The Gift of Visualization

How image is used as a tool for drawing our desires out of the earth of the formless into the earth of the formed.
The vision that you glorify in your mind, the idea that you enthrone in your heart – this you wish build your life by; this you wish become. James Allen

The third spiritual step* in manifesting miracles and attracting all that you desire into your life entails mistreatment the gift of visualization. Image is our god-given ability to paint a mental image of what we desire. As Philosopher said, the soul ne'er thinks without a picture.

In 1999 I discovered a story that illustrated this truth in remarkably simple terms. I was reading a book titled 100 Route to Cause Yourself by Steve Chandler. Chandler had been a sports journalist for the Metropolis Citizen. In1976 he was appointed to do a feature story on an unknown Austrian actor. As Chandler put it, it was to be a story he would-be ne'er forget. (And, I power add, it was to be a story I would-be ne'er forget). The interview took place over lunch at a Crossbar hotel. As the two men sat across from each other, Chandler reportable that no heads turned to look at the actor. No one recognized him. Even as Chandler knew really little simply about him, different than the fact that he had achieved success as a body builder and was now in town business a flick that had been a box office disappointment. During their conversation, Chandler nonchalantly asked the actor what he was going to do now that he had retired from bodybuilding. In a matter of fact voice and without missing a beat, the actor replied in his thick Austrian accent, “I’m going to become the number one box office star in all of Hollywood.” Chandler was taken off guard by the naïve, boldness of his statement. After all, commented Chandler to his readers, a thick Austrian accent and large physique didn’t exactly do nice box office material. Doing his better to disguise his shock and amusement, Chandler sedately asked him how he planned on accomplishing his task. The actor replied in the same matter of fact tone. “It’s the same process I used in body building. “What you do is create a vision of who you want to be, and then live into that picture, as if it were already true.” I’m sure you’re patterned out by now, that that actor was Arnold Swarzenegger.

Arnold’s story is remarkably simple. Yet the plain and powerful truth of it is undeniable. It illustrates in twenty 1st century terms what everyone in every tradition has recognized since the beginning of time. We human beings have the unique power of being able to transform the circumstances of our lives through the power of visualization. This power to create a image that the soul ne'er thinks without is part of our divine heritage, for it is the really same power that was used to create us. Every person alive has been bequeathed the divine power of visualization. Several are more precocious at mistreatment it than others. These are the ones that realize that this power flourishes once it is aligned with the intention for which it was created -- to give and extend love, joy, peace and abundance. Once we give our imagination free reign to do mental images of this type we can manifest miracles.

Is it actually as simple as this? Yes. It is. The wall that stands between us and the truth of it is doubt. Our enemy is always within. But our doubt diminishes once we move face to face with the fact that we use the power of image every moment of every day. The smallest actions that we take are necessarily preceded by the formation of a mental picture. The simple act of deed up and walking across the room requires that we 1st do a mental image of it. In the words of A Course In Miracles, There is no such thing as idle thought. All thought produces form at several level. Therefore, each time we glorify in our minds and enthrone in our hearts our desire to overcome a life long fear, finally get the job we want, finish an addiction, reconcile or find a adoring relationship – we are taking the initial step of concretizing and giving form to our desire. Every mental images acts as a prayer asking for the thing that we are glorifying and enthroning to be free from the realm of the formless into the realm of the formed. Since we are thinking all the time, the implications of this are that we are actually praying all the time. Once we become conscious of this we begin to pay closer attention to what we’re visualizing and how we use image to create our lives.

It is important to realize in all of this that image makes not ask for thing new to be created. As the scripture tells us, there is nothing new under the sun. Image is the art of drawing to us a new expression of what has already been created. It is a means of business forth that which already exists out of the earth of the formless into the earth of the formed. Our genius is expression not creation. In fact, all great creator of any ilk are au fond expressing thing not creating it. They are sound into the realm of the formless and giving it new form through their unique expression. That’s why all great art seems so familiar to us. We recognize it as thing we’ve somehow already seen or heard. Our hearts rejoice in its proverbial, simple truth. .

Once we actually understand this we realize the truth of Arnold Swarzenegger’s approach to our heart’s desire. The 1st step is to crate a vision of who we want to be. This means that we do a mental image of how improved our lives wish be, when, for example, we step into our new career. The next step is to live into the image as if it were already true, because, the fact of the matter is, it IS true. Once again, the rock that stands between us and the simplicity of this is our distrustful ego. Carver was a visionary artist. He could “see” his “creations” before they were expressed. It is aforementioned that he saw David hidden in the marble before he distinct him out and “released” him from his rocky prison. Our job is more the same as Michelangelo’s. We must “see” what we desire in our minds eye then chisel away the excess marble of our ego until our desire is free into our lives.

We need not concern ourselves simply about the specifics of how things wish unfold or what we power move up against on the way. Our scope of awareness is too limited to cognize how many a complex details must fall into place before our desire can be fulfilled. We must let go and let the universe handle the details as they say. Our job is to do our homework, hold fast to our vision, accept life, extend love, be forgiving and with patience chisel away at the rock as we wait for the necessary things to fall into place.

Rest assured, the universe wish not fail in revealing to us the things to which we must pay attention on the way. If we need to become more trusting, more giving, more fearless, more confident, less jealous, less judgmental, etc. life wish give us plenty of opportunities to correct our thinking in this regard. It’s as tho' we offer up our visualizations as a prayer to the universe and it answers back by showing us the things we have to change in our selves in order to breakthrough the firewall that is separating us from our desire. Ironically, patience and the temperament to take our lessons on the way are the simply right ingredients for speeding up the process of manifesting our visualizations. Beyond any doubt our progress wish include one step forward and two steps backward. But after all, it has been aforementioned that the road to success is always under construction. We must realize this and not push or try to do things happen. There’s a gentle balance that is required between asking for things and waiting to obtain them. Once we push to do things happen or try too hard, rest assured they won’t. You can’t pound grass to do it grow or push a bird’s wings to do it fly. We cannot force or control things. Any thinking person knows that the only thing we have any control over in life is us. The better way to be in “control” is to relax so that we can be flexible and yielding to the forces that move our way. This allows for the natural development of life. There is an ancient Chinese literary composition that expresses this point beautifully.

At birth all folk are soft and yielding. At death they are hard and stiff All green plants are tender and yielding. At death they are brittle and dry. Once hard and rigid We consort with death. Once soft and flexible, We affirm greater life.

Lao Chu

Our patience and flexibility at acceptive some comes our way affirms our faith in the greater life that we have visualized. Obstacles move our way for a reason. (More on this later.) Once asking for miracles we are asking for route to transcend obstacles not fight them.

Meanwhile, we must quietly go simply about our business and be silent simply about the inner activity that we are doing and the changes we are attempting to manifest. We must be like a parent eagle sitting on top of our un-hatched eggs, keeping them warm, hidden and protected from predators. Talking simply about our desires gives them premature birth. It weakens their ability to manifest to the fullest extent. Moreover, talking simply about what we’re up to more often than not involves looking for approval -- another activity of the ego. We must be ever alert against allowing our energy to be weakened in any way by the ego.

To summarize, here are the seven key steps for mistreatment the gift of image to manifest miracles:

1. Create an inner vision of who you want to be and the changes you want to do in your life. Image how your life wish improve once you realize all that you desire. 2. Align your intention with giving and extending love, joy, peace and abundance for all concerned.

3. Cognize that what you want already exists and necessarily only the right conditions to move together to allow for its fullest manifestation. Those “right conditions” are outside your ken.

4. Support your ego at bay. Do not allow it to inject fear, doubt, worry, pride or feelings of badness into the picture.

5. Act as if what you want is already consummated because it is. Do not be concerned simply about the how of it.

6. Be patient, gentle and yielding to the forces that move your way. Everything is happening for a reason.

7. Support silent. Contain your energy and prevent premature birth or dissipation of your energy.

*This is the third of nine spiritual steps for manifesting miracles -- an excerpt from my book of the same title.

About the Author

Loretta Siani, Ph.D. is a clinical hypnotherapist. In her private practice teaches the mind/body model and combines hypnosis, neuro-linguistic psychology, target-hunting visualizations, aromatherapy, dream activity and the principles of A Course In Miracles to assist her clients in achieving transformational changes. Dr. Siani's book, The Magic of Excellence, and her book and CD's for eliminating stress, can be purchased at http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/00761.htm or from her website www.lorettasiani.com, click on "products."