The Role Of Seeing, Feeling, & Hearing In Guided Imagery & Guided Meditation

When using creative visualization and guided imagery, it is helpful to reflect on how different individuals tend to process information in the brain differently: Either via the senses of hearing (auditorally), feeling (kinesthetically), or seeing (visually). In other words, the way you think about things and solve problems will often involve the use of one part of your brain more than another. Everyone uses some combination of all of their senses, but each individual will tend to rely on one more than the others. Some people will “look for the answer”, while others will feel about it, and others will listen to their inner voice.

Magic Island: Relaxation for Kids

Clues to the way you process information may be found in your profession. For example, musicians tend to be auditory, artists tend to use visualization, and massage therapists are often kinesthetic.

Your language traits can also reflect your sensory predilection. For example, you might be inclined to use phrases like, “let me get a feel for that”, or “sounds about right to me”, or “I see what you mean”, .

Of course, the names "creative visualization" and “guided imagery” imply using inner vision. But a good guided imagery program will help you engage all of your senses. In fact, the words “sense” or "experience" can often be preferable in a guided imagery script to words like “see”, allowing the listener to choose which sense they engage, rather than forcing them to try to use one they might be less comfortable with.

For example, if I suggest that you “experience this healing energy reaching every part of you” you can easily interpret that suggestion in the way that works best for you. But if I say “feel this healing energy reaching every part of you” if you’re primarily a visual type of person you’d have to do extra work to follow along. Sometimes to cover all the bases, a good script will suggest that you “see, feel, and hear this healing energy reaching every part of you”, challenging you to use all of your senses.

You might enjoy noticing which sense seems to be your primary one, and then experiment by trying to use your other senses more when thinking about things, or solving problems. Doing that is a good way to get a new perspective.

More Information About Guided Imagery

What is Guided Imagery?

New! How To Write A Guided Imagery Script

New!! Using Nature in Guided Imagery Scripts

Guided Meditation with Saints and Angels 

Guided Imagery for Inner Exploration 

Guided Imagery for Behavioral Problems 

Seeing, Feeling & Hearing in Guided Imagery and Guided Meditation

What's the Difference between Guided Imagery, Guided Meditation, and Hypnosis?

Links for Guided Imagery, Guided Meditation, & More