One part of creative visualization I haven’t covered yet is negative creative visualization. I don’t mean using visualization to help negative things happen (although we all tend to do some of that subconsciously anyway), but rather visualizing things in an unattractive or undesirable way to discourage them from happening. For example, the weight lose book “The Gabriel Method” recommends using this idea to overcome cravings, so, if you have a weakness for chocolate chip cookies, you could visualize yourself eating some then getting sick when you discover the chocolate chips were actually dead bugs. If you find yourself unable to avoid your cravings for potato chips, you could visualize factory workers chopping up potatoes with worms in them to make the chips (not that I’m suggesting that is the truth about making potato chips — It’s not.) The idea is to make those things unattractive so you won’t crave them.
With spiritual development, this can be used along with positive images. If you find yourself spending too much time on materialistic activities that are preventing your spiritual development, you can visualize something undesirable happening when you do that. It should be based on what you personally find undesirable. If, for example, you realize that you are spending too much time watching television, but can’t seem to quit and you have a fear of spiders, you could visualize that while your glued to the TV, big, mean spiders are sneaking up on you. Of course, the most obvious one, and the truest, is to imagine you die without developing your spiritual side and can’t go to heaven. Sadly, that one really happens all too often.
Random Thoughts 8-30-2009
The second anniversary of this blog will be on September third. I’ll have more to say about it then.
And while I’m tooting my own horn, thanks to those who voted for me for a Blogger’s Choice award.
There is still almost two months left to vote this year.
I am saddened by the lose this week of Senator Ted Kennedy. While some may not agree with his politics, we should all be able to agree that his heart was in the right place which was helping people rather than helping greedy corporations.
Wild and Wacky News:
A professional sumo wrestler, one of those guys big enough to stuff us average guys down a toilet if he wanted to, refused to take a bus to training camp for fear of getting H1N1 Swine flu.
About 1700 prison inmates got economic stimulation checks from the U. S. Government because the government records didn’t reflect the fact that they were in prison. Wouldn’t an address that started with something like “… Maximum Security Facility” kind of give it away?
Scripture: Psalms 133
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
We are all brothers and sisters and should all live together in unity and harmony. That, unfortunately, becomes impossible when we embrace out physical, animal self and ignore our spirit. Truly spiritual people are always loving and tolerant, but also willing to help those who are ready to grow spiritually.
Life Lessons for Guidance
Way back in the 1800’s, A Spanish captain planted orange trees on the Caribbean island of Curacao. When the trees bore fruit, the captain was disappointed to learn that the small oranges were very bitter. He abandoned his orchard. It was many years later that someone discovered that the skins on these small bitter oranges produces a strong flavoring agent and later that flavor was used to create the well known liquor Curacao named after the island from which it comes. The point of telling you this story is that sometimes life gives us bitter or undesirable things that we don’t like but they often have important lessons to teach us. Most of us don’t like it when these things happen, but they may help us make correct choices in our life, or at least prevent us making bad choices. You might change your mind about becoming a drug pusher when a friend dies of an overdose. On the other hand, you might decide to become a medical researcher when a parent dies of an incurable disease and one day find a cure.
Of course, you shouldn’t let a little difficulty stop you from pursuing your dreams, but you also need to consider that those painful life lessons may be guiding you to something better.