You found my old blog. Thanks for visiting! For my new writing, visit mikesententia.com.
Visualization seems so simple: You imagine something, focus on it, and let it happen.
But because it seems simple, we don’t examine it properly. “Think it and it happens” describes some magick, but it doesn’t explain how it works. It doesn’t answer questions like:
- What’s the difference between an experienced mage visualizing effectively and a non-mage imagining the same thing?
- When do visualizations work, when don’t they, and why?
- How can you create better visualizations to do magick more quickly and reliably?
Here are my answers, based on my experience with the unconscious parts of magick. They should be useful to novice through intermediate mages, plus with anyone who teaches them.
Visualization = Imagination + Mental Posture
To most people, visualization means “focusing on images.” It’s the more serious cousin of imagination.
What the Common View Misses
Magickal visualization starts by engaging the parts of your mind that drive magick (your “mental muscles”), making sure they’re paying attention and ready to respond. Then you focus on images.
That preparation is critical. It makes the difference between wishful thinking and reliable magick. Which is roughly the difference between playing air guitar and real guitar.
That preparation is also the hard part. Anyone can focus on an image. But you need practice and training to find the right parts of your mind to create magick. I call that skill “mental posture.” It’s what makes magick work.
What Those Details Let You Do
By learning to consciously control your mental posture, you can engage the right parts of your mind to make magick work anytime. I explain how in this post. (That post gives several options for “Next” at the bottom, but this post isn’t one of them. Just hit “back” to return here).
Continue to Part 2
This post was short, so I’m posting part 2 today also.
Continue to Part 2: Why some visualizations fail, and what to do about it.
Other posts in this series:- 3 Things You Don't Know About Visualization (But Should) (April 21, 2011)
- Why Visualizations Fail - And What to Do About It (April 20, 2011)
- Symbols Evolve (April 29, 2011)
Tags: Quick Tips, Visualization