Guided Image Meditation: What is it?

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Guided imagery meditation is a form of meditation in which a person focuses on a particular set of images or ideas and uses that as a focal point for the meditative process. This can involve multiple people, often with one person leading the others to guide the images and concepts they are pondering. One of the most common uses of this type of meditation is for relaxation, often going beyond deep breathing and instead creating a mental place of relaxation. Guided imagery meditation can also be used for healing and health issues, often as a way for a person to feel a sense of control over their body.

Also called meditation or guided visualization, guided imagery meditation is a process in which someone meditates while focused on a particular image or scene. This is usually a somewhat complex or continuous scene, where one person focuses on different sensual aspects of the environment and moves through the imagery. Some might be led to ponder the idea of ​​walking on a beach. The guide might include details about the look of the sun reflecting off the waves, the feel of the sand between a person’s toes, the smell of the ocean, the sound of the waves rolling up and down the shore, and the flavor of salt in the air.

Guided imagery meditation is often guided by a particular person, who may talk to one person meditating or to a group of people. There are also a number of websites that provide scripts that can be read during meditation or audio recordings that can be listened to for guidance. The effectiveness of such guided imagery meditation can vary quite a bit, depending on the images used and how well a listener can focus on the guide and create a mental reality from the words.

A common use of Guided Imagery Meditation is for relaxation. Meditation in general can be used to promote relaxation, through deep breathing exercises and the ability to clear the mind of worries and thoughts that increase tension. Guided imagery meditation, however, can be particularly effective as it allows someone to focus on a particular concept. This can help the person clear potentially stressful thoughts more easily and allows that person to create a scene they can quickly and easily revisit to release stress and gain a sense of calm.

Guided imagery meditation is also commonly used for health care, often as an adjunct to medications and medical care. Someone undergoing cancer treatment, for example, might use such meditation to visualize the healing process and elimination of cancerous cells. A person suffering from an asthma attack might see narrowed passages in the opening of the lungs, allowing air to pass through. While the medical effects of such meditation may be questionable, they often help a person relax and feel a sense of control over their body during a potentially painful or difficult treatment.

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