Guided Imagery
Did you ever wake up from a dream with your heart pumping from excitement or fear? After taking a moment to fully wake up, you know it was a dream—but your brain can't tell if the images are "real," so it sends messages to your body. This is a mind-body connection, and both our waking and "sleeping" mind affect our body.
If dreams can change our body while we sleep, can images change our body when we are awake? Yes! Guided imagery is a technique that lets us use our imagination to our benefit. We can create images to calm ourselves, relieve stress, reduce pain, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep. Some practitioners include guided imagery in programs to manage chronic illness—and all of us can learn to use it on our own. One patient says:
I used visualization when my platelet count was reported as low. I started this process while waiting for a second opinion from a hematologist. The second blood test showed my count within normal range. Was it an erroneous report the first time, or did the visualization actually work? Who can say or know? I am only glad to know that I potentially have power over my body.
How to use guided imagery
How can you direct your thoughts to improve your health and well-being? Imagery can include all the senses—sound, taste, smell, sight, and touch. Here are some tips:
- Play a music tape to relax. One common method is to find a peaceful place in your mind and spend time there to relax. It might be a tranquil beach, a cool forest, or a favorite vacation spot—anywhere that makes you feel calm, safe, and happy. Can you think of an image you might use?
- Keep your image in mind to replace a recurring worry or negative thought. When you feel bogged down with your thoughts, change the channel! Switch to your image to distract yourself.
- Give an image to your pain or health problem, then change the image to release the pain. For example, you might think of thirst as a desert, then imagine a cool rain falling on the sands.
- Write and record your own script to focus on an area you want to change. You might create an image to imagine insulin doing its work, or your body accepting a transplanted kidney. Record the script in your own voice, or ask a friend to read it for you.
- Buy guided imagery CDs that will take you through the process of relaxing your muscles and imagining yourself in a calming place.
History of Guided Imagery
Cancer physicians Dr. O. Carl Simonton and his then-wife, Stephanie, were among the first to include the link between emotions and the body in their cancer support program. They used active guided imagery, suggesting that patients imagine their cancer cells being gobbled up by the popular video game character, Pac-Man®. Their program had positive results, and since then, other physicians, such as Bernie Siegel, Larry Dossey, and Norman Shealy, have also used imagery to aid healing.
