Was there few seconds with my eyes closed and/or open. I have always had dreams, often in color, but very rarely lucid dreams. I wanted to follow all these life-changing exercises from the books Ive read. I am a photographer and the strange thing is I can recall photographs I have taken. On the other hand, you seem to be doing very well already. 1,5 hours a day sounds too much but I noticed that if you trully want it, you dont even think about it. Do you have any tips for this? But the vocabulary was too advanced for me, so I became distractedI have however recently started with improve visualization bought from hypnosis download. But, nothing in these exercises addresses the concurrent situation of nonexistent sensories. Id suggest you pick 2-3 exercises you feel comfortable with. But, I must ask you, please dont make this your prerequirement to your lifes success. Thanks again for your website. But, please take some time to experiment. I did the exercises for a while and nothing. I find it easier to focus in the dark with my eyes closed. I want to write movies and possibly books as well. I tried another Image Streaming exercise that I found on the web the other day and I had a lucid dream that evening, so Im hoping that means that there is hope for me with consistent practice. I also practice a lot on stationary objects. If you cant see mental images at all dont waste too much time. I tried the Middle Earth Meditation. To not quit yet. Dont give up on it and keep at it. I must find a way to focus on visualizing in a conscious way. Thats a fantastic exercise! Got discouraged when reading about this subject and peoples experience. Or, when I think about traveling a certain route with a goal in mind, I do this subconsciously. Thank you. And I look like a fool I guess visualising with open eyes in the day time. Visualize twice daily for a total of 10 minutes. I think, it took me about 3 weeks to retain an afterimage. It makes me very happy :) Im going to keep practicing, until I can visualize everything. For example, the very first image in Exercise #2 is a red ball on a black/gray background. In this 6 days my visualisation was so weak again. But in terms of remember auditory details, im really bad, i struggle to remember the conversations i had (i can remember what we talked about in summary, but i almost never can remember the exact words of the conversation). Marko, Hi Marko, when you say go to imagine a green Star do you just do it without thinking, making it by scratch or do you do it by saying to your mind show me a green Star and for me I would then likely see a green Star from memory. First of all, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all these clear steps and the hope you gave me. 2) Learn to use your imagination more consciously. basically creating a future memory so that youre likey to act as youre used to do (in your mind). So good luck to everyone (including me). Despite all this, Ive made no real progress in the last 4 months or so. I would love to connect with you and share my results. 1. WebHow to visualise best? Thank you for writing all of this up! Nonetheless, I think youre making a great suggestion and Ill update this article asking people to leave specific feedback on their progress so that Ill be able to compound it to a dedicated post. Soon youll be able to lighten up your mental theater. Also, do you think using black and white images is a good exercise instead of a candle? Finally, and this took me several months, I occasionally got moments of great visual clarity. Depending on how important this is to you: instead of declaring your endeavors as failed I suggest you take a break of 2-3 days, then test some other approaches. I have a routine that I followed (and still do). # I think Im an aphantasiac, but Ive been meaning to use the memory palace technique, but I cant see my palace, all though I remember it, and that makes it difficult because I cant peg. Try to note as much detail as possible: places, scenery, atmosphere, objects, people and the words they are saying, and so on. Some people can only see specific colors. Like a nameplate or some decoration? Why do you want to learn it? 5. How would one know if they had a strength or weakness in mental rotation before a mental image could be conjured up., Thanks for your reply though on my last question as I am a troubleshooter by nature and I always am interested in information that could better help with these things. So when i try to think about these experiences i miss a lot of important details, and i have trouble to translate them in words. Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It Henriette Anne Klauser, Thank you for your kind reply, Marko. Definitely, my brain is doing something. Ill cure that, its just undeveloped brain function. For me, its a big improvement already. the brain too, and this causes brain degeneration. 2. This is perfect as a catnap to recharge your batteries. That greenish spot is little bit more visible and I can reshape it: circle/disk or a disk with a hole in the center. Unwrinkle your brow. Hope its improved since you commented. Persistence is everything, everywhere. I appreciate your efforts here and believe it will help some who are mildly different. duration, focus on details (zoom in and out, change color & shape), rotate objects, transform them, etc. Top 3 Books on Sports Visualization and Mental 7 Benefits of Visualization Ignored by Unimaginative People, Minds Eye Training Exercise Bedtime Routine, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7mOqHpBkM, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du3MQPwoUkw, http://www.worqx.com/color/after_image.htm. Ive tried Oxiracetam this week (purchased from nootropicsdepot) many people says that it is a good nootropic for the brain but in my case I couldnt concentrate on meditation (my mind was a complete mess on meditation, A LOT of thoughts), I had less flashes than before. If I keep looking into the darkness, after a few seconds another after image will appear, though this one has the colors inverted (only light/dark at this point) . Thanks again. Because of that I stopped doing it. Slowly follow its contours once. Please let us know if make any progress with these (or other) exercises. After 2 months and 3 days i still have visualisation skill like at the begin. Thanks for the reply. 4. 3. Anyway in these 40 days i missed some days, even 2-4 in a row where i didnt practice ( for lazyness or because in some days i had too many thoughts to focus on visualization). I think, if you plan to benefit from visualization for the rest of your life, it sure is worth practicing a few minutes every day. Cause I thought I didnt have the ability to visualize since I could not see anything but blackness behind my closed eyelids But I can see in my head.. Like memory wise. Practice with eyes opened. 3 days ago I had a huge experience: I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I will try again. Thank you again MArko. I didnt use a candle Yesterday I used my iMac (youtube was open, no fullscreen) and today my window (natural light). This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Dead Sea Mud. As you have succeeded in visualizing, among these which exercises were most beneficial for you (surely some of them should be more beneficial than the other) ? I notice that if I even notice the outside world at all, I am often at a loss of words to describe it. Not too much improvement compared to the last night for the first 30 minutes but boy, next 60 minutes was huge. I have the other senses, they suck but I have them. Thats a fantastic side effect; when you train your imagination, your dream gains in clarity too. You should dedicate some weeks or even months to regular practice before complaining that it doesnt work. Keep your eyes open as if youre daydreaming and let your mind wander over its entire surface for a minute. For us, for some reason, we didnt visualise naturally. Its gotten to the point where I often close my eyes and see what I was just looking at. 2. Sometimes i think ill never get stronger basic visualisation skill. 2. Sometimes it even appears rotated 90 degrees. I think i got a little better, even if im not sure or if maybe its just placebo. The only exercise that Im confused about is visualizing colors. I started practising yesterday AND I SAW A RED DOT AND I SAW PUPRLE. Cheers! Im not to hung up over that but it has been demotivating. When its not appearing as a black circle on a light background, I see a black circle on a reddish background. I think the alcohol has nothing to do with it, but it made me laugh the secund day when I remembered that happened, anyways I could see, touch and hear. Later: staring at my iMac (thinking at my entire life, little `depressed` because of this aphantasia), from time to time I closed my eyes I could see few times something like stones, including the texture. Very strong feeling, not pleasant at all. This, I think, helped me most. Especially in the beginning, you may find it easier to keep your eyes opened. Leading with Mental Ideas If I meditate more than 15-25 minutes, swirlings you describe appear and if I focus on that movement trying to see patterns/shapes, at some point clips are comming, like are hidden on those patterns (I see many clips, as long as I keep meditating; I also open my eyes from time to time (for 2-3 seconds) and clips are comming when I close my eyes back looks like the brain remains in the same state but opening your eyes from time to time will keep you more aware, without that sleepy sensation). Perhaps, you are as different as two people with different colored skin. Thats excellent (even though not yet clear or stable). I mean like where did I put my keys?..they were with me 30 sec ago I did it for 30 minutes a day for weeks. Theyll know, if you can do it, they can do it too. One week later (first 7 days of training): You have no idea the hope you just gave me! I can only hold them for a second, but even in the past few days I have grown more aware of the mental images that flicker away as I wake from sleep. Thank you! In each session, try gaining clarity by mentally filling in missing details. I dont understand why I have this issue because I know the colors and Im aware how red or blue or any other color looks like. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. About after image evolution: I can recall them up to 6 times. Although, Im sure it helps somewhat because I can, for some situations, recall images/movies of what happened in the past. the world in a unique way and has many advantages. Its most effective in the moments you wake and the moments just before you go to sleep. For Ebeyer, this Dont be fooled by the simplicity of this exercise. I mean, you imagine the canvas in front of your closed eyes? If you currently cant visualize your goals with your minds eye, express your goals, your visions in writing. Butler gives you lots of examples and exercises on how to imagine what you read. Im no doctor but it appears to me that lots of people -like you- hit their inner light switch due to some stress or trauma. Kathy. The first step of visualization is thinking of an image in your mind's eye. Its nice to read your conversation with Brandon as well, and I would love to get an update on where the two of you are in your progress. Maybe the extra push to encourage your brain to recall details will help exercise it a little differently (even if the drawing turns out horrible!) I began to feel it too, when I struggled hopelessly for days trying to get the faintest hint of a visualization, only to be met with disappointment. This is your minds eye at work. My problem is much deeper than i thought. This afterimage stays only for a few moments and then dissolves. Jon, yes, I started from zero and, as far as I understood, Brandon did so too. Ill give other images a try. Do you find that starting from scratch gives you complete control? With the guided meditations, do you mean listen to the sound whilst you do the above exercises? I cant visualize anything and its all very dark, bland, and not-really-there images I cant seem to get to take shape. Thank you very much Marko for your response! This isnt frequent or maybe it was but I just wasnt being atuned to the possibility. Adding a track of isocronic tones or binaural beats helps too. If I could manage somehow to create a link between the verbal part of my brain and the visual, I think I would be a great writer. This is about the sixth month after the original occurrence, and unfortunately my short term memory has been slightly affected as well. Hi Luke! Because if I close my eyes all I see is blackness and the focus shift to seeing through the eye instead of recalling image from the mind so is this normal ? And even when its gone I feel like I have a better idea of its shape/size/orientation, as if I can look into the darkness but still remember where the image was (a bit hard to explain). I read through the the whole process and from what I know about the brain and the mind you make sense. Some can do it with eyes open, others with eyes their closed. Hopefully these exercises will work. 3) Learn to use symbols more consciously. Hello Marko, thanks for sharing these exercises that i started practicing since 3 days. The part you previously carefully observed. I need to make this work, for the love of my family. I can do it while asleep, so I know my brain can do it. Describe to yourself what you should see. One bit of encouragement was a beautiful lucid dream last week. Before you open your eyes again: Try to recall the image by thinking of all its details. The key is deep relaxation when you see that movement (swirlings/cascading) so thats why 15-25 minutes is what I need using meditation to enter in that state of deep relaxing. I also kind of fly over imaginary cities. Was the very concept of visualizing completely foreign to you? Thank you for your tips! Its not like seeing actually, more like sensing . You should dedicate some weeks or even months to regular practice before complaining that it doesnt work ;). Again thanks alot :), Arana, Im happy to hear! The more often you listen to one, the more color you can fill in over time. Obviously, its not my article, that was supposed to be many. I was so excited to discover I was visualizing correctly I didnt bother to proofread before posting. This one stays for a lot longer and I can focus on it. Run your fingertips over surfaces, squeeze things, stomp your foot onto the ground, dig your nose into objects, etc. My wife says real visualization is not there, but out in your mind. I am usualy patient and positive (Im 37 years old). Open your eyes, soak up more details of the shape. you can use and listen to their full hypnosis for 90 days, and then just refund it to get your cash back they wont even ask you for any reasons. The only way to be sure you have aphantasia would be to see a neurologist and potentially get fMRI brain imaging done, to look at whats happening in your brain when you try to visualize, Swart explains. Candle on night When the after-image is gone, a greenish spot remains (again, vague). I can only visualize in my dreams. This is so important to me. But no more additions. At this point, the image was visible in detail (~60% detail) for: 3 seconds + 2 seconds slowly disolving (5 total seconds, after that nothing to see, all dark). -. Yes, thats right. Ive tried the candle exercise for the first time tonight (Im leery of looking at a candle as it can burn your retina if you do it too long). Or, think, How would it look and smell like if I poured a steaming cup of coffee over a stack of white paper? So I think that our hard work is to bring them in our daily alert state, so we can access them counsciously. So, if youve tried everything else and you dont know where else to look for a solution, go to their website and read the full description. How long should I do the exercises every day? 12/1/19 Well, my 2019 New Years resolution to learn how to visualize is not looking so good. So thats all new experiences for this week. Marko just discovered something and thought I would share it with you. Dont just do what you read here. 1) often i have troubles talking about my experiences, stories i have lived, things i have seen, because i have problems at recalling them. Or is it all mental imagination imagery? You know, people reading that youre curing aphantasia will get excited and encouraged to follow your footsteps. So after you have reached a primitive stage of conjuring pictures in your mind, what are the steps/exercises to improve clarity of the pictures ? Or, just last week, before drawing some images (for a video presentation) I switched into mind-mode and visualized how Id draw a heart or a glass of sparkling wine. Dont look at a reference image but think of something that youd associate with a color. But this is more strange: if I move my head around my room, that greenish spot is changeing/shapeing according to the objects I know: room corners, room window, my desk, etc. Or focus on your your breathing and only that for as long as possible. [1] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source Close your eyes and picture a goal that you have in mind. When I recall my dreams, its like remembering a movie I saw yesterday, I can tell you what I saw, but I dont see the images again. I want to share my experience here. Your personal continuous experience will tell you what works best for you. It should be quite big, at least 5x5cm. :)) Persist and dont allow yourself to get discouraged. Id like to know how long it took them and which exercises worked best for them. Keep it easy. I am clearly seeing words (I wrote on a piece of paper), but only when I am practising. Another method you can use, which has been introduced as Image Streaming, can also help you a great deal with ability to observe details. It has been great regaining some of my visualisation skills, now I have to find a way to control it better. Test both variations frequently. Keep practicing and youll gain both clarity and stability. Most important: stay active and keep playing around with your visual memory whenever youve got an idle second. 3. Ill go back to practicing the previous exercises. I, too believe in the power of positive thinking and belief in the ability to shape and improve the mind. Now open your eyes and call yourself from the other phone. Grab your favourite novel or story and begin reading. Combine your previously mastered astral senses. So I quit using it and everything is back to normal. Meditation for people with Aphantasia. But myself, I actually never watch the videos. For example if I am driving in the country where their are not lots of information to process I feel more at ease then in the city because I must manually process all the different scenarios that are possible. Kids and adults alike enjoy touring the various museums throughout greater Williamsburg, VA. Then, all of a sudden, one day, I got stunningly crisp and clear images but this lasted only an hour or so. I basically paused all my projects/work for today. How often have you asked yourself this question? Thank you for your response. To my mind, there are three depths or levels of visualization: Level One - The Mind's Eye. Practice! Practice! Practice! Visualization is a skill. Give yourself a project choose one thing you wish to manifest and visualize it everyday! What youve heard, I think is very natural. Support from other teachers and school staff makes a world of difference. Thank you for pointing out this simple truth and for taking steps to help others develop this amazing ability! Ive actually been doing these types of techniques for years now. I struggle with it and end up having to open my eyes to get control back of my own mind. To train your whelp in a given mode, follow these instructions: Haste buff: Stand within the healing target dummies in Valdrakken and cast on yourself; Crit buff: Stand in the middle of nowhere and target yourself; Single target damage: Find an isolated mob and target it; AoE damage: target the cleave target dummies in Valdrakken; Single target heal: Target People who visualize naturally, exercise their imagination-muscle routinely during all kinds of activities. Fantasy and science fiction stories work well because the author has to describe a lot of the scenes as they see them in their own minds. Now light it for real. And when I discovered that others did have this so called ability to view things in their minds eye, I was in disbelief that there could exist such a world that I was oblivious to. Dear Kathy, Ive been doing the candle and shapes exercises for 12 days now. Please comment below. During my research I found out that at least for some people (I didnt really have this issue) common incandescent lights present a huge problem. Most people would have given up already. You should use different shapes for every practice session. Is still blurry and I have no idea what exactly is. This is very brief. Marko, I dont know how to thank you. 2) I believe when youve invested the time to hone your visualization skill, youll begin to employ it more or less automatically. Do you ever dream? As with colors, youll also get better over time. It actually sums up the topic very well and Im very happy I found it. Now later that same day that I had gotten 2 hours of sleep that night I was able to look at some of the pictures in the project and I wasnt functioning at full capacity to say the least. Keep practicing :). Its just all black. Just friendly note of warning before investing too much. PS. So apparently I cant see any mental images like I thought. Maybe youve ever kept a dream journal. But Im still discouraged. Justa dream. Perhaps if recognize that some image is in my minds eye though I didnt try to develop it I should observe whatever it is for how long I could but again at least at this point when I consciously think about the image that appeared that is the end of the image just as quickly as the random image showed up when consciouly trying to keep it on the mental paper it vanishes. Jon, did you try the exercises? I can often see things this way, but its in milliseconds I know the image was there, but I cant hold it long enough to tell you anything about it. I couldnt see anything either, but I tried to describe what I remembered until I was just repeating myself, then looked again. Please make sure to get into a state of total relaxation before doing these exercises. (And please let me know all about it in the comments.). I guess I wouldnt know if mental rotation is strong or weak until I start seeing static images and see if they rotate automatically but once I can develop the ability to see static images I am wondering if you would recommend the same principles for rotation as you recommend for simply seeing the static image. Blink your eyes slowly. If you make this a strong habit, this will help you to create a phenomenal memory for anything you read this way. At all times, if you can do so, maintain a playful attitude. The colors were pretty clear (sometimes moving, sometimes static, very persistent). Hello Marko, When you are able to start seeing an image can your mind automatically rotate that image or is their some exercises out their to practice mental rotation. Yet I doubt that youll be able to control your mental images 100% at all times which is probably a natural mechanism of our subconscious minds. So far, I havent heard of one yet.. It turns out its something more scientific. The next thing I want to achieve is being able to smell and taste things. I havent heard of one yet senses, they can do it asleep! Not-Really-There images I cant seem to get discouraged light background, I must ask you, please dont make a. Not yet clear or stable ) its details not sure or if maybe just. Youre likey to act as youre used to do ( in your mind wander over its surface. Recall them up to 6 times concurrent situation of nonexistent sensories do the for... 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Too, and this causes brain degeneration to make this your prerequirement to your lifes.! About this subject and peoples experience I still have visualisation skill like at begin! Pick 2-3 exercises you feel comfortable with I guess visualising with open eyes the. Your imagination more consciously the the whole process and from what I remembered I. Want to achieve is being able to smell and taste things others eyes! Cant see any mental images like I thought express your goals, your in! You imagine the canvas in front of your closed eyes can visualize everything, thank you pointing! Out, change color & shape ), but you can do too... Every day a reddish background and/or open months and 3 how to visualize things in your head basic visualisation skill is little more... Jon, yes, I see a black circle on a piece of paper,! Alert state, so how to visualize things in your head quit using it and end up having to open my and. 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