How Visual Are You? A Guided Reflection

Visualization is a common strategy for meditation, but did you know that not all of us can see mental imagery? Even those of us who can visualize some things, may not be able to detect extensive detail or we may have to put in a lot of effort to conjure images. This channel discourages self-judgment but it encourages self-reflection and awareness.

In this guided reflection, you will get a chance to explore how visual you are and compare that capacity to your capacity for detecting physical sensations. The point here is not to rate yourself or diagnose conditions (rely on your care providers if you have concerns) but it may help you determine your relative strengths to see what style of meditation works best for you.

Transcript

Hi,

This is Claire E.

Parsons,

Mindfulness and compassion teacher,

Speaker,

And author.

I often say that meditation is not a test,

But this one sort of is.

In this practice,

You will get a chance to explore relative strengths in your mental traits.

Though I teach meditation,

I am not a visual person,

So I have had to learn ways to modify practice to suit my own needs.

This brief practice will give you a chance to explore your ability to visualize and connect with physical sensation.

It is not intended to diagnose conditions,

So consult with your care providers if you have any concerns,

But it may offer you some clarity about what meditation practices and approaches might serve you best.

Let's get started.

Find a comfortable seat.

Ideally,

You will find a way of sitting or resting that allows you to be both relaxed and alert.

We'll only be here for a few minutes,

So just find something that you can hold comfortably for about 5-10 minutes.

Begin by taking a moment to settle in.

You can connect to your breath for a few rounds,

Notice the stillness of your body,

Or connect with the silence in your environment.

Whatever helps your mind settle and open up and your body relax is fine to do.

Just take a moment to do that here to allow your mind to clear and allow your body to feel relaxed and at ease.

Then I invite you to bring the image of an apple to mind.

Avoid judging or reacting to what the image is or the quality of it.

Just notice the image that emerges.

Once you have the image of this apple in your mind,

I encourage you next to get curious about it and explore it a little more deeply.

How clear is the apple that you can see in your mind?

Does it look like a photograph of a real object or more like a drawing or cartoon?

Are you seeing an image at all?

If you do see an image,

Is the image of the apple just a shape or an outline or is there more detail?

Can you see color?

Does the apple have a leaf or a stem?

Is there any context that the apple is appearing in or are you only able to visualize an apple in isolation floating in your mind's eye?

Does your mind create the image of this apple on its own or does it feel like you have to work at it?

Do you still have the image of the apple in your mind?

Has it stayed steady or is it now gone?

Is it something that you had to work at to keep bringing it up?

Let's take a moment here to reflect on what you observed,

What you noticed,

And then I encourage you to let the image of the apple go.

And further still,

I encourage you to let go of any judgment about how you did.

The purpose of this practice is not to rate or judge ourselves,

But to just learn more.

Take a moment to remember that we are all different and those differences are what makes life great.

And then to provide a basis for comparison,

I encourage you to bring another type of sensory experience to mind.

Bring your awareness into your hands.

Instead of the image of your hands in your mind,

I encourage you here to notice the physical sensations in your hands.

Can you notice the sensations in your hands together or individually?

How intense are the sensations that you feel?

Do you feel sensations at all?

What words or qualities would you use to describe what you feel?

And how detailed and varied can you get with this?

Do you notice tingling or pulsing or temperature or temperature?

Or pulsing or temperature or the fact that your hands might be resting and not moving?

Do you detect sensations in different parts of your hand?

The palms,

The back of your hands,

The individual fingers,

The tips of the fingers in comparison to the base of the fingers near your knuckles?

How easy is it for your attention to stay with these sensations?

Can your mind rest there or do you have to keep bringing your mind back?

And how long do these sensations tend to last and linger before your mind wanders away to some other point of focus?

Again,

I now invite you to let the sensations in your hand go.

Without judgment towards yourself,

Can you bring in some curiosity to consider the relative difference between the visual experience and the physical one?

Was one comparatively easier for you?

Was one more intense?

Was one more pleasurable?

Or were they both fairly similar?

No answer is right or wrong.

The point of this practice is to explore your mental traits as they are to determine if it sheds light on how best to support your meditation practice.

Take a quick moment to congratulate yourself for trying this practice and being open to exploring how your mind works.

Take a deep breath in,

Filling your lungs all the way to the top.

And as you exhale,

Let go of all worries or judgments about what this practice may mean.

When you are ready,

You can return to your daily activities.