Research has shown, that with mindful intention, we have the ability to consciously aid in our own wellness and healing process. Harness the potential of your mind with visualizations of healing and focused belief.
Healing Empowerment
Mindfully participating in the process of our healing cannot only produce improvements with physical, mental, and emotional states, but can also give us a wonderful sense of empowerment. Self-empowerment comes when we are in control of creating our own realities.
For those of you who believe that genetics are the cause of your ailments, or that they are a predictor of what is to come, science now shows otherwise. In the article, “You can Transform Your Own Biology,” (Tanzi & Chopra, Mind-Body Health, 2014), research confirms that as little as 5% of our genetics are inherited. The health of the other 95% of our genes are determined by lifestyle and environmental factors. Be aware, lifestyle includes everything that is happening in our minds. This is very good news. It means that we have control over our fate, and the ability to change it.
The greater your belief that you have the ability to heal, the greater your ability to heal. Choose where you place your thoughts. Repetitive thoughts become part of your subconscious mind, and your subconscious mind creates your belief system. Your belief system ultimately becomes your reality.
The Power of Belief
In the book, How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body (2008, 2018), Hamilton nicely clarifies how our beliefs can create healing with the placebo effect as the perfect indicator. A placebo is any medical treatment that is perceived as real but is not. The placebo effect is the brain’s ability to function in a manner that reacts to the placebo as though it were the actual medical treatment, manufacturing chemicals in the brain and sending out messages to the body.
Hamilton reveals through research that the improvements people experience from placebos are not just in their imaginations, they are physical changes. Studies have demonstrated, with brain-imaging scans, that the brain lights up on individuals taking placebos as though they have taken the actual medication. The power of belief can create healing. The placebo effect is finally being studied for its own value.
There are a number of substances in the brain and body that can help us to heal. These substances are very similar to the drugs we are prescribed Hamilton explains. Nevertheless, the substances we manufacture naturally are far superior. They don’t come with any side effects or concern for addiction!
How Our Minds Shape Us
Our minds shape our brains and our bodies. Every experience we have, thought, belief, emotion, hope and dream transform us. This includes our senses, habits, perceptions, even our expectations. Here are some validating illustrations:
The fight-or-flight response is a nice example of the mind-body connection that we’ve all experienced at some point in our lives. When we perceive danger, our heartrates soar, our adrenaline starts pumping, our breathing rates escalate, and our thoughts begin to race. Even our senses become enhanced. Our bodies were meant to physically respond to what is happening in our minds.
There doesn’t need to be an external factor to influence us. Our imaginations alone directly impact our bodies. A simple way to demonstrate this is with a lemon visualization. Picture for a moment cutting into a nice, juicy lemon. Remove a giant slice from the center and see yourself taking a big bite into it. Your body will instantly create saliva. Your mind cannot distinguish between what is real and what is imagined.
What we think about directly impacts our brains. In 2007, the American Journal of Neuroradiology, published a study on mathematicians, (K. Aydin et al., as cited by Hamilton, 2008, 2018). The research compared mathematicians of various periods of longevity in the field. The researchers discovered that the areas of the brain controlled by mathematical thinking were actually larger for individuals who had been mathematicians longer. New pathways had been physically created by their thoughts. Our brains are continuously being transformed and rewired with ever-changing pathways.
Our minds also influence our performance. An interesting study from The Journal of Neuroscience, (Pascual-Leone et al., 1995), compared volunteers who played a series of piano notes verses volunteers who only imagined playing the piano notes in their minds. The exercises were performed over five days, with a third control group that performed neither of these tasks. Brain images were taken daily that showed nearly the same growth in the brain for those who imagined the behavior alone compared to those who actually played the piano. The control group showed no changes. Your brain perceives what you imagine as though it is real.
Visualizations
If we take what we know about how our minds affect us, we can then use intentional thoughts to create wellness. We have the ability to help ourselves heal. Our bodies are meant to respond to what is happening in our minds. They are designed to heal and regenerate themselves. Utilizing visualizations, we can positively impact our own healing process. We can obtain the success we desire in all areas of our lives using this method.
Use your imagination to visualize yourself as healed (or having achieved the success you desire). Make your visualizations a regular practice so they become effective. Keep the focus on the end result. In order for visualizations to truly be effective, you must combine feeling with your desired outcome. Imagine yourself in the emotional state of having realized your success.
Here are some visualization examples: (feel the relief)
Imagine cancer cells completely dissolving.
Picture unhealthy parts of your body as a gray color turning to a color that represents healed to you.
Envision being surrounded by a healing mist that enters every part of your body and restores anything out of balance.
See the cells in weakened bones multiplying and recreating healthy density.
To manage emotional regulation, picture yourself on a catamaran gently rocking and remaining stable in an otherwise turbulent ocean.
Your visualizations can be realistic or symbolic as the examples demonstrate. Let your own creativity guide you. Don’t be afraid to be playful and have some fun with it. A miniature superhero flying around inside of you can do wonders to create transformation to wellness.
Conscious Awareness
Become aware of how much time you spend focusing on your illness verses wellness. Our bodies naturally want to heal. Practice conscious creation to help it along in a constructive direction. Remember that what is happening in your mind affects everything about you. Take this knowledge and apply it to all things in your life. Positive expectations will manifest positive results.
References
Hamilton, D.R. (2008, 2018). How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House Inc.
Pascual-Leone, A. et al. (1995). Modulation of Muscle Responses Evoked by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation during the Acquisition of New Fine Motor Skills. Journal of Neuroscience. ResearchGate.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/15699233_modulation_of_muscle_responses_evoked_by_transcranial_magnetic_stimulation_during_the_acquisition_of_new_fine_motor_skills
Tanzi, R. & Chopra, D. (2014). You can Transform Your Own Biology. Chopra, Mind-Body Health.
