The subconscious is the part of the mind that uses imagery to learn, to change..... and to instruct. When the subconscious want's your attention, it get it by creating images. It may do this as a "flash" of faces, places, objects, startling new ideas, memories from the past..... fearful scenes. When communicating with the subconscious mind, images work best.

Why imagery training? In my practice of hypnotherapy, much of what I do is using imagery, because that is the language of the subconscious.

For you.... imagery training will stimulate your creativity, because the creative side of your nature is located in the subconscious. Some of the uses of your new creative skill.... developed with imagery training, includes things like...... Being able to visualize or "know" how your room will look before you redecorate. Being able to use the written word in a more descriptive way. Generate exciting new ideas..... Express yourself with paint or drawing materials...... Develop new and better problem solving skills. Become more productive at your job..... Create a new self image and much more. Imagery training opens the doors of creativity of all kinds.

We don't all imagine (image) in the same way. Some people really do "see" with their eyes closed. Others simple "know" how something would appear if they opened their eyes and what they were "imaging" was right in front of them. And some use "words" to describe their images. All these ways are fine. When you practice imagery training, use what ever way feels right for you. You may find that some of the scenes you "image" are more "visual" then others or that the more you do this type of training, the more "visual" you become..... and that is good. but don't be concerned if you are one who uses "words" only. I myself am very good at "imagery", but I am not very "visual". I am mostly "knowing" and sometimes "visual" or experience only "word" pictures.

Following are several imagery scripts to get you started. You may need a friend to help you by reading the scripts to you. Your friend should read with emotion where emotion is appropriate. The subconscious is also the emotional part of you.

To begin practicing your imagery training..... first find a place where you can sit or lie down and be comfortable and undisturbed.

Close your eyes and make yourself comfortable...... Take a deep breath and as you exhale, send a wave of relaxation from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Take a second deep breath and send a second wave of relaxation from the top of your head to the tip of your toes........ allow your shoulders drop as your body relaxes and as your shoulders drop..... allow all the tension of the day to drain from your body as you take a third deep breath ....and exhale..... sending another wave of relaxation down through your neck, shoulders, arms, legs and down through your toes....

Have your friend read one of the scripts to you, and allow your imagination to fill in
details about the scene..... for instance.... if your friend says "there is a bird flying over head...". use your imagination to decide what kind of a bird.... how near or far..... what activity the bird is engaged in. If s/he says "there are clouds in the sky....." you decide what kind of clouds you want in your sky and put them there...... If your friend says "there are flowers in the meadow...." you choose the color and type of flowers in your meadow.... it's that easy...... just paint a picture in your mind using the suggestions given to you and allow your own imagination to fill in the details..... Any thing you do is right..... It's your imagination you are exploring......

You may also write your own scripts and have your friend read them. As your ability to "image" develops, you may find it easier to just lie back and do the whole session in your mind.... this is your goal..... learning to communicate with your own subconscious mind in this creative way. You learn to speak to your subconscious in the language it knows best and may well be able to initiate change in areas of personal growth..... simple by "imaging" it in detail. You will also be more open to what your subconscious mind is trying to communicate to you. Have fun!

A walk on the beach..... (3 minutes)
Imagine your are on a beach........ The tide is out and there is a wide band of wet sand........ It a warm day........ the sun is shinning down on you........ You can feel the heat......... There is a light breeze blowing in from the sea and it is cool and refreshing. As you stand looking out to sea ...you close your eyes and think...... how fresh the breeze smells........ You take a deep breath and exhale and listen, with your eyes closed, to the sounds around you..... Up on the hill away from the beach you can hear the sound of traffic..... but it doesn't disturb you here....... Here.... you hear the sounds of the surf...... the sea gulls flying over head...... kids at play a long way down the beach.......

You open your eyes and walk down to the wet sand..... and there you play a kids game..... you turn around and walk backwards down the beach in the wet sand...... watching as your footprints appear in the sand..... Notice how some of them begin to fill with water........... You stop... and bend over ....and make handprints in the wet sand along side your footprints..... then step back and admire your work...... perhaps remembering a time you did this same thing as a child........ Now you turn around and walk forward down the wide beach...... feeling the warm sand on your feet..... and notice a large log that has been thrown up on the beach at some very high tide. It sits there...... far back from the water..... high and dry on the sand...... Some one has built a fire there in the past and you can see the blackened wood....... Imagine how nice it would be to walk over there and sit on the log for a while.......... So... do it...... walk over and sit down on the log and look out to sea..... notice the waves as they come rolling in........ Some come high up on the wet sand and others advance only a short way out of the sea......... And now ... lets change the scene.....

Up at the Viewpoint..... (2 minutes)
Imagine you are high up in the mountains...... standing at a view point that overlooks a valley below........ You can see a long long way from up here........ There is a rock wall surrounding the viewpoint and it reaches higher than you waist. Notice how the wall is put together.... the size and color of the rocks...... I wonder where they found so many different colors and kinds of rocks for one wall?.......... As you look out over the panorama..... you notice first, the sky......... There are a few clouds in the sky today...... but you can see a great distance....... and notice where the sky meets the horizon....... There must be a large city out there in the distance.... because there is a haze in the air near a place where the road below disappears between the hills......... Far to the right of this magnificent view...... you can see where the hills become mountains and you can see that the tallest mountains have snow on them. It's a warm day here at the view point but it is not yet spring.... and the mountains are still dressed in their winter robes......Looking down at the foot of slope of the mountain you are standing on.... you can see farms..... and trees....... and a river winding its way toward the sea........ The greens and browns and blues are muted by the distance. High up above your head is a large bird...... as it circles and dives you marvel at its beauty........ It is unaware of you and comes quite close as it dives in the valley below you..... You watch it and wonder what it would feel like to fly...... free....... like this great bird.......

The road home.... (2 minutes)
Now imagine you turn around and see your car there in the parking lot. It's a good car...... it gets you where you need to go..... Some day you will have the car of your dreams... but for now your are thankful for this one. As you look at it.... you become
aware of all the little dings and scratches it has on it. You don't have to see them to know where they are..... you just know..... your imagination can reconstruct them in your mind... just as it is doing right now...... You go and get in your car and do all the things you usually do before getting out on the road...... things like seat belts..... adjusting the radio.... things like that..... Then you start the car and pull out of the parking lot and onto the road. The road back down off the mountain is curvy but safe. It's a good road and there isn't any traffic today so you take your time and enjoy the view as you drive back down the mountain............ across the valley........ and onto the road that leads to your home... a few short blocks away........ And now you pull into your driveway and stop the car and just sit there for a moment or two....... As you sit in the car you take a mental tour of the inside of your home..... You notice something you meant to do today......... a project that you will take care of when you go inside. As you mentally walk through the rooms of your house.... you notice the things you like about living here...... Your eyes lite on some of your special possessions and you recall how you came to have them and what they mean to you....... This is your home..... and it's right for you.....

The fantasy.... (2 minutes)
As you sit where you are.... your mind begins to drift to a bright sunny meadow...... a
place you have never been.... except perhaps in a story book when you were a child.
The meadow lies at the foot of a hill and is surrounded on two sides by large old trees...... some of the biggest trees in the world. On one side of the meadow is a small lake..... shinning blue and green in the afternoon sun...... Swans swim on the lake....... A path wanders around the edge of the lake and there are lovely benches spaced along the path for visitors like you to sit and rest and watch the swans....... At the top of the hill..... is a castle..... a castle such as a princess might live in..... if this were a fairy tale out of an old book rescued from childhood..... You notice that you are not alone in the meadow....... there.... looking away from you is a beautiful white horse........ mane and tail of bright silver...... It is enjoying a meal of meadow flowers of bright colors...... It seem unaware of your presence in the meadow as it feeds.............. Birds abound in the sky above the meadow...... birds of all kinds and colors........ what a magical place to be!........ Something startles the beautiful white horse and she turns to look at you..... and you see!...... OH MY!! ..........It's not a horse!..... IT IS A UNICORN!!!.............

Now let the scene fade......... and when you are ready.... open your eyes.