Benefits of using Imagery in Education  

The benefits of using visualization and guided imagery in education are many and varied.

Since Psychology, (as a science) began to develop, imagery was not considered a subject that could ever be scientifically studied. The dominant Psychological paradigm from the 1920’s to around the 1960’s, was Behaviourism. To the behaviourists, the inner workings of the mind were a ‘black box’, inaccessible to direct observation and unnecessary to understand behaviour.

Over the last 15 years imagery has become a serious and dynamic avenue for research. With the advent of Cognitive Psychology and the huge leaps in brain scanning equipment, imagery is no longer the preserve of ‘New Age Gurus’.

What Psychologists have learned so far, not just encourages the use of visualization and guided imagery in education, but will soon be seen as an integral and essential part of higher performance in all areas.

On going research will increasingly reveal what imagery can accomplish, not just in education, but more importantly, what self-education and significant new learnings come about when imagery activities are used on a regular basis.

So how can Imagery help?

Imagery relaxation assists learning  

We all know that we learn more whilst relaxed. Tension constricts energy flow into the brain and slows down neural activity, making it difficult to think. If we are negatively stressed, recall becomes difficult as the body and mind moves to a ‘fight or flight’ state of awareness. Some of the brain areas involved in processing information, shut down when we are overly stressed or tired.

Conversely, when calm and relaxed, incoming information is more easily processed and especially important during exam time, enables stored information in our long term memory to be recalled much more easily and effortlessly.  

Let your images work for you

By creating mental pictures and focusing clearly on them, we are actually seeing more of the information coming to us; for example, whilst reading, it is helpful to create mental pictures of what is being read, so that we can comprehend more powerfully the material presented in the reading.

It is unfortunately true that many students do not get a mental picture of what they are reading or is being taught to them. They can memorize and decode the words, but do not ‘see’ anything. It is increasingly accepted that if educators do not assist these students to develop their ability to create mental pictures, they tend to remain weak learners and poor exam performers.

Images,  Feelings and Creativity  

“Imagination rules the World”

Napoleon Bonaparte.

Thoughts are images encoded as feelings that move as electrical vibrations along billions of microscopic neural circuits in the brain. So thinking is the continual putting together of these mental images and feelings into intelligible stories or films. These then represent the creation of new information.

Imagine reading a book or hearing a story on the radio without using imagery. George Bernard Shaw said that he imagined his characters and that they became ‘real’. They then took over and wrote the play for him. – A powerful example of imagery in action.

Creative people often mention how they can sense "feeling tones" coming over them just before a new idea breaks through into their conscious awareness. Symbols such as words, emerge from these sensory vibrations and images. The sensations and images are the experiences - words are the map.

Many scientists agree that their discoveries begin with mental images that are accompanied by sensations of ‘rightness’. Einstein was often quoted as mentioning how his own insights came to him first as “feeling tones” accompanied by inner visions and images, which he later translated into words.

We can see that all learning is greatly enhanced by learning to recognize and work with feelings and accompanying images.

Expanding Intuition

Intuition enables us to see the whole, recognizing not only that which is obvious, but that which is possible to be known. An intuitive mind helps us to  have a more expansive view of our lives.

In other words, our horizons widen, which means we are taking in more information and therefore are "knowing more". This is what a genius mind does.  

"Imagery is associated with direct perception….and can also be a vehicle for profound intuitive insights. Imagery….conveys in an instant, feelings and observations, which would take many words to describe."

Vaughan. Awakening Intuition, New York: Anchor/Doubleday, 1979, p. 85.    

Achieving Self-Mastery and enhance your performance

”Our thoughts have got us to where we are today and our thoughts

will take us to where we want to be tomorrow”

Allen

Visualization and guided imagery exercises, usually presented by a trained therapist, are being used for helping individuals gain conscious control over their lives.

For example, with hard work and practice it is possible to exert a positive influence on disease patterns and emotional illness, - (If you doubt this, ask yourself a simple question; Do people who have a strong ‘will to live’ and a burning desire, have an identical outcome to those who give up?)

Imagery and visualization techniques can change attitudes and behaviors and realize desired goals such as passing exams and obtaining jobs. These same techniques can dissipate negative emotions such as fear, anxiety and hatred, and program positive emotions such as joy, abundance and love.

Delivered by a trained therapist, the practice of certain techniques will help your students shift their levels of performance, sense of achievement and their potential to a completely new level.

However, many of us can experience deep negative concepts about ourselves and life. We imagine a lack of opportunities. We imagine our own limitations. We  imagine our own difficulties.

Individually, we can create and entrench these negative aspects. This plays an influential role in encouraging a negative self-fulfilling prophecy.

Imagining a process or a result is an active process in which the individual mentally creates a desired outcome in great detail, thereby exerting a powerful influence on the outcome.

Similarly, leading athletes use similar techniques. It is very rare to find a top golfer or tennis player for example that doesn’t practice these mind enhancement techniques.  

Maintaining Health  

Maintaining a relaxed, confident attitude about oneself and the world brings a sense of joy and calmness to the body and mind. Practicing various techniques of visualization and guided imagery on a regular basis achieves an overall sense of well-being that contributes to emotional and physical well-being. When we are relaxed and confident about ourselves and our abilities, oxygenated blood flows freely to all parts of the body and brain.

This means simply, that both our Endocrine and Nervous systems, which are responsible for the control of all our vital functions, including our ‘immune system’, can operate at maximum efficiency.

There is little doubt that the mind can and does alter immunity. (Anderson, 1996: Fife.1996) The mind immunity connections have been demonstrated and replicated in so many ways that it can no longer be considered even mildly controversial.    

What the current research is saying

A review of the research related to the use of visualization and guided imagery indicates that there is an impressive array of benefits already beginning to surface in both empirical and anecdotal reports.

To begin with, the relaxed welcoming atmosphere surrounding imagery work seems to free the flow of creative energy within both teachers and students. This eventually leads to greater academic proficiency.

Areas in which this has been established include:

These are primarily cognitive gains and are enhanced by non-empirical reports indicating that imagery activities serve to improve spelling, basic computational work and memory skills as well (Galyean, 1982).

Besides these cognitive gains, imagery appears to cause gains in areas such as;

A study based on observational reports from one hundred and three teachers participating in holistic education projects in the USA and in Canada, not only validates the above findings, but adds evidence showing that imagery helps students:

All of the effects just cited indicate that guided imagery is not only beneficial for intellectual growth and academic achievement, but equally as important, for physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual development as well.

What is the downside of employing these techniques?  

There simply aren’t any. The use of certain words and phrases to describe the more nebulous areas (in the sense of increased spirituality etc) are often seized on by reactionary critics and dismissed out of hand as ‘New Ageist’..

The person who derides imagery work as worthless, usually defend their position by claiming that there is insufficient evidence to support its efficacy. (Incidentally, a state of affairs that is fast becoming untenable with the huge advances in Psycho-neuro-immunology).

This stance suggests that those who support these imagery techniques do so on insufficient evidence. Why not look at this the other way round? Are these critics really interested in what is ‘sufficient evidence’? After all the insufficient evidence for believing appears absolutely sufficient for them not to believe.

Other critics will try to argue that imagery isn’t really that influential. Let’s look at that statement. A highly motivated individual knows what he or she is after, especially if it isn’t actually within their field of vision

Advertisers know all about the power of imagery as a tool to change behaviour. Even though a product itself may not be that different, such as a pair of trainers, the linked imagery the advertisers construct, will continue to sell the particular product much more effectively. The power of the imagery can be so dynamic, that even when we consciously understood what the advertisers are doing, the imagery still exerts a powerful influence.  

Why schools will benefit from practicing these techniques

Nowadays, when results play an increasing decisive role in prospective parents perception of a school, the practicing of Imagery techniques will exert a powerful influence on performance. This difference is well worth striving for.

Becoming aware of these techniques as students, rather than in later life, will give each individual who practices them, a powerful and valuable life skill.

The strength of these techniques depend on their practice. Expecting individuals – even highly motivated individuals – to practice ‘religiously’ is optimistic. School provides the necessary discipline to achieve results.

By improving the students mental potential and framework first, the teaching of the core curriculum subjects becomes much more effective. Otherwise there is the feeling that for many pupils there is a risk of always putting the horse before the cart.

I believe that a school that actively promotes the use of these techniques will reap the rewards over time. It also sends out a powerful subliminal message to parents and Governors.

It reveals an adventurous spirit and a deep desire to use all methods available to further empower their pupils.  

Fitting in to the current timetable  

Obviously this is a process rather than an event. The first stage in this process is to acknowledge the benefits.

When a desire becomes a steady thought, its success is assured.

Copyright © 2001 Fraser White & Associates