So You Think You Cannot Visualize?

You say you cannot visualize. But in fact it's as natural as seeing, smelling, & feeling the world around you!

It is simply another sense that you can learn to use. Or ignore, as you might tune out sounds and smells around you, never noticing they're there.

But you can improve your ability to use this sense.

Why bother learning how to visualize? There's only this one little tiny benefit ...

You can use the power of your imagination to create reality.

Harnessing the awesome power of the imagination is key to working magick. So for Wiccans, this is one of the most important Spiritual Power Tools you can develop.

But you already know how powerful this is. So the question now is, how can you consciously harness this vast Power?

Do You Have Trouble Visualizing?

You may have had difficulty with this skill in the past. People tell me all the time that they cannot visualize. My response is . . .

Don't let that stop you!

I understand the frustration of not being able to see clear pictures in your head. In fact, when I started, I couldn't make myself see any pictures at all!

I'm happy to report that you don't have to "see pictures."

And I'm even happier to report that you already use visualization... you just haven't realized it yet. Please see the article What Is Visualization? to experience for yourself that you already can and do!

That means that even without a strong visual sense, you can learn to do this! There are practical exercises that can teach you how to visualize effectively.

A Multi-Sensory Experience

So why do so many people think it's impossible?

The difficulty arises due to a limitation of the English language. When you say you cannot visualize, you are really saying you can't see pictures in your head, on command.

But there are a lot more senses than you can use, other than vision.

In fact, in India where they have refined the technique to nearly a scientific art, they are absolutely clear that all your senses are to be involved.

When the yogis say to envision something, the last thing they mean is to see merely with the mind's eye. It is meant to include the mind's touch, mind's ear, mind's smell, and mind's taste too.

And perhaps even most important, it is meant to involve your somatic sensation as well.

In other words, when you can experience something with all your inner senses, and confirm this with your inner experience of "yes, this is right, this is true," that is when you gain a peerless spiritual Power Tool!

But in English, we don't yet have a word for this kind of experience. Our poor language has few words for experiences outside the left-brain model. So we're stuck with a very misleading term.

But what this Spiritual Power Tool is really about is . . .

To make a situation real to yourself, within your mind.

You can't do that with vision alone. In fact, vision may be one of the less important senses to use!

Vision is the most "left-brain" of the senses. It keeps things away at a distance.

Sound, smell, taste, and especially sensation . . . these are the senses that make things seem real.

Think about how you feel when you watch tv. You know it's not real, because all that is being stimulated is sight. Your other senses tell you something else entirely.

And at least one of these other senses will be what you are already using, if vision isn't your strongest sense.

Your Primary Senses

Everyone has senses that are more primary to her than others.

If you think you cannot visualize, it's because you're using a different cognitive sense as your primary sensory tool.

You may primarily use . . .

hearing,
smell, or
taste.

You may use one of the four body senses . . .

touch (tactile),
inner sensation (somatic),
movement (kinesthetic), or
emotion (the most magickally potent sense of all!).

Many witches find physical sensation a strong sense.

But whichever sense is primary for you, start with that. Recognise that you do visualize. Then it is only a matter of practice, to develop even greater skill.

Once you honour where you are now, you can begin learning how to do increase your visual abilities too.

With Brightest Blessings,

erin Dragonsong