Imagery
Using all of your senses to
facilitate relaxation!!
Advantages of Imagery
Coping with difficult situations
Dealing more effectively with other
people
Overcoming habits that endanger
health and well-being
Replacing “negative” thoughts &
feelings with more “positive” ones
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Advantages of Imagery
Handling criticism and rejection
more effectively
Promoting the healing process
Creating an opportunity for mental
rehearsal
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Basic Imagery Practice...
Home Recall: image “living
room” of house in which
you lived (1990)
– windows, doors, etc.
– furniture
– floor / ceiling
– lighting
– people, pets, etc.
– other sensations
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Other warmups:
Imagine a day in your life (2010)
– desires and expectations
– physical changes; relationships; work
status; geographic setting; home; finances
Recall something that makes you angry
– thoughts and feelings
– people involved; physical setting; dialogue;
“manifestations” of anger
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Other warmups:
Recall something that really makes you
feel relaxed
– thoughts and feelings
– people involved; physical setting; dialogue;
“manifestations” of relaxation
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Visual Imagery Assessment
Scoring: 4 = very clear; 3 = moderately clear 2 = unclear; 1 = indiscernible
1. Object in room: focus and examine; close eyes
and visualize
2. Object from past: close eyes and visualize
3. Object in the future
4. Unpleasant object
5. Pleasant object
6. Familiar person
7. Familiar person from past
8. Person to be met in the future
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Visual Imagery Assessment
Scoring: 4 = very clear; 3 = moderately clear 2 = unclear; 1 = indiscernible
9. Person you dislike, present or past
10. Person you especially like, present or past
11. Your own appearance
12. Your appearance 10 years ago
13. Your appearance 10 years from now
14. An aspect of your appearance you
particularly dislike
15. An aspect of your appearance you
particularly like
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Visual Imagery Assessment
0 -15… your current imagery capacity is poor
16 - 30… practicing diligently with visual imagery
should make a significant difference in bringing
you to moderate imagery capacity
31 - 45… you have moderately good imagery
capacity which should improve with practice
46 - 60… your general imagery capacities are
excellent. You should be able to derive maximum
benefits from imagery exercises
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Assessment Subscales
Present (1+6+11) Pleasant (5+10+15)
Past (2+7+12) Objects (1 - 5)
Future (3+8+13) People (6 - 10)
Unpleasant (4+9+14) Self (11 - 15)
What insight did you gain about
yourself from this assessment?
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Developing pleasant images...
“Search” for memory / fantasy
Project yourself into that image
Describe image:
– memory or fantasy?
– “internal” or “external” projection?
– one image or more than one?
– vivid or unclear?
– fade in and out?
Repeat with second image
Compare the two images
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Develop a repertoire of images (6)
Past (2): draw from particularly
happy / positive times
Present (2): identify positive /
pleasant aspects of your current life
experiences
Future (2): match images to your
own positive expectations
“If you can’t imagine (see) yourself doing something,
you will have difficulty doing that something” --
Arnold Lazarus
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Other images to try...
Geyser letting off steam
(Lying on back) exhaling into helium
balloon
Warm, chocolate fudge oozing over head
Water running out of fingertips
Black velvet curtain in front of eyes
Ball of mercury in rolling head
Leaf floating down a stream
And for headaches: grape plum
orange grapefruit cantaloupe
watermelon
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Remember: it’s O.K. to
daydream!!!
Select a visual
theme
Allow your mind to
enrich the images
Use all the body’s
senses
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
Guided Imagery Exercise:
A Trip to the Beach
And for “anywhere” use...
The Five Finger Exercise
Using your thumb as a pointer:
– index finger: image a time when you were
physically exhausted, yet exhilarated
– middle finger: image the most loving moment
you can remember
– ring finger: image the nicest comment ever
made in reference to you
– little finger: image the most beautiful spot...
past, present or future
HSS 4543 - Stress Management
What does your “perfect day”
look like?
HSS 4543 - Stress Management