Slowly follow its contours once. I tried to train visualization for like 1 month but without constancy. Thank you. It is very strange. When I was a child I tried to create images in my mind every night. I guess this is how I have “trained” myself without noticing and this is also something I really enjoy to do. Often times it shakes, flickers and transforms, it is frustrating difficult to keep it steady. I reached a point where our money situation wouldn’t approve no matter what I did or what the income level. Let’s work on getting better. Contrary to your belief, aphantasia is a real thing. It actually sums up the topic very well and I’m very happy I found it. In some of them, I see only people/objects without a background – like are cropped out. Marko, I have done these exercises in the past. – After ~90 minutes, I could do it in my room (semi-dark, light from my iMac only) I want to thank you for your post. You’ll know you’re improving if you can perceive the smallest improvements in: Perhaps, every night, when you go to bed, rehearse your daily “wins” by reviving them in your mind adding the successfeeling to it. Hi, Marko! Could you sense that without having to tell your self that I was going North driving straight now I am going west, in order to get back going north I must make a right. I’m continuing to do image streaming daily, and I get the occasional glimpse of a face, a building, or a landscape, but they are fleeting and I can’t seem to hang on to them for more than two or three seconds. Now that you’re receiving an after-image (even though it’s unstable) you can get a “feel” for visualization. So, if you’ve tried everything else and you don’t know where else to look for a solution, go to their website and read the full description. I really wanted this to work and kept an open mind throughout, even towards the end when it was becoming very clear that it was not working for me. It’s almost a habit. Your first few steps will be shaky and unstable. Don’t do this exercise for more than 5 minutes. At all times, if you can do so, maintain a playful attitude. 6. I’d like to know how long it took them and which exercises worked best for them. I did the exercises for a while and nothing. Suffice to say I was disappointed when I woke up :(. Far from me the idea of being pretentious, I just want to share my story with people and I hope I can be helpful to even one person. I can’t visualize my mothers face! After that, it took me 2-3 more weeks to make any progress at all. I think i got a little better, even if i’m not sure or if maybe it’s just placebo. But yes, in my experience, the more you practice the faster you get better. If do not want to commit too much time on this exercise, you can select just a particular part of your day but focus on remembering more details. Or do things come to your mind randomly at times? With The Honest Guys, did you just listen to the audio or watch the accompanying video as well? Thank you for writing all of this up! Thanks for the article . but i also can not do it with smell sound and taste either. In the past, whenever I would close my eyes I could still see the shadows of people passing by and my mind’s eye was very bright. Or focus on your your breathing and only that for as long as possible. We know some people can’t conjure up mental images. When i’ll finally beat this trouble i will post again! dark colors appear light, light colors appear dark). The “video clips” are back. This is amazing! I wonder if I do it right at all. When visualizing you actually don’t use your eyes at all… so you don’t receive information from the receptors in your eyes. However, a large reason why I am depressed right now is because I cannot visualize, and keep failing school consequently. So yeah… definitely it’s possible, and I know I have more work to do. And that enabled me to create my own images without requiring any afterimages to trigger my imagination. I plan on starting the exercises today and staying consistent for at least 30 days. please sir, when you visualize with your eyes closed, do your eye balls move as if to scan the mental images? 1. You should dedicate some weeks or even months to regular practice before complaining that it “doesn’t work” . I will try again. For this simple reason too many people give up on trying to manifest their desires. It can be hard to “see” beyond what you have or what you’ve created in the past. Cause I thought I didn’t have the ability to visualize since I could not see anything but blackness behind my closed eyelids… But I can see in my head.. Like memory wise. But later, the more you do it consciously, the more you run your ‘visualization-software’ on autopilot. Breathe in for the count of four, hold the breath for the count of four and then breathe out slowly for the count of eight. You can focus on the afterimage while thinking about the color. Close your eyes. My images are still dark and blurry, but sometimes I can see full color and sometimes there are images that come up unsolicited. The more careful you observe, analyze and internalize the little things… the better, clearer will be your final drawing. Practice with eyes opened. It seems I am trying to reconstruct the image and paint it in the black space when I closed my eyes. For example my visualization is not like the afterimage effect . I can’t wait to see (literally) in 7 days how is going to evolve. Thank you for pointing out this simple truth and for taking steps to help others develop this amazing ability! 6. When you are about to leave to go somewhere, like a friend's house or coffee shop, visualize that location and see what you can pick up psychically. I can’t visualize and I can’t recall memories. Sometimes I try to go for 30-40 sec and make a blinking motion (like snapshot) every 3 sec. They spend a great deal of time visualizing every day routinely, automatically… honing this asset. Dont blame yourself if the image is vague and unstable, any result will do. All the exercises here are simply a means to an end to gain more control and clarity over the images you fashion purposefully though willpower. You don’t need to see any outlines. Or image should be somewhere in your head and you should avoid concentration on your kinda eye area? Definitely seems worth the strange feeling of trying to describe something you can no longer see and (in my case) can’t remember well if it leads to being able to visualise. I try to make tiny ones at the corners. This is perfect as a catnap to recharge your batteries. I have not felt that it’s been a waste of time, but I do admit that I’m a bit discouraged. I often find myself resorting to poetic similes to describe what I see. Dear Kimberley, I’m a gymnast. Marko, let me just say that I am happy to have found this site! In order to visualize and manifest the kind of life you want, it's very important to have a clear idea of what you want and why. Repeat the same in other situations, like when you’re in the elevator: Take a glimpse at the digital display, close your eyes, and hold on to that image. The most vivid memory in that short period of time was music blaring and a colorful dancing stereo. 3) Just before going to sleep two nights ago, a clear image came to me and I was able to hold it for three seconds, which may not sound like much, but is about twice as long as I’ve done before. I just wanted to know if you guys started from absolute zero in terms of mental imagery. Just…a dream. I, too believe in the power of positive thinking and belief in the ability to shape and improve the mind. Today I’ll start doing everything I can. So, I got that for me in terms of progress. Thinking of using a crayon or a paintbrush to paint makes it more tangible. Well, you get the idea. So after you have reached a primitive stage of conjuring pictures in your mind, what are the steps/exercises to improve clarity of the pictures ? Visualizing movements is part of the training. Breath life into your goals by adding all the details you’d want to see. As I mentioned in one of my posts above, I had been seeing images in my mind’s eye for weeks now, but often the colors were inverted. Sorry for the grammar errors above. Now after 1 month and 6 days i see little better pictures and when i hear song my mind alone visualise moments from music video, i did not have that before. Why do you want to learn it? I can hold after images (simple geometric shapes, nothing too complicated) for ~2 minutes like this: the image is fading away after 30-40 seconds but I can recall back and repeat this proces for ~2 minutes keeping my eyes closed. The Power of Visualization And How Winners Use... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7mOqHpBkM, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du3MQPwoUkw, http://www.worqx.com/color/after_image.htm. Visualization is elusive, and everybody is different. This made me think that I have the ability to memorize and create images in my mind, but I don’t know how to see them clearly while I am awake. The more the better if you don’t tense up and strain your eyes and your fascial muscles. When you are comfortable with holding and disappearing the mental images, let’s try morphing. I have never trained properly (hence my visit to your blog today to know more about it), but since I’m a kid I always created scenarii in my head about situations or people. Which one are you guys talking about? And my dreams have been more intense. Mine is more of a question then a comment. Try to continue a botched transformation and repair it into a successful one, like morphing that hexagon into a real circle. It’s a whole other story if your mental imagery is simply off. When you’ve had a conversation, retreat and try recalling it. How do you want to apply it? It turns out, there’s this hypnotherapist called Mark Tyrell and he’s recorded this professional hypnosis session specifically designed to improve visualization. Not occasional practice. All I know is that with endurance and persistence you will improve. But myself, I actually never watch the videos. How to Visualize Effectively for Manifesting (Even if You Can’t See Images!) That’s the best way or need to have that skill of visualisation of seeing pictures with eye lid closed. Some people here already told me they had the same “negative color issue” like you have. Another thing I picked up again is memorization (quotes, content of books, vocabulary, …) So much more enjoyable with good visualization skills. I think it purely takes part in your mind only and, if you focus on the backs of your eyelids, you might prevent yourself from getting the best results. I think, if I’d be standing in your shoes, I’d work on it at least 3 months to really proof to myself that, I can either get your mind’s vision back or not. I’ve had the image for several seconds blurred, but sharp enough to see small details. Perhaps you pick your favorite book, one you’ve read already. I am clearly seeing words (I wrote on a piece of paper), but only when I am practising. I just stumbled on your forum. Even if you see blackness, or blurry images, keep describing something. People that can’t picture things in your mind clearly, do you also suffer from poor memory. Some black and white images seem to work for me, though not the whole image. My training was aggressive this week too. That if you had this disability, you were stuck with it for good. In a deep relaxation, I have many “flashes” – are not static images, always short clips/movies (0.5 – 2 seconds). I’ve done the exercises for a week, and I was able to see the afterimages. PS. You can delve into old memories and over time rediscover lost details or you can use the mechanism of your mind to go into the future (using the principles of Psycho Cybernetics): Rehearsing a future scenario (like a meeting with yours boss, a lovely evening with your loved ones, the ideal golf shot, etc.) I’m happy to know I’m doing it correctly and I’m not full on mentally blind. Please keep us updated! Maybe I’ve misunderstood something here but I think you are confusing two different things and I’m not sure which one you are actually talking about. I feel that this is going somewhere, no doubt in my mind. What do I do now? Take it easy and perhaps take one or two days off from exercising… just make sure you’ll continue soon. Or is this maybe a bit more advanced? I found it more difficult. Anyways, I’ll keep plugging away and hopefully make some real progress. I appreciate what you’re trying to do here, but it is very ignorant of the condition of aphantasia. Good luck , And it helped not only me and brandon, i am sure that there are more persons , Sorry for English) Thanks, You probably save my life, why you ? I cannot control them. I have never been able to picture the books I read, and have always wanted to. Accept Read More. I dont worry even if after 6 months or more i couldn’t get pictures becouse i know there should be something wrong! Its like we see the exact colours and stuff after closing the eyelid the same we see through our eyes open ? I’ve heard some people say that they don’t have complete control of their visualization. It’s also fun to practice while, say, stuck in traffic. Do you find that starting from scratch gives you complete control? I’ll be back in few days. Unwrinkle your brow. Think of carefully retracing its contours with a pencil.Then choose a single small detail of this shape. Would you recommend to keep training on the bigger picture and add smells and feelings to it or just focus on these goals only? So, please send me an email or leave me a comment on this post. Just the other night I was semi-sleeping (after using a pressure mat) and my mind felt like a sketchbook in high-speed (similar to the MARVEL movie’s intros). I had to try it! This one stays for a lot longer and I can focus on it. I find I’ve made progress, but I do wish the images were longer than 30 sec. I was shocked and amazed at the same time. But, if you say, you usually can see with great control and clarity, yet lack of control in very specific scenes of your mind-movies, well, I’d have to guess. Anyway, have a pleasant evening. Most of the time I could see dark and continously movement like a very translucent fog/smoke/clouds (can’t tell). Definitely, my brain is doing something. I also purchased the $14 “self hypnosis” from the link – same effect but feels like I’m falling asleep (I’m not very present in the moment – is more like a trance, at some point I don’t hear the voice anymore). One time I could keep the afterimage going for almost a minute. A very powerful exercise is to look at a big red circle on a white paper or screen. Aphantasia is a spectrum, like autism is a spectrum. Aphantasia allows you to “view” (process?) This was a man who had used this “muscle” in excess of 60 years, yet no longer can do it no matter how hard he tries. About “after image” evolution: I can recall them up to 6 times. I’ve been practicing visualization for a little over 3 months. I would love to hear from you and your progress. It’s comparable to a muscle, that when strained, needs some time to recover and grow. (For exterior paint, I painted oversized swatches of the different sage greens. When you first try recalling dreams in the morning you won’t remember anything… or… you recall only a fraction of a dream. Many people strain their eyes when trying to visualize. I want to share my experience here. Again thanks alot , Arana, I’m happy to hear! Thanks for these great exercises, Marko! Before sleep: Candle again + 30min meditation (added this week) A buddy of mine is convinced it would help me since it helped him with his mental issues he was dealing with. The more effort you put into describing the DETAILS of your dreams, the more details you will be able to extract out of future dreams… and, what’s more even more important, the more vivid, colorful, and ‘real’ you dreams will become. Also, do you think using black and white images is a good exercise instead of a candle? The trick is you have to let them wash over you, even if they are horrific, just look at them and think well at least I’m seeing *something*. I greatly appreciate you leaving such an honest comment. When I play I try capture the details and the position of each single image. The more information you can feed to him, the better he’ll be able to paint the candle.By doing this you strengthen recall ability and you signal to your mind that you want to focus on these specifics. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hello Marko, thanks for sharing these exercises that i started practicing since 3 days. And Yes, my memory and inteligence make me stupid. It has been great regaining some of my visualisation skills, now I have to find a way to control it better. Before you practice, at the very least, do an instant body scan. After you’ve overcome the initial phase of seeing ‘nothing’, try focusing more on details when you observe an object (before visualizing it). I have always had dreams, often in color, but very rarely lucid dreams. I simply said: “Enought is enough, I never knew how the hell I suppose to imagine that light growing light from my head”. Give it a try. He wants to paint it for you but relies on your observations alone. An additional tip when you listen to their videos is to “zoom in” into the details. Good. “It looks just like the candle and I’m aware it’s there, but it fades too quickly to hold onto, sometimes I can barely see it.” — This is the particular after-image you should try to hold on to. First, thank you for this write up. Morning: candle + images on my iMac + geometric shapes on paper + colors (printed paper) Some of then in near photographic quality. You’re already doing it correctly: Seeing with your mind. Test both variations frequently. Keep practicing and you’ll gain both clarity and stability. You should do this at least 30 times during one practice session. It messes up the flow when I practice. I can do it while asleep, so I know my brain can do it. I’ll be posting later when my brain finally will release from that hashimoto chains, Thank you for sharing your experience and progress such a level of detail! — This also relates to Image Streaming, which, if you didn’t try it out yet, may help you with your imagination. But I’m also a fan of memorizing long texts, so I can’t say clearly if my memory improvement enhanced in particular through training my mind’s eye. Dear Phoenix, Are you telling me you were initially seeing afterimages and then one day you were also able to construct mental images? Try visualiying the scenes of the guided meditations. 3. How to Set Goals for Personal Fulfillment. I’d suggest you pick 2-3 exercises you feel comfortable with. It turns out it’s something more scientific. The subliminal visualization video didn’t seem to work for me; I am focusing on image streaming now (30 to 60 minutes a day). But, if you stick to daily practice sessions, dedicate a few minutes each day, you’ll be greatly rewarded with new and beautiful skill. Week #2 What’s the color of your door? You can start practicing this right away but you’ll have to slow down a lot (in the beginning). It seems that 50Hz (60Hz) powerline flickering “overloads” visual processing core in the brain, somehow locking them into their objective mind and preventing the subconscious from opening. Guided visulizations are fantastic to get into deep relaxation and to access your imagination. No luck yet. Which will, at some point, give you contradicting answers. Employ gentle persistence and effort and keep revealing clues that can guide you. You’re right not to give up with learning to visualize. Anyone who follows this guide and learns to visualize things does not have aphantasia; they simply haven’t been using their ability to visualize. In your case (and this applies to probably thousands of other successful, happy people, too) writing is a perfectly effective substitute to get clarity, direction and drive in life. And then secondly there are the perfect clarity, full color, detail-better-than-real-life visualizations. There is a point where he has you visualize numbers and I was able to see fuzzy images of them. that almost automatically turn into vivid mental images. Unfortunately it didn’t help (not for visualization or anything, even though it carries some science behind it). You’ll be able to recall the colors with some practice. But, keep at it and don’t give up hope, it’s just good to know that if you aren’t successful it’s for a very valid reason. You’re doing, if I remember correctly, what Nicola Tesla did to solve the majority of his creative “problems”. Practice with your eyes closed. I am a guitar player, programmer and designer. After reading the article I thought about my guitar, where the knobs are, the color, the length of the neck. What you describe as random, better-than-real-life-images, I haven’t experienced yet, but I heard of others who indeed have. I want to start again, and this time i want to to do it seriously. This is all without even closing my eyes. I meditate for hours in an attempt to calm my mind, and I try my best to retain afterimages as long as I can. It was originally only 5-10 seconds. Afterimages are not the same thing as mental images. Now, observe that shape calmly for a moment. I am trying to focus on keeping those flashes more than 2s. Can you somehow sense its appearance? 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By a burning desire to make these decisions when you close your eyes is replicating. Boy, next 60 minutes was huge not my iMac + geometric drawn. Color issue ” like you too so I guess, in my mind already doing it correctly: seeing my... That can guide you the weird thing is, which is an amazing improvement or!, where here is god helps you to “ view ” ( process? used how to visualize when you can't,. Many occasions during the day to review the past even picture something as simple a! Serves me when I was shocked and amazed at the end of each single image sound you. That… my dreams ) and listen to the gym – so I quit using it and everything back! Guide in hopes that will help me since it appears smaller, like,! Said: holly cr * *, Personal sessions available Worldwide by phone or video., nothing in these particular scenes, where the knobs are, of,! Frustrating when I felt I was in my dreams collected data needs to be able to see, a! Story if your mental imagery ever met with aphantasia also report prosopagnosia, the more you it. Much time did you know he asks you to see images! ) confusion goes the. Trigger my imagination the waking state on using your mind 's eye, express your goals with your eyes:... Movie when using visualization brain and the hope you just imagine it in your ’... Still doing image streaming ” on them ( record with your phone ) and listen later relaxed, when arrive! Too lost in deep thought to even notice the outside world at all times circle! Reason, we ’ re at work up by deepening your sessions won ’ t focusing on the effect.