So you want the science? Ok, here it is! Studies with astonishing results all from visualization! You want to grow your business? Reach a goal? Have you tried meditation? Yeah you can't visualize it either? I couldn't either which is how I got to where I am. I created Genie In a Headset for those of us who can't visualize. Because visualization is too important and impactful to forego.

You will be shocked about the part where people gained muscles from visualization alone! Yes, sorry, you still need to go to the gym though! But this episode will open your eyes to how much you can accomplish simply with visualization and meditation. I have even provided a guided meditation from Genie In a Headset below. Try it and let me know what you saw, how you felt, will you try guided meditation again?

Please Try the meditation from Genie In A Headset: Genie In a Headset Guided Meditation

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Full Transcript:

Visualization and the Science - Does it work?

How does Visualisation affect our brains?

Visualization is closing your eyes and seeing images in your mind which can help you accomplish goals. In theory, it sounds amazing, right? You imagine yourself doing something and poof - it's done!

But does it REALLY work? There is plenty of scientific evidence and research that supports how effective visualization is.

The brain is constantly growing and developing. When we learn something new or experience something for the first time like baking a cake or learning a new language or roller skating you create a memory. The more often you practice the task the stronger that memory becomes and easier it is to recall. What the brain can not do is know the difference between the actual physical experience or an imagined one.

According to Neuroscience and visualization research paper done by the international coaching academy “if you exercise an idea over and over in your mind, your brain will begin to respond as though the idea was a real object in the world”

The thalamus [the part of the reality-making process of the brain] makes no distinction between inner and outer realities, and thus, any idea, if contemplated long enough, will take on a semblance of reality … The concept begins to feel more attainable and real, and this is the first step in motivating other parts of the brain to take deliberate action in the world.

(http://coachcampus.com/coach-portfolios/research-papers/bala-kishore-batchu-neuro-science-behind-visualization/)

When we visualize something we want to achieve or do the same part of the brain is stimulated as if we were physically doing the action or being in the experience.

A study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, compared people who went to the gym with people who carried virtual workouts in their heads. The finding, according to Psychology Today, showed a 30 percent muscle strength increase in the physical gym-goers. And the virtual gym-goers? The ones who just pictured working out? They saw a muscle strength increase of 13.5 percent. That’s right. Just by thinking about exercising, these individuals became stronger.

So in other words Picturing yourself achieving your goal is crucial to actually getting it done.

For visualization to be most effective you need to literally see it. Our brain thinks in images, that’s why you will hear people talking about putting a vision board together but again it's not enough just to have the images staring at you like a postcard from a friend’s holiday - you need to be able to look at the pictures on the board to visually stimulate the brain and then use visualization to experience it in your mind.

I loved these interesting pointers from the Huffpost

1. "...It is now a well-known fact that we stimulate the same brain regions when we visualize something and when we actually do it..." - if you don’t know the how, start by imagining what you want. It won’t come up immediately but imagining is a way of getting the process started quickly. E.g if you want to start a home-based business baking cakes then start imagining being in the kitchen surrounded by cakes and cookies you are taking out the oven. Even try to imagine the smell. Draw a picture of what the kitchen will look like and then do it again. The more you repeat this process the clearer it’ll become and the more likely it will be that you will succeed.
2. "...if a person with this stroke imagines moving the affected arm or leg, brain blood flow to the affected area increases and the surrounding brain tissue is saved..." - if you have had a setback, don’t give up. Keep the blood flowing to the brain of the area that will execute your action by focusing your visualization on what you want. People usually focus on what they don’t want and all this will do is stop the actions you should be taking. A failure is not the final - it does not mean that you will never succeed, it's just showing you that your vision has to be changed, refined, or repeated.
3. "...visualizations under hypnosis enabled nationally ranked Stanford male gymnasts to execute for the first time several complex tricks that they had been working on for over a year..." Hypnosis here works because it decreases anxiety and increases focus. When you start your visualization, strive to construct the image with your mind free of worries even if you have to sculpt out an "artificial space" to do this. When you visualize while worrying, it is like painting with a shaky brush. Calmness increases the creativity and authenticity of your "brushstrokes".
4. "...youth soccer players increased their confidence in playing when they visualized their moves..." If you are looking to get more confidence use visualization of you achieving your goals to help you increase your confidence. Practice makes perfect. As you imagine your goal more clearly your belief will increase and therefore your confidence will too and you will start taking action towards your desired goal.

Visualization is not some woo-woo way to getting your goals. The science is there to prove that it works. It is important to make time in your busy day - it can be done in 10 min. When you do this, your brain will act in line with your visions.

SO first things first establish a very specific goal. Imagine that you have already achieved your goal. Picture it in your mind as if it were happening right now, imagine the scene in as much detail as possible. Who are you with? What are you feeling in that moment? What are you wearing? Are there different smells? What do you hear? Where are you? Sit up straight when you are doing this. Do it just before or after sleep. And do this often, daily if you can. Combine this with meditation or affirmations of I am the greatest, I am confident, I am successful.

If you need help guiding your thoughts then I would recommend a guided visualization meditation, I have one that I use in my Genie in a Headset and I will add the audio version to this month's show notes. Try it and let me know if you enjoyed it and if doing it for a week or two if you notice any differences. I have had people do this particular one every day for 14 days and the results they started to get were pretty mind-blowing.