How Visualization Helps People Process Emotions

Ever been stuck in an emotional state and feel like you’ll never get out of it? With the right methods, you mindset and emotions can change in a few minutes.A technique that works really well for this is visualization. What exactly does visualization do to elicit such a quick change? How does it affect our well-being? What does the research say?

According to Healthline , visualization has these good benefits:

Relieves symptoms of anxiety and depression, leads to greater compassion for yourself and others, makes it easier to cope with stress, and increases self-confidence.

What is Visualization?

Visualization is a process of creating an image in your mind. Using this visual symbol, a person can create or reconstruct an event without needing to use words.

For people who are visually oriented, this is an easy-to-use tool. Even for those who claim that they can’t visualize, they actually can to some degree. For example, if you ask a person to see their car and describe its shape and color, most people could easily do that. This then makes it more believable to them that they can create an image in their mind.

Another way to understand what visualization is – use the Lemon Convincer experiment. This is often done in explaining hypnosis and how powerful the mind is in creating change. Close your eyes and imagine yourself going into your kitchen, seeing a bowl of lemons, a cutting board, and a knife on the counter. Pick up the knife and cut a lemon into wedges. Pick up a wedge and suck on it. What happens? Most people find that their mouth puckers, they start to salivate, or some other physical sensation. Just by using visualization, without actually tasting a lemon, a person’s physiology changes.

How Does Visualization Work?

By going through the process of constructing a clear image, someone can start to create a new reality for themselves. If they never saw themselves successful at work, being slim, being in a good relationship, having lots of energy, etc. they can start to see it as a reality. In the process, emotions begin to shift. If they always told themselves, “I’m not worthy of a good relationship” and then they see themselves in one, they will start to feel better about themselves, more confident and happy.

The more clearly the person can visualize something, the more believable it becomes. Other senses can be engaged in the process. You can visualize the colors, patterns, facial characteristics, etc. in your imagination. You can also add sounds to the scene you are visualizing, touch/feeling, even taste and smell.

In this process, heavy old emotions, events, and limiting beliefs may surface.  Therefore this tool should be used with discrimination. Working with a qualified professional is best if the person’s past is charged with such events.

Otherwise, anyone can try it out on their own. See yourself in great detail having already achieved your goal. Notice in this scene how you’ve changed, and how your life has changed. Keep doing it every day, until it becomes your reality. Be prepared to give it some time, as the process probably won’t happen overnight.

How Do Professionals Use Visualization To Process Emotions?

Two systems that use visualization are hypnosis and Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). Hypnosis makes use of it in suggestion work. The hypnotist first gathers information from the client about what they want to accomplish. When the client is hypnotized and in a relaxed state, suggestions are given that incorporate the elements of their desired goal. As they see or imagine it, the visual element is strengthened with further suggestions. Often the client will smile as they see themselves in this new way.

In one study using imagery in self-hypnosis for Tourette Syndrome, three children had an almost immediate reduction in tics after the first visit plus home practice. This was noticed by both the children and their families. The improvement was sustained over time and medication was either reduced, stopped, or not started in one child.

In NLP, there are various techniques that involve visualization. In one method, the client thinks of a time when they felt badly. It is anchored by touching part of the body. Then they think of a resource they’ve had that would have helped in that situation. They visualize a time when they used that resource successfully. That gets anchored by touching a different part of the body. Then they touch the second part again, and see that moving into the first situation, which they also touch. After repeating this a few times, their take on what happened in the past has shifted. When they then think of the original situation, much or all of the negative emotions associated with that event are gone.

Schedule your session to try it out/ask questions.