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What is creative visualisation?
Creative visualisation is the use of visualisation for deep relaxation and healing. At Breast Cancer Haven we usually do this in a group. It is like a waking dream therapy which helps to use the natural desire for harmony between the mind and body.
Simply put, it is the mind thinking in pictures (with accompanying sounds and sensations). There are many ways in which we can think. We are familiar with logical and rational thought and this type of thinking has been given more importance over other kinds. The rational kind of thinking we do often involves discussion (sometimes with ourselves too), and logical patterns, rules and set ways of doing things.
We also have an intuitive, non logical side to our awareness where we may sometimes get a sense of a deep or inner knowing. Consider when you have a flash of insight and you suddenly see a new and different way of doing something. You have a new understanding of a problem and often a new solution too.
Creative visualisation, like intuition, is a type of non-logical thinking. In it we make contact with our inner selves and our inner reality, which is the domain of the unconscious mind. The images of our inner reality are like a language, and anyone who works with imagery knows that we can work with this language as easily as we can work with spoken words.
How does it work?
One of the most remarkable features of creative visualisation is that it can be accompanied by physiological changes in the body. The mind and the body are really like two sides of the same coin, and they have a deep connection; being part of the same thing. Traditionally, Western medicine separated the mind and body, but today it is beginning to explore this connection. This exploration is about how the mind affects the body and vice versa.
What happens in a creative visualisation?
The group leader helps you prepare for imagery work and you use the power of your mind. This usually starts with some relaxation of the body and mind, then creative visualisation takes you on a journey much in the same way as listening to a story can do. Stories have been used for healing over many centuries.
How can creative visualisation help?
When we are guided by the creative use of words, they can have a powerful effect on us. Imagery exercises are designed to help manage and heal both physical and emotional issues. You can continue to do these exercises in your own time and modify them accordingly. You are calling on yourself to participate in your own healing and it is recommended you do this for yourself on a daily basis.
Number and length of sessions
You can come along to the Breast Cancer Haven group sessions at any time. Most Visitors find this a welcome addition to other therapy. The sessions can include your family and friends too. They are welcome to come along and use the creative visualisation sessions for their own health and well-being.