Negative Visualization Session

In this session, I will guide you through a Negative Visualization - a technique that ancient Stoics (eg. Seneca, Aurelius) used to develop gratitude and appreciation in their lives. We believe we are entitled to housing, medical care, be treated well, our health, see our children grow older. Yet, all these are transient! Have in mind that powerful emotions may arise through this exercise. Let them guide you on what you take for granted and on what you neglect at the moment.

Transcript

Hi,

My name is Pierros from Coaching Under the Tree and I help people through a blend of coaching and meditation to step closer to their well-being so they start living a more fulfilled and meaningful life.

And our topic today is about negative visualization,

Which is a technique that ancient Stoics used to practice to prepare themselves but also to develop appreciation and gratitude,

Not for the past,

Not for the future,

But for the present moment where life actually takes place.

And the whole idea around negative visualization is a simple question.

How do you think your life will change if you lose a hand?

And it's not only about your hand,

It's about anything that you may take for granted.

And during this exercise a lot of powerful emotions may arise,

But this is a good thing.

They tell you that you really care about something.

And they really show you something about the way you act,

The way you behave,

About what you neglect at the moment.

So to begin with,

I would like you to find a comfortable position.

You can sit down on the floor,

On a chair,

Or you can even lie down.

I would suggest you to close your eyes so you don't have any visual distractions.

And I would like you to take a few deep breaths as a way of settling down your mind.

So breathe in.

And breathe out fully.

Breathe in again.

And breathe out.

And let the air start moving on its own accord.

Don't try to control it.

We believe we are entitled to so many things.

To housing,

Food,

Clean water.

We believe we are entitled to see our children grow older.

We believe we are entitled to our hands,

Our eyes.

But all these are transient.

Eventually everything will decay.

Buildings will collapse,

Humans will die.

But still we take everything for granted.

I want to bring into your mind three things that you currently take for granted.

And this could be anything,

Could be your family,

The city you live in,

Your eyes,

Your job.

And I will leave you a few moments to think about this.

Now I would like you to focus only on one of these.

Whatever is this that your heart says so.

Something that you take for granted right now.

And if you have chosen one,

Think about how your life would change if you lose this.

What if you knew that you had only one more day with this thing that you were focusing on?

And what is the simplest thing you can do right now after the end of this meditation that you still have this thing?

Powerful emotions may arise,

Warm ones or even painful ones.

Let them be as they are.

Don't try to change them.

And explore these feelings as they come and go,

Because these are great indicators and they tell you that you really care about something.

What do these emotions tell you about how you act,

How you behave or even what you neglect at the moment?

And if your mind is distracted,

I want you to bring your awareness back to this question.

What is this that you don't do currently,

But you could definitely do if you knew for sure that you would lose this thing that you take for granted?

What would you do if you knew that you only had one more day with this?

And what is the simplest and easiest thing to do after the end of this meditation that you still have this?

And now,

As this visualization comes to an end,

I would like you to focus on this sound.

The sound of the bell.

The sound of the bell.

The sound of the bell.

The sound of the bell.

And now gently take a few deep breaths.

Start moving your fingers,

Your toes.

And when you feel ready,

You can open your eyes.

I'm really curious to know about your experiences through this guided visualization.

And I really want to know if you have ever tried negative visualization before or if it's your first time.

For me personally,

Every time that I practice negative visualization,

I realize how much for granted I take my closed ones.

And this practice has helped me in ways that I couldn't imagine before.

I hope you found this guided visualization helpful and thought-provoking.

Thank you for listening and take care.

Reviews

I would hate to lose my hand. The richness of playing piano comes from being able to play the melody and the harmonies in the background at the same time. I am really grateful that I still have both hands and all of my fingers.

First time for this type, very helpful and strengthens the gratitude journaling🙏🏻✨

Beautiful meditation! This was my first experience with looking at the negative aspect of gratitude. I saw how much I take my physical body and health for granted and ways to show myself love. Very powerful. I will return to this one again. Thank you.🌈💓☀️

This was my first time practicing negative visualization. The meditation was really well done and introduced me to a very relatable practice. Thank you.

A wonderful practice I think EVERYONE should do. We all take things for granted at some time or another, and this practice helps to bring about gratitude for those things.

It made me cry. I am so grateful to you for this meditation, that would help me to be more grateful towards everything in my life. So much Metta for you😀

Thank you! This is a completely different approach to a gratitude practice. And for me it is more powerful than simply listing and considering the things I’m thankful for. (Though that is certainly good.) Thank you so much Spiros for sharing this long-forgotten approach. It will become a major part of my practice.

And please keep publishing and helping. You have good ideas.

I love this!!! I felt this deeply and knowingly. I will return...my first but not last time. I am grateful for you💜💜🙏🙏

What an incredibly powerful practice. Though I practice gratitude throughout the day, this truly made me realize that there are some important things that I do take for granted. The realization that everything is impermanent allows us to truly live in the present and be thankful. Thank you so much for sharing this. Namaste 💗🙏🏼