Types of Imagery and How to Use Visualization to Achieve Your Goals

It is probably safe to say that most of us have some kind of goal, a special experience we want to have, or a problem we need to solve. If you think you aren’t ambitious enough and don’t have any goals, think again. You almost certainly have dreams, and dreams are nothing more than goals you haven’t started planning for yet.

Whether or not you take the time to come up with a clear plan depends partly on how much you believe in yourself. But if you have the right tools for achieving your goals, there is no reason not to give yourself a chance.

Mental imagery is one of the tools you can use to help turn your dreams into reality. This isn’t an entirely passive process. Simply visualizing something will not make it materialize, but it may motivate you to take action and help you stay focused along the way.

There have been many studies on mental imagery and athletic performance. Although the results aren’t always consistent, visualization is generally considered a useful part of sports training. According to this research, athletes at higher competitive levels used imagery more often in their training.

If visualization can be useful to athletes working toward ambitious goals, it may also help with more ordinary objectives, both big and small. You could use it while trying to lose weight, train for a marathon, give an important presentation, or build a successful business.

Now let’s look more closely at the different types of imagery and how you can use them in your own life.

Types of Imagery

Imagery is a form of mental rehearsal and may also be considered a form of self-hypnosis. When you vividly imagine yourself practicing a skill or performing during an event, you mentally rehearse the actions involved. This may make the situation feel more familiar and help you prepare for doing it in real life.

People use different kinds of mental images depending on what feels most natural to them. You may need to experiment a little to find out what works best for you. Imagery can be classified according to several criteria:

• Perspective.
  Do you prefer to see the scene through your own eyes, as if you are actually practicing or performing? Or do you find it easier to use an outside perspective, as if you are watching yourself in a video?
• Focus.
  What type of mental image works best for you: seeing yourself practicing the skill or imagining the moment when you succeed? You may find that you need both types of imagery.
• Key areas.
  One model described in the Gregg and Hall study includes five uses of imagery:
  • reviewing possible plans and strategies;
  • practicing a specific skill;
  • dealing with anxiety and self-doubt;
  • focusing on feeling confident and in control;
  • imagining the moment of victory or achieving the desired outcome.

How to Visualize Vividly

When you visualize something, try to make the mental image as vivid as possible, almost as if you are actually living through the experience. Don’t skim over the details. Involving several senses can make the scene feel more realistic.

There are seven types of imagery you can include. You don’t necessarily need to use every one of them each time, but adding more detail may make the exercise feel more real:

• Visual imagery involves what you see.
• Auditory imagery involves sounds and what you hear.
• Olfactory imagery involves smells.
• Gustatory imagery involves taste.
• Tactile imagery involves the sense of touch.
• Kinesthetic imagery involves movement and physical action.
• Organic imagery involves internal sensations and emotions.