Is using visualization to achieve one's goals wrong?

[queenofmycastle]

Hello and God Bless

I’m new here, so please forgive me if I posted in the wrong place.

I’ve read recently online that visualization was/is rooted in the occult and it’s new age. These were non-catholic websites that stated this. I’ve had trouble dealing with this on a couple of levels. First, don’t we visualize all the time? It’s not like you can make your mind stop making mental pictures, it is impossible isn’t it? Another thing, in the fitness world and sports world, don’t athletes use visualization to help them with their game? I’m a fitness enthusiast and I have read on more than one online article and forum that visualizing in one’s mind how they want to perform or look is definately a key to sucess.

Also, I realize that there are some people (new agers) that use visualization to contact their “spirit guides” and visualize and talk to “jesus”, which of course I would never do. I am talking strictly for goal setting, nothing more…

I have used visualization recently to help me combat a 20 year nail biting habit and to lose weight. I am a very visual person, so I found that making a mental picture in my mind on what I wanted to achieve helped me stay focused and helped me believe that I could achieve my goals. I didn’t go into any sort of “trance” or anything, I would just close my eyes for a couple of minutes when I would nurse my daughter usually about once a day and visualize my goal. Being a practicing Catholic, before I set a goal I always make sure that my goal is congruent with my beliefs.

Can someone shed some light on this for me?

Thanks and God Bless

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

Unfortunately the whole area is very murky.

It is usually quite difficult to get the advocates of these techniques to say whether what they are doing is meant to have a scientific basis or not. Almost always they are very opposed to any sort of rational testing of their ideas - for instance by conducting an experiement with a randomised group of visualisers and controls, with some standardised score of goal achievement.

However not all psychological common sense can be reduced to academic psychology.

So the question is whether the visualisation technique is dangerous. My own opinion is that all forms of untruth have grave dangers, assuming visualisation to be one of those kook ideas that doesn’t work, which I wouldn’t be entirely sure of. There are lots of problems - it could become obsessive, it could become a substitute for prayer, it could lead the visualiser to interpret the world in such a way that her visiualisations seem to her to be controlling external events.

 

[Rebecca_New]

When I was taught ways to say the Rosary, visualization was one technique, and I often use it. I am confused, because before I do anything creative I visualize about the result I want. Is this what you are speaking of. I do not visualize with a private “intent” on anything, all I want to do is God’s Will, not mine.

 

[HoppityRedux]

I doubt science has explained visualization, but nor has it explained love, happiness, or why some people like brussels sprouts. But there is little call to abandon any of these, although I suspect the brussels sprouts will eventually be proved diabolical.

I have used visualization for many years. I find it very effective in motivating myself and eventually achieving what I choose.

For example, I visualize the completion of a major project, and try to do so in as much detail as possible. I see myself typing the final word of a document, feel the satisfaction of a job well done, see myself getting up from the desk and wandering out on the porch with a cool beverage. I visualize the call from the publisher saying how excited they all are about my latest effort. I do all this while sitting quietly in the privacy of my own chambers. Then I rouse myself, get off my butt, and sit back down at the desk to peck out the remaining 100 pages of my project.

I also find it effective in exercise. At mile 22 in a marathon I visualize crossing the finish line fresh and rested. This is far better than concentrating on how much lactic acid buildup there is after 22 miles, and how little difference there is between 22 and 26.

The fact that occultists or New Agers have discovered something that works is no reason for anyone to shun it. They also preach good nutrition.

 

[LilyM]

I doubt science has explained visualization, but nor has it explained love, happiness, or why some people like brussels sprouts. But there is little call to abandon any of these, although I suspect the brussels sprouts will eventually be proved diabolical.

I was gonna say, if anyone thinks some people like brussels sprouts, THAT is kooky

 

[queenofmycastle]

Unfortunately the whole area is very murky.

** it could lead the visualiser to interpret the world in such a way that her visiualisations seem to her to be controlling external events.**

Thanks for your reply. Well, having dabbled in new age books in the past, I can tell you that there are a lot of books out there that basically tell you that your thoughts create your reality, by what you think about, what you focus on etc… I use to believe that, but not anymore. I think that visualization helps to achieve one’s goals but I don’t think that they literally create your reality, your world. People that believe this are generally one’s who say they don’t watch any news and stay away from negative people because it brings down their “positive vibes”. I believe that they are just deluding themselves from what is the true reality. There is a popular online (new agey) movie called “The Secret”. It basically says that we can have health, wealth and happiness by simply intending it, thinking about it and trusting “the universe” (their words) by faith, and you will get whatever you ask for. On another message board I frequent, someone said Larry King Live mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, so it’s been getting a lot of hype. My dh downloaded it and saw it for free. I think it’s dangerous to lead people to believe that they are the master of their own destiny, that God is basically a genie to do your own will. Here is the link to watch the trailer and see for yourself: thesecret.tv

There is also another popular “documentary” out on dvd called “What the BLEEP do we know?”. It’s supposedly based on science (quantum phsyics) and implies that actual science says that we can create our own realty. It’s controversial b/c apparently one of the people featured on it is a woman named JZ Night, who has a 20,000 year old Warrior spirit that she channels to speak through her! There a lot of reviews on amazon.com that either bash the movie or glorify it. I saw it and it made me uncomfortable. I don’t know much about science, so I don’t know how much of the documentary was true, but it seemed to me that they were using “science” as a front to join their new age cult. The JZ Night character said that there is no such thing as sin! I thought that this was going to be a dvd from a scientific standpoint, instead I got out of it a lot of new age and philosophical nonsense.

 

[queenofmycastle]

When I was taught ways to say the Rosary, visualization was one technique, and I often use it. I am confused, because before I do anything creative I visualize about the result I want. Is this what you are speaking of. I do not visualize with a private “intent” on anything, all I want to do is God’s Will, not mine.

Well I mean in the context of intent. For example I gained 60 pounds in my last pregnancy . When I gave birth I weighed in at 200 lbs that is a lot for a person standing tall at 5’2". Anyway, I made it a goal to get back to my prepregnancy weight, by eating right, watching portions and exercising regularly. At times it was very difficult to stay focused on my goal and I’d stop exercising or watching my portions. So, to help me stay on the right track, aside from other things that I would do to keep my motivated, I would visualize. I would keep a mental picture in my head of how I wanted to look like.

Is this wrong? How would I distinguish something as being God’s will or my will in a situation like this?

By the way, I’ve lost all my prepregnancy weight and then some. Still working towards losing one more dress size though

 

[valient_Lucy]

I was gonna say, if anyone thinks some people like brussels sprouts, THAT is kooky

I like brussel sprouts.

:bigyikes: :bigyikes: :bigyikes:

 

[queenofmycastle]

I doubt science has explained visualization, but nor has it explained love, happiness, or why some people like brussels sprouts. But there is little call to abandon any of these, although I suspect the brussels sprouts will eventually be proved diabolical.

I have used visualization for many years. I find it very effective in motivating myself and eventually achieving what I choose.

For example, I visualize the completion of a major project, and try to do so in as much detail as possible. I see myself typing the final word of a document, feel the satisfaction of a job well done, see myself getting up from the desk and wandering out on the porch with a cool beverage. I visualize the call from the publisher saying how excited they all are about my latest effort. I do all this while sitting quietly in the privacy of my own chambers. Then I rouse myself, get off my butt, and sit back down at the desk to peck out the remaining 100 pages of my project.

I also find it effective in exercise. At mile 22 in a marathon I visualize crossing the finish line fresh and rested. This is far better than concentrating on how much lactic acid buildup there is after 22 miles, and how little difference there is between 22 and 26.

The fact that occultists or New Agers have discovered something that works is no reason for anyone to shun it. They also preach good nutrition.

Hasn’t science sort of explained visualization in the subconscious mind? Meaning, that whatever you put in the subconscious mind in accepts and carries out without judgement. I hope I make sense.

I think that visualization works, but there is a fine line between creating your goals and creating your reality wouldn’t you say?

 

[HoppityRedux]

Thanks for your reply. Well, having dabbled in new age books in the past, I can tell you that there are a lot of books out there that basically tell you that your thoughts create your reality, by what you think about, what you focus on etc… I use to believe that, but not anymore. I think that visualization helps to achieve one’s goals but I don’t think that they literally create your reality, your world. People that believe this are generally one’s who say they don’t watch any news and stay away from negative people because it brings down their “positive vibes”. I believe that they are just deluding themselves from what is the true reality. There is a popular online (new agey) movie called “The Secret”. It basically says that we can have health, wealth and happiness by simply intending it, thinking about it and trusting “the universe” (their words) by faith, and you will get whatever you ask for. On another message board I frequent, someone said Larry King Live mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, so it’s been getting a lot of hype. My dh downloaded it and saw it for free. I think it’s dangerous to lead people to believe that they are the master of their own destiny, that God is basically a genie to do your own will. Here is the link to watch the trailer and see for yourself: thesecret.tv

There is also another popular “documentary” out on dvd called “What the BLEEP do we know?”. It’s supposedly based on science (quantum phsyics) and implies that actual science says that we can create our own realty. It’s controversial b/c apparently one of the people featured on it is a woman named JZ Night, who has a 20,000 year old Warrior spirit that she channels to speak through her! There a lot of reviews on amazon.com that either bash the movie or glorify it. I saw it and it made me uncomfortable. I don’t know much about science, so I don’t know how much of the documentary was true, but it seemed to me that they were using “science” as a front to join their new age cult. The JZ Night character said that there is no such thing as sin! I thought that this was going to be a dvd from a scientific standpoint, instead I got out of it a lot of new age and philosophical nonsense.

Interesting. Do you think there might be an effect on someone’s life if they went around all day thinking how terrible things are and concentrating on everything that could go wrong, seeing themselves in the worst way, and continually contemplating failure?

 

[HoppityRedux]

Hasn’t science sort of explained visualization in the subconscious mind? Meaning, that whatever you put in the subconscious mind in accepts and carries out without judgement. I hope I make sense.

I think that visualization works, but there is a fine line between creating your goals and creating your reality wouldn’t you say?

It might be a bit hard to achieve a goal if that goal has not first been created. And it might be a bit easier if it has been created with some serious attention to detail. Try substituting “imagination” for “visualization.”

Do you think the architect has a visualization before sitting down at his drafting table. I just had a visualization of what my garage might look like if I cleaned out all the junk. You’d be amazed how much more room there is.

Can the reality we choose exist if it has never been imagined? How can we even choose it if it has not been visualized?

 

[queenofmycastle]

It might be a bit hard to achieve a goal if that goal has not first been created. And it might be a bit easier if it has been created with some serious attention to detail. Try substituting “imagination” for “visualization.”

Do you think the architect has a visualization before sitting down at his drafting table. I just had a visualization of what my garage might look like if I cleaned out all the junk. You’d be amazed how much more room there is.
**
Can the reality we choose exist if it has never been imagined? How can we even choose it if it has not been visualized?**

HoppityRedux, I understand what your saying. I agree with you to a certain extent. I guess I really don’t know. Here are the links to the articles I found regarding visualization that gave me pause. They are a bit lengthy…

Visualization: God-Given Power or New Age Danger? (Part One)

VISUALIZATION: God-Given Power or New Age Danger? (Part Two)

 

[LilyM]

I like brussel sprouts.

:bigyikes: :bigyikes: :bigyikes:

You weirdo!

 

[mommyof4]

I like brussel sprouts.

:bigyikes: :bigyikes: :bigyikes:

I have to admit that my daughters and I like brussle sprouts, too. In fact, my six year old claims that that is one of her favorite foods!

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

Thanks for your reply. Well, having dabbled in new age books in the past, I can tell you that there are a lot of books out there that basically tell you that your thoughts create your reality, by what you think about, what you focus on etc… I use to believe that, but not anymore. I think that visualization helps to achieve one’s goals but I don’t think that they literally create your reality, your world. People that believe this are generally one’s who say they don’t watch any news and stay away from negative people because it brings down their “positive vibes”. I believe that they are just deluding themselves from what is the true reality. There is a popular online (new agey) movie called “The Secret”. It basically says that we can have health, wealth and happiness by simply intending it, thinking about it and trusting “the universe” (their words) by faith, and you will get whatever you ask for.

That’s basically rubbish. Of course reasonable plans, pushed forwards with determination, will often come to fruition. But I know two very intelligent young men who tried to get into medical school. They weren’t obviously unrealistic candidates, but competition is stiff, and medcial schools can be picky. Neither accepted the verdict as final, which in my opinion was foolish - it is possible but very hard to get in after your first degree rather than in the normal manner immediately after [high] school - and I don’t believe either will now succeed. There are only N places at medical school, probably 3xN very able young people trying for them, so the majority will be disappointed.

 

[HoppityRedux]

That’s basically rubbish. Of course reasonable plans, pushed forwards with determination, will often come to fruition. But I know two very intelligent young men who tried to get into medical school. They weren’t obviously unrealistic candidates, but competition is stiff, and medcial schools can be picky. Neither accepted the verdict as final, which in my opinion was foolish - it is possible but very hard to get in after your first degree rather than in the normal manner immediately after [high] school - and I don’t believe either will now succeed. There are only N places at medical school, probably 3xN very able young people trying for them, so the majority will be disappointed.

I’d suggest visualization (imagination, goal setting, planning, or whatever words are comfortable) is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for achieving something. I’d also suggest the more visualization one does, the higher the probability of success.

It’s somewhat like good nutrition. One must have good nutrition to be a good athlete, but nutrition alone will not poduce a champion.

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

I’d suggest visualization (imagination, goal setting, planning, or whatever words are comfortable) is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for achieving something. I’d also suggest the more visualization one does, the higher the probability of success.

It’s somewhat like good nutrition. One must have good nutrition to be a good athlete, but nutrition alone will not poduce a champion.

You don’t normally blunder into medical school. Those who gain places usually want to become doctors - that’s pretty much the first thing any interviewer would look for. However it is not inherently impossible - I myself got involved in Alzheimer’s research simply through the accident of my CV being put on the wrong pile, and I was invited to an interview I hadn’t applied for.

When you give a desire and a realistic plan to become a doctor the name “visualisation” it implies that there is a specific technique which can be taught, and which gives improved chances if not a guarantee of success. That may be true, but I’d like to see some solid evidence that the visualisers do actually have enahnced performance.

 

[HoppityRedux]

You don’t normally blunder into medical school. Those who gain places usually want to become doctors - that’s pretty much the first thing any interviewer would look for. However it is not inherently impossible - I myself got involved in Alzheimer’s research simply through the accident of my CV being put on the wrong pile, and I was invited to an interview I hadn’t applied for.

When you give a desire and a realistic plan to become a doctor the name “visualisation” it implies that there is a specific technique which can be taught, and which gives improved chances if not a guarantee of success. That may be true, but I’d like to see some solid evidence that the visualisers do actually have enahnced performance.

The only study I ever read about was in the Eighties when some exercise physiologists ran an experiment. I can’t cite it since I don’t know where it was.

They found that basketball players who visualized making free throws improved as much as players who actually practiced for the same period.

I do know that I will produce more and better writing during a session when I first visualize. I don’t know why; perhaps there is unconscious organizing that takes place as a result. I don’t pretend to understand such mechanisms. The same is true of running. A visualization session is correlated to faster times and an increased feeling of energy at the end.

At our current level of knowledge, I suspect it is simply something that an individual has to determine for himself.

 

[Philothea_2.0]

I was gonna say, if anyone thinks some people like brussels sprouts, THAT is kooky

If you toss them with olive oil and sea salt and roast them, they taste like nut-flavored french fries, only much healthier. I LOVE brussels sprouts.

 

[queenofmycastle]

Brusell sprouts aside, what is eveyrone’s opinions of the links I posted regardin visualization?