Visualization: How To Use Your Creative Imagination
If you have heard about the visualization technique before, then you may have also heard about the “Law of Attraction” and the film called The Secret. Indeed, it was this film that popularized the technique, but you should know that people have been using visualization to turn their mind stuff into reality for a very, very long time.
In the practice of Anuttarayoga Tantra in the tradition of Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism), for example, followers make use of sophisticated techniques in visualizing images of their tutelary deities to bring about spiritual transformation. In Western occultism, particularly in the practices of witchcraft and magic, people also use visualization to summon spirit entities, the purpose of which is to help them realize specific objectives. Nevertheless, visualization is something we do naturally all the time. It’s doesn’t need to be treated as something esoteric or mystical. They just want to sell you the idea that this is something you’ve never heard of before, but the truth is, we all know how to apply it (sometimes consciously, bust most of the time unconsciously).
The real secret is this: Whether you are imagining something or you are certain that it exists materially doesn’t really make any difference. It's just how you persuade yourself into believing that the things you perceive are real. If you can only realize that each and every one of us lives in a world of one's own creation (a kind of simulation, if you will), then you gain some ability to control the elements that make up that world. It's like being able to wake up inside a dream. Things become less real and more controllable once you know that you are only dreaming.
Visualization for Personal & Material Gain
Many people want to learn how to use visualization to acquire something mundane like material wealth, a dream job, a loving relationship, social recognition, self-confidence, and so on. If you want to use the visualization technique for personal and material gain, then I suggest that you read The Science Of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles. Rhonda Byrne’s film, The Secret, was actually based on this book. But compared to the film, which appeals more to your emotions, the book provides a bit more insight into the principles behind the technique. Allow me to explain some of them.
Desire
Desire is the seed of creativity. Will may push you to take action, but without desire, nothing will grow out of your creative mind. According to Wattles, There is a proper way for thinking about the things you desire, and he explains it in one of his chapters. He states that it is not enough that you wish for something then set it aside as you go by your daily activities. There must be an effort to form a clear picture of that thing and hold its vision long enough for it to be stuck into your subconscious.
The book doesn’t say that directly, but literally, that’s how we start acting upon our wishes. How can you get want you want if you don’t have any exact idea about what it is that you want? If you want money, how much money do you want? If you want a car, what kind of car do you need? If you’re asking for a house, how big do you want it to be?
Imagination
Most people believe that the products of our imagination are not as real as the things that we actually see with our eyes. But there are things in the Universe that cannot be perceived with our senses yet we firmly believe to exist in principle. Let’s say gravity, for example. We don’t actually feel the Earth pulling us towards its center, but we do know (or believe) that there is such a thing as gravitational force.
Wattles talks about a “formless substance” that exists in reality. You can’t perceive it with your senses but it’s there. Now, this formless substance can only turn into a tangible object if we apply our thoughts onto it to give it form. Let me give you an analogy. During Wattles’ time, there were no computer monitors anywhere on the planet. It did not yet exist. When the cathode ray tubes were created, which led to the invention of the television, another guy thought about building a computer monitor in his mind, so he formed a design. Now, because that brilliant guy applied his thought on this formless substance, what was once not even imaginable to anybody has become a reality for everyone today.
Efficient Action
Wattles goes on to say that once you start to apply the previous principles, the most important thing you should do next is to act. Some people would wait for opportunities to come to them before they start to lift a finger, but that doesn’t put you anywhere near the attainment of your desires. Furthermore, it’s not enough to think about your desire and to act on it. There is also one important question you need to ask yourself: Are you doing it efficiently? It is vital that you carry out each action as efficiently as you can because any insufficient act kind of equates to failure. If it is your objective to succeed, then you must not allow small failures to get in your way. Each efficient act is a success and the more efficient acts you make, the more you become successful at achieving your desired outcome.
Visualization for Spiritual Growth
Now, for the spiritually inclined reader, here’s something that may help you rise to new heights in your spiritual work. It is called Trataka.
Trataka is an external concentration practice in which one gazes steadily at some small object or an image, without blinking, while the eyelids are held slightly more open than usual. The practice is continued until the eyes strain and water.
When you gaze at a picture, it is called Trataka. When you close your eyes and mentally visualize the picture, it is called Saguna Dhyana (meditation with form). Some people say that the object you are looking at will appear as something else during the practice and you will have many other visions.
Anyway, if you want to try this, I suggest that you do Trataka for two minutes to start with then cautiously increase the period. Try to be patient. Gradual steady practice is required. Gazing at a spot even for two full hours continuously counts for nothing if your mind is wandering. Your mind also must be on the spot. Here are some things you can try:
- Take a picture of your favorite deity in your religion. Look at it steadily without blinking. Gaze at the head, the body, the legs, etc. Repeat the same process again and again. When your mind calms down, look at a particular place only. Be steady till tears begin to flow. Then close the eyes and mentally visualize the picture.
- Create a black dot/mark on a white wall or on a piece of white paper. Do Trataka on it at a distance of 2-3 feet.
- Draw the symbol of a mantra like “Aum” on a piece of paper. Do Trataka on it at a distance of 2-3 feet.
- Select at random any place in the open sky in the morning or evening hours and gaze at it steadily.
- Look at a mirror and gaze at the pupil of your eye. Avoid gazing at your pimple.
- Stare at the space between the two eyebrows or at the tip of the nose. You can do this even while walking.
- Light a candle or lamp and gaze at the flames. Some people report visions of astral entities through the flames so you should be ready in case this happens.
Trataka is a magnificent technique for everyone and especially for people who practice meditation. It is actually classified as a cleansing practice in Yoga and is mainly intended for developing concentration and mental focusing.
It is said that by the practice of Trataka, diseases of the eyes are removed, eye-sight improves, will-power is developed, the mind is steadied, and distractions are destroyed. It is also said that clairvoyance, telepathy, and other spiritual powers can be obtained this way.
However, Trataka alone cannot give you all of these powers. After the control of the mind, when it becomes steady, you will have to influence the mind by the prescribed method for a particular power. The powers that are obtained by this practice may also vary for each person because experiences are unique for every individual. Nonetheless, what is important is that by practicing this visualization technique, you now have the power to transform yourself. It just depends on how creative you are in using your imagination.