - The podcast in reference