Change your mental imagery, and the feelings will take care of themselves.
~Maxwell Maltz
I don’t experience mental images. Actually, I have come to appreciate there is a term for this. ‘Aphantasia’ It is rare with only about 4% of people having ‘mind-blindness’. The majority of people do see mental images – images that only they see.
Mental images can support creativity. Many elite athletes and musicians use visualization to develop their talents. Some people can visually recall complete books or bring the books they are reading to life visually. It is common to bring to mind favorite memories and desired vacation spots at will. I often think I would love to be able to do these things and perhaps, if I could, I would have developed more hobbies. I tend to see what’s in front of me in the moment. I realize that some would find my life a tad boring.
So what’s the issue with mental images?
There is also a reactive mode to mental images. The involuntary and intrusive images that you don’t control. Painful memories that instantly take you right back to the actual event. A distressing image that you just can’t get out of your mind. The images that are outside of your awareness but that still trigger distressing thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.
Intrusive and involuntary images can be viewed as stress triggers that keep you stuck in distressing patterns.
What can you do about these involuntary images that trigger distress?
Maxwell Maltz challenges us to change our mental imagery and the feelings will take care of themselves. While this may be easy when working with voluntary mental imagery, it is generally accepted that you need to learn to live with the involuntary images. We now know that this is not true!
Logosynthesis offers a precise, structured approach to use the power of words to shift the energy in distressing images. And when the imagery changes, the feelings take care of themselves. The image doesn’t return!
When I first started training in Logosynthesis, I was surprised by the level of distress that could be triggered by mental images. People reexperienced traumatic experience – over and over again. And I was also surprised how three precise sentences could shift the image and immediately relieve the distress. Most people say it is impossible and yet when you come to appreciate how energy works and the wisdom of the model, the results are not surprising at all. The work is simple and profound.
It can be challenging to talk about the images that others don’t see. It can be even more challenging to talk about the distress that these involuntary images can invoke. The great news is that you don’t need to live with the distress. As per Maxwell Maltz, you can change your mental imagery for immediate and sustained relief. More of your energy will be available to focus on mental images to create at will!
