Meditation-Visualization

Visualization

In a study conducted at Yale University, scientists found out that visualization can stimulate almost all the same areas of our brain as meditation techniques do (Newberg & Waldman. How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist. P. 188.). Using visualization can be of paramount importance in healing the body. Numerous studies show that the human nervous system is influenced by our mental state. The images we create and see in our mind’s eye during visualization are capable of affecting the physiology of our bodies, thus leading us back to health and

healing. In the course of visualization, the more profoundly we experience the imagery, the more our body's physiology will change:

Edmund Jacobsen, the renowned physiologist, demonstrated extensively that when people imagine body movements, the motor nerves in these areas actually fire and the muscle fibers contract. These movements, called micromovements, can be very subtle, but even if they are not visible to the eye, they can be picked up by electromyographic machines. This response is remarkable in itself, but even more interesting is the fact that the body builds nerve circuits, that is, it “learns”, based on imagery exercises
that result in micromovements. This learning is the basis of the imagery exercises that athletes use to improve their performance.

When they picture successful completion of an activity, their performance actually improves. The micromovements improve the athletes’ performance as they increase the athletes’ confidence in their ability to perform. Imagery has also been shown to have immediate physiological effects on body systems other than the muscles. It directly affects the gastrointestinal tract...imagery affects virtually every organ in the body

(Samuels, Michael. Healing with the Mind’s Eye, 2003, pp. 73-74)

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