Visualization Impairment

[Ahadi Soul]

* Forgive me if this topic has previously been discussed. I tried the search function and browsing to see if there were any similar topics and did not see any.

On my spiritual journey, one thing that I have tried to implement is meditation. Aside from meditation, because I pick up on other people's energy so easily, I have often researched grounding & cleaning techniques, etc. Lastly, as mentioned in my introduction (for those that have seen it), I have felt very drawn to astral projection and lucid dreaming - so I've also researched and found techniques aimed to help those that may be struggling.

However, the one constant I have come across among these various techniques is visualization (I say constant due to the techniques I've come across. I'm aware that there are probably plenty of techniques that do not call for visualization). 

So my issue is that I struggle horribly when I try to visualize something in my mind. One of the main reasons I struggle is because it has never really been said in any of the materials that I have read, rather the things you visualize are truly seen "behind" closed eyes, in all their vivid technicolor, or if you simply just imagine whatever it is that the exercise calls for (and I found a very good article over this issue a while back). I hope this makes sense. The second reason I struggle is because regardless of what visualization looks like, rather its pure imagination or truly seeing, I seem to fall flat every time.

I will know what I plan on seeing when I meditate, and after a while I will see all types of colors, shapes, and flashing images at random, but when it comes to envisioning what I planned on seeing/visualizing, it never works. I never see it.

So I suppose my overall question is, does anyone have any material, websites, or advice to offer in order for me to better my skills?

As I'm sure you've guessed, I'm still pretty new to all of this.

Lots of Love & Light,

Mali

[MOONBEARSPEAKS]

Hello again, Mali.

See today's Thought for the Day 2018.   ...stillness in the midst of activity...

Also, for lots of info on meditation and visualisation, see posts and threads by krya, one of our administrators. He has posted an on-line course on meditation, which you may find helpful. 
If you are unable to find that, I suggest you send him a Private Message.

[krya]

Hi Mali, be assured we are forever student of these things. 
And it's good that you shared your difficulty because although we may be each following a different path. We have more or less the same issues. 

In many spiritual practices it is about visualization, because based on the esoteric science, one can achieve almost anything with the power of thoughts. Your thoughts have stronger effect (influence) on your astral body (which is your emotional body) and on your physical body. That's why many techniques for astral projection use visualization. 

visualization have levels. Some can clearly see mental images with their eyes closed, some others cannot see a thing. Most people who can willingly see clearly a chosen image in their head, have some clairvoyance awakening ( even though many of them are not always aware of their clairvoyance). 

Those images do not actually come from the brain, but from the mental body (the mind, the thought machine) which is an invisible part of you. Your brain is just a receiver, the brain is just a machine which mirrors whatever is happening within us. If the brain is malfunctioning for any reason, we cannot be able to express the images coming from within our mind. If you've noticed that it's easier for you to visualize random images rather than chosen images, that's because your left brain is likely more active than your right brain. While growing up, we develop more one of the 2 parts of the brain, it's either the right brain or the left brain more developed. With the right brain you can visualize, you see mental images, and with the left brain you can cogitation, you reason, you use letters, languages . Anyway...

To willingly choose to visualize an image, you will have to train your right brain. Now there are not lots of technique for this as far as I know. One of them is to from time to time make use of your left hand (if you are not left handed), to try and draw some images on a paper. This exercise is based on the fact that your right brain is connected to your left hand, and by trying to exercising your left hand, you are also exercising your right brain. 

The second exercise is to train every day or just frequently your right brain to view images. Now this is about viewing image not in a vague or blury way, but clearly as if you were seeing them with your physical eyes. So repeat until you slowly start to see clearly. Like you, I'm also one of those who cannot really visualize images. Well, not in the way I expect them, maybe just because my exceptions are very high. Although there is still room for improvement, I can at least now see images fairly well. So here are my suggestions:

Take a physical object, look it for view seconds, look at its shape for few seconds, close your eyes and try to see that shape with your eyes closes. The mental image will faint quickly, but it's ok, open your eyes again, and look at the texture of the object and close your eyes to visualize it. If the mental image faints again, open your eyes and repeat the process. Do that frequently. Do not change objects too often, try to visualize the same object for quite some time ( like for 7 days), then change the object. At the beginning I advise you start with glassy stuff. Choose to visualize anything which is transparent like a bottle of beer.

Here is something I noticed which works for me, see if it works for you. I find it easy to clearly see what I want when in my head I imagine me looking at that object through a mirror. Not directly but through a mirror. I tend to see the object clearly. 

When you close your eyes to visualize, you may also if you can, trick your mind to believe that you still have your eyes open. Imagine that you still have your eyes open, imagine that there is nothing blocking your view, imagine you can see though, there is nothing closed. That also helps to see the object.

Also you can do yourself a great favour if you work on your 3r eye. So before you start any of those exercise, focus your attention on the area betwen your eyes for few seconds. What I mean by focusing on that area is more like you were trying to sense the air touching that area. This is about placing your consciousness at that area of your face, so you may become aware of whatever is happening there, if there is tingling, if there is an ant walking there, try to sense it. That's enough stimuate the 3rd eye when done frequently. 

When you close your eyes to try and visualize something, you should not expect to see that image behind the skin of your eyes. You will see nothing but some colors in the darkness of your closed eyes. What you should rather do is simulate the position of eyes when you sleep, put them at rest. You need to find that position your eyes take when you sleep. Looking straight behind your eyes don't always help, alternately I'd rather advise you position your eyes either at the top left or top right.

Good luck

[Ahadi Soul]

@MoonBearSpeaks - Thank you so much! I am heading to the Thought of the Day, next. One thing I've found when looking up meditation types are that they're plentiful, so I would be happy to learn about as many as I could, even if I didn't practice. Especially in the sense if one doesn't work, maybe another will. So I will definitely find the info you've suggested. Thanks again so much!

@Krya - You are absolutely brilliant! I seriously cannot thank you enough. Not only have you given me a real place to start, several places actually, you've provided me with so much information that I literally had no clue about: the left & right brain and how it corresponds to certain abilities, etc. I've learned so much. I'm going to place this into a Word document so that I don't lose it or can grab it any time. I plan on starting the exercises you've given me tonight, I've already tried one of them, focusing on the 3rd Eye and will keep trying that one as I did feel a tingle. Well more of a tickle really. You are so knowledgeable. I've tried for over a year to google non-stop or find other boards or individuals to help but it's always led to nowhere. The main question I've always had was whether or not the images were literally seen behind closed eyes, etc., and what do I know? I ask on My Spiritual Group and actually receive an answer! Amazing. I feel like I should have so much more to say because your reply was so profound but I am utterly speechless. Thanks so much for your help!

[krya]

@muyyMaL, I thank God you found something.
Also maybe keep an eye on other replies of other members to your question. They always contain something to learn from.
You need to keep searching and reading different opinions, as you never know what other treasure else you might find