Can We Visualize Our Way Out of the Recession?

By Srinivasan Pillay, Huffington Post. Posted March 4, 2009.

1. "...It is now a well-known fact that we stimulate the same brain regions when we visualize something and when we actually do it..." If, during the recession, you have no idea how to act, start by imagining what you want. What you want will not come immediately, but imagining is a way of getting the process started quickly. For example, if you want to start a home-based baking business, start by imagining being in the kitchen surrounded by cakes and cookies that you are taking out of the oven. Draw a sketch of this, and then draw sketches that come before and after this. The more clearly and repetitively you outline this, the more likely it will be that you will succeed.

2. "...if a person with this stroke imagines moving the affected arm or leg, brain blood flow to the affected area increases and the surrounding brain tissue is saved..." If you have had a setback, don't give up. Keep the blood flowing to the brain area that will execute your action by focusing your visualization on what you want. During the recession, people often focus on their fears. All this will do is increase blood flow to the brain regions that will stop your actions. Remember, a failure is not a final statement that you will not succeed. It is information that your vision has to be changed, refined or repeated.

3. "...visualizations under hypnosis enabled nationally ranked Stanford male gymnasts to execute for the first time several complex tricks that they had been working on for over a year..." Hypnosis here works because it decreases anxiety and increases focus. When you start your visualization, strive to construct the image with your mind free of worries even if you have to sculpt out an "artificial space" to do this. When you visualize while worrying, it is like painting with a shaky brush. Calmness increases the creativity and authenticity of your "brushstrokes".

4. "...youth soccer players increased their confidence in playing when they visualized their moves..." If you find that the recession has eroded your confidence, use visualization of your goals to help increase your confidence. Practice makes perfect. Repeat these visualizations every day. As you imagine your goal and process more clearly, your confidence will increase enough to execute on your desired goal.

These are a few principles of visualization that can help maximize your brain's capacity as you plan for growth during the recession. Remember: visualization is not just some hokey way of getting to your goals. The principles are grounded in science and with all the recession chaos going on, it is important to carve out a space to use the palette of your mind to paint the pictures that you desire. When you do this, your brain will act in accordance with your visions.

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