Use Visualization to Become an Expert Quickly
by Royane Real
Over the centuries, human beings have developed many techniques
to gain access to their inner wisdom and improve learning.
One technique that many people have found very beneficial
is to have an imaginary guide that they can call on for advice
and insight.
A modern variation of this technique has been developed by
intelligence researcher Dr. Win Wenger and it is detailed in
his book “The Einstein Factor”
This exercise is sometimes called “Putting on the Expert’s
Head”
This technique enables you to access some of the enormous
untapped potential that resides in the mind of every individual.
This technique can even accelerate your ability to develop a
new skill. It gives you access to parts of yourself that you
are normally not aware of.
The first step is to decide what knowledge or skill you would
like to develop in yourself. What are you interested in that
you would like to do better? You might wish to improve your skill
at archery, portrait painting, doing mathematics, or playing
a musical instrument.
Once you have decided what skill or knowledge you would like
to develop, take some time to think about those people you consider
an expert in this chosen field. Whose skills do you admire? Who
do you think of as a great role model and expert in the field?
The person need not be currently living. Before you move ahead
with this exercise, you may wish to research the life of the
person you have chosen.
You might even decide you want to see the world from the perspective
of your favorite animal or bird, such as a wolf or an eagle.
When you are ready to do the Expert’s Head exercise,
prepare yourself by deeply relaxing your body and your mind.
Take some time to get comfortable in a place where you will not
be disturbed. Internally scan your body for tension, and allow
your muscles to relax. Breathe calmly and smoothly in a relaxed
way.
Now think: is there a particular place where you would like
to meet your imaginary expert? You might want to meet this guide
in your own home, but feel free to imagine another site. For
example, you could visualize meeting in a beautiful garden, in
a forest, on top of a mountain, or some other location.
You can improve your ability to visualize imaginatively by
speaking out loud your inner impressions to a tape recorder,
or to another person. Eventually, even the slightest glimmer
of imagination will be reinforced and amplified by consistent
practice of this exercise.
If you are not yet able to easily imagine a location in which
to meet your chosen expert, don’t worry. Simply move forward
to the imagined encounter with this person, whenever you are
ready.
Your imaginary encounter may go exactly as planned, or there
may be surprises in store for you. Perhaps someone you weren’t
expecting shows up. Perhaps your chosen expert does not want
to participate. If no one appears in your mind’s imagination,
ask for someone to come forward, and then wait.
When your imaginary guide appears, handle the encounter with
as much politeness and respect as you would a real life encounter
with a real person. Do you feel comfortable in the presence of
this expert? Do you have the sense that the expert feels comfortable
with you?
Even if these guides are figments of your inner mind, you
still need to be sure you are accessing a part of yourself that
wants to promote only the best for you.
If you get any sense of discomfort between you, thank the
expert for coming, and politely dismiss him or her. Think of
another expert you admire in your chosen field and create an
imaginary encounter with that person. You may even have to create
a totally fictitious character to be your imaginary expert.
Once you have established a meeting with your chosen expert,
mentally picture yourself and your visiting expert standing facing
each other in an attitude of great respect. Gently put your arms
out and slowly remove the expert’s head from his or her
body. Since this is only an imaginary person or animal, the head
should come off quite easily.
Place the expert’s head above your own, facing the right
way, and lower it over your own head. Now believe that you are
looking out at the world through the eyes of your chosen expert,
hearing through the expert’s ears, smelling through the
expert’s nose.
Take the time to allow the expert’s mind to slowly merge
with your own mind. Now gently pull the expert’s body towards
you, and step into it. Feel as if it fits you perfectly. Feel
that you have merged with the expert’s body and can feel
and do the same things.
When you feel that you are actually in the expert’s body,
notice what seems different to you. Does the world look different
in any way? Do any of your attitudes feel different? How does
your body feel different? Can you feel the confident attitude
of the expert? Memorize the sensation.
Focus on the differences you notice and start to talk about
them out loud. Spend at least five minutes doing this step. When
you have finished, gently step out of the borrowed imaginary
body and carefully remove the expert’s head from you own.
Respectfully return the head and body to the expert. Thank that
person for allowing you to have this experience.
You can use the Expert’s Head technique to improve your
skills at some desired activity, or to accelerate your ability
to learn to do something you have never done before.
First spend a few weeks performing the Expert’s Head
exercise daily to familiarize yourself with it. Once you are
accustomed to the process of donning the expert’s head,
you are ready to use this technique to accelerate your skills
development.
First spend a few minutes performing the desired skill entirely
in your mind. Feel as if you are actually performing perfectly
it and that you really know how to do it. Then move to the Expert’s
Head exercise, and spend about 10 –15 minutes, performing
the activity in real life, but mentally be the character of the
expert, wearing the expert’s head and body.
After about fifteen minutes, gently remove the expert’s
head and step out of the expert’s body. Thank the expert
for the use of his or her body, mind and talent. Ask the person
to continue filling your mind with more of their expert knowledge
and ability even when you are not practicing this exercise.
Before the experience starts to fade from your memory, spend
a few minutes writing down or speaking out loud everything you
can remember. Write down or speak everything you can remember
that was really different when you were in the expert’s
mind and body, rather than as yourself.
When you wish to improve a particular skill, first spend about
15 minutes mentally doing it as yourself. Then slip into the
expert’s head and body to continue the exercise in real
life for another fifteen to thirty minutes. If you repeat this
process about three times a day, you will experience a greatly
accelerated ability to master the skills you desire.
Please realize that advice and knowledge received in this
manner is not infallible. Do not feel obligated to act on any
advice received from your inner dialogue with your imagined guides
unless you are absolutely convinced it is appropriate for you
at this time.
This technique can greatly increase access to your inner creativity
and wisdom, but you will still need to make informed and reasoned
decisions about what you do.
About the Author: This article was written by Royane Real,
author of the book, "How You Can Be Smarter –Use Your
Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better, and Be More Creative."
|
