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      Here is an exercise in the basic technique of creative visualization:

      First, think of something you would like. For this exercise choose something simple, something that you can easily imagine attaining. It might be an object you would like to have, an event you would like to have happen, a situation in which you’d like to find yourself, or some circumstance in your life you’d like to improve.

      Get in a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down, in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Relax your body completely. Starting from your toes and moving up to your scalp, think of relaxing each muscle in your body in turn, letting all tension flow out of your body. Breathe deeply and slowly, from your belly. Count down slowly from ten to one, feeling yourself getting more deeply relaxed with each count.

      When you feel deeply relaxed, start to imagine the thing you want exactly as you would like it. If it is an object, imagine yourself with the object, using it, admiring it, enjoying it, showing it to friends. If it is a situation or event, imagine yourself there and everything happening just as you want it to. You may imagine what people are saying, or any details that make it more real to you.

      You may take a relatively short time or quite a few minutes to imagine this — whatever feels best to you. Have fun with it. It should be a thoroughly enjoyable experience, like a child daydreaming about what he wants for his birthday.^*

      Now, keeping the idea or image still in your mind, mentally make some very positive, affirmative statements to yourself (aloud or silently, as you prefer) about it, such as:

       Here I am spending a wonderful weekend in the mountains. What a beautiful vacation.

      or

       I love the view from my spacious, new apartment.

      or

       I’m learning to love and accept myself as I am.

      These positive statements, called affirmations, are a very important part of creative visualization, which I discuss in more detail later.

      If you like, you can end your visualization with the firm statement to yourself:

       This, or something better,now manifests for mein totally satisfying and harmonious ways,for the highest good of all concerned.

      This statement leaves room for something different and even better than you had originally envisioned happening, and serves as a reminder to you that this process only functions for the mutual benefit of all.

      If doubts or contradictory thoughts arise, don’t resist them or try to prevent them. This will tend to give them a power they don’t otherwise have. Just let them flow through your consciousness, acknowledge them, and return to your positive statements and images.

      Do this process only as long as you find it enjoyable and interesting. It could be five minutes or half an hour. Repeat every day, or as often as you can.

      As you see, the basic process is relatively simple. Using it really effectively, however, usually requires some understanding and refinement.

      * To avoid the awkwardness of saying “his or her” constantly, I have sometimes used the masculine pronoun and sometimes the feminine. Obviously, any exercise in this book is appropriate for either sex.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO RELAX

      It’s important to relax deeply when you are first learning to use creative visualization. When your body and mind are deeply relaxed, your brain wave pattern actually changes and becomes slower. This deeper, slower level is commonly called the alpha level (while your usual busy waking consciousness is called the beta level), and much research is being done on its effects.

      The alpha level has been found to be a very healthful state of consciousness, because of its relaxing effect on mind and body. And, interestingly enough, it has been found to be far more effective than the more active beta level in creating real changes in the so-called objective world, through the use of visualization. What this means for our practical purposes is that if you learn to relax deeply and do creative visualization, you may be able to make far more effective changes in your life than you would by thinking, worrying, planning, and trying to manipulate things and people.

      If you have any particular way that you are accustomed to relaxing deeply or entering a quiet, meditative state, by all means use that method. Otherwise you may wish to continue using the method I describe in the previous chapter — breathing slowly and deeply, relaxing each muscle in your body in turn, and counting down from ten to one slowly. If you have any trouble physically relaxing, you might want to seek instruction in yoga, meditation, or stress reduction, which will be helpful in this regard. Of course, a side benefit of all of this is that you will find deep relaxation healthful and beneficial mentally, emotionally, and physically.

      It is especially good to do creative visualization at night just before sleeping, or in the morning just after awakening, because at those times the mind and body are already deeply relaxed and receptive. You might like to do it while lying in bed, but if you tend to fall asleep, it’s best to sit up on the edge of the bed or in a chair in a comfortable position, with

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