imaging & a holistic approach to life


    Introduction

  
   

The body is the most remarkable and resilient creation on this earth, and yet the mental aspects of life dwarf the imagination.  In this golden age of technology, the mental processes, the potential abilities, how they function, are still mysteries seeking an answer.  

Without you or I knowing or understanding the functions needed to sustain life, the brain directs thousands of complex chemical compounding and formulation of different chemicals, hormones, and amino acids every second.  Moving one muscle may require hundreds if not thousands of mental and physical interactions to coordinate.  We have just begun to tap into, much less become aware of the vast miracle of brain functions.  Instinctively, I believe most of us recognize there is something grander than just a physical brain which imparts our humanity upon us. 

Perhaps the most mystifying is the psychological and behavioral processes.  How do we imagine a possibility, dwell upon that subject, dream about it, create plans and blueprints, and then produce a tangible product?  Just the process of making a decision is still a mystery to the sciences?  Many theories abound, some good, some accepted at face value, but do we really know if they are right?  Do we just assume that the science and theory is correct?  

The mainstay theories of Freud are now falling from favor, replaced with newer and perhaps more accurate theories and suppositions.  Is the long held view about the Id, Ego and Superego still valid today?  Many in the respective disciplines are questioning the validity of Freudian views in light of new discoveries.  Pushing away from blind acceptance as the basis for psychology and psychiatry, these may have been holding us back from more valid views and psychological therapies. 

Medical research has proven there is something more than just a physical brain functioning within our makeup as human beings.  Slowly, but inexorably, proponents of a holistic view towards the body and health are gaining ground.  Theories and credible science are establishing a beachhead in research circles that three aspects comprise elements of treatment, recovery and maintaining optimum health.  The physical, mental and spiritual aspects have been long known and identified by cultures around the world for thousands of years.  Yet medical science refuted the time tested beliefs in recent centuries, choosing to exclude the holistic view in favor of pure medical science. 

In life there are many choices, yet we maintain from our perspective the validity of three daily diets necessary to maintain optimum health.  These diets are simple - nutrition and exercise for the physical part; learning, thinking or challenges for the mental part, and some form of mediation, prayer or deep relaxation for the spiritual.  Including these in your daily routine may reap rewards for your health that are relatively unknown.  However, the end result for those who practice these is a balanced, healthy and happy lifestyle. 

The most overlooked is the mental aspects that contain a powerhouse of abilities enabling us to perform incredible movements of the body, thinking, dreaming, imagination, fears, emotions and every other conceivable range of mental capacity.  The mental aspects rule both aspects of body functions - autonomous and dependent. These are responsible for the entire range of functions related body processes, the immune system and just living day to day. 

The most important rule for the mental aspects, particularly the psychological is a simple word – ATTITUDE.  It is our attitude that shapes and controls not only our future, but also our health.  It can be a difficult process to maintain a positive attitude, but there are shortcuts to keep us on the right track.  Stress has been medically proven to debilitate the immune system.  A positive attitude helps to alleviate or dissipate daily stresses we all encounter.  The one thing we must learn to prevent and control when possible is chronic and/or outside stress.  Stress resulting from job loss, economic problems, family problems, social and marital upheavals, and even the death of a long term spouse can present major stress as one adjusts to life alone. 

Emotions

Our emotions play a major part in stress, and can wreak havoc on our immune system and body if we allow them to rule our life.  Emotional control is not the same as emotional restraint.  Restraint is not getting mad over something that really does not matter, but we must also recognize that anger can also be a form of emotional release and mental therapy.  Likewise, depression can be defined as the lack of emotion.  So getting mad can be a sign that one is not depressed, or can break a cycle of depression.  

The danger lies in negative emotions that we harbor, like holding a grudge or staying mad over something or a situation.  This harboring of emotions will only hurt you, not the person you are mad at or holding a grudge.  They probably don’t know it, much less care about your emotional state.  So release them, forgive your perceived aggressor and move on with your life.  You certainly have better things to do with your time and thoughts than stay mad at someone who could care less. 

Imaging is a major factor to happiness and health.  The acronym for FEAR is – Future Events Appear Real.  What we perceive of foresee to happen with our imaging or projection of self image, may just happen to us, be it good or bad.  The old saying is you get what you plan for, so one should be careful in what they wish for in life.  Why not choose to use it for good things and good health. 

Imaging Explained

The simplest and easiest way to explain and use imaging to our benefit is to see yourself in a theater looking at the big screen.  Before we get in too deep with terminology or concepts, there is one term that we must split hairs regarding the definition and terms for this exercise.  The brain is physical, the mind is spiritual, yet our emotions are a subset of the physical brain.  Creativity, motivation, inner feelings, conscience, drive, goals, personality and the beliefs system are part of the spiritual mind.  An in depth explanation can be found at Mind & Brain. 

Your comfortably seated in that plush chair, looking at the big screen waiting for the show to start.  You need to be the director and producer of this movie now, and determine what you want to see.  Let’s use two common but important examples of health and career.  Ruffle through the pages of your life, and find a period where you where the healthiest.  Select an action image that stands out which you vividly recall.  This is the mind projecting the image, and you say out loud to yourself, that this is the health you want right now in life.  Burn that image onto the screen.  Your career or education may be another image that you wish to develop, but in this case, you want to see the end result, like a promotion or graduation resulting from your efforts. 

As a cancer patient for example, you may want two images, one being the healthy past image, and a future image of yourself without cancer having vanquished it from your life.  You never, not even for one second, want to imagine a moment into the future that includes you and cancer, or even being sick.  With you standing on a mountain top whole and healthy, with only you as the victor in the battle.  Seek and thou shall receive can be a double edge sword where imaging is concerned.  Some people walk through life with a death wish, saying things like my mother had breast cancer, so I’m going to get it is a dangerous, perhaps deadly image to foresee. 

What has taken place is you have created that movie image of your life, the one you want to see happen for yourself.  The mind is projecting this onto the big screen.  To follow through you need to accept and believe this to be true, stating out loud that is your intention and the brain should follow through in making them come true.  This should be considered in part, as mind over matter – the mind telling the brain matter what to do. 

Imaging can be used in many forms to your benefit, and like anything that is good, takes effort and follow through to achieve.  Always see those images as vividly as possible when you think about yourself.  Replace any negative images that might pop in, with one of the positive big screen images you directed and produced.  Imaging can be effectively used to control weight by acting upon your senses to eat healthy, avoid junk food, and exercise.  I can think of several images that might help, so find one for yourself. 

The important aspect of imaging is to consciously recall these images as often as possible for six weeks until they become second nature to your thinking.  Habits generally take six weeks to make or break, so visit your personal theater often during the day and review your personal movie. 

Where health is concerned, the brain can literally turn back the pages of time and make a very good effort to restore your health to that point in time.  You won’t likely reverse the wrinkles of time, but the immune system and other aspects of your health will improve over time.  Believe it to be true, use that positive attitude that you can develop from the Two Step program freely offered within these pages. 

When that very positive, motivated movie quits showing at your personal theater, things may start breaking down.  The various interrelated functions and aspects of the body are related in one form or another.  Many processes are dependent upon another process to complete in a stair step fashion.  When one of these critical nutritional supply functions in the immune system fails, then a domino effect may be come into play and the system topples or collapses.  The ripple effect of interruptions manifest in many different symptoms.  When we allow ourselves to become depressed or outside pressures induce stress, take note and turn it around with healthy, positive imaging.  All three daily diets are important. 

There is so little known and valid information about the power of the brain and mind, much less the co-existence of the mind and the brain as separate entities, what we refer to as the Human Mental Systems.  The basic terminology is confused, alternatively referencing mind and brain as the same entity.  We believe differently.  We define it as mind and brain, and within the brain there is only ego and alter ego.  This ego and alter ego gives us the ability to reason within our mental framework.  Animal life does not contain the two parts, relying on instinctual behavour.  Contemporary psyschology maintains the three Freudiean parts - Id, Ego and Superego. 

So much is taken for granted and/or misunderstood about the mental aspects of human life.  The obvious question one might ask–Why do we study and observe lab rats, then apply the interpretations of animalistic behavior to mankind?  We have labeled them animal life and human life, so why do we continually apply one set of observations to both forms of life?  It’s quite obvious there is an ocean of difference between us in mental capabilities alone? 

The movie theater screen of our mental system is unique to man.  A benefit waiting to be used to harness our abilities.  When you see a person who is successful, it is due most likely to their adpatation and use of the power of imaging, and self motivation, more oftern referred to as goal setting.  The process and end result are the same, just a different vernular and viewpoint.  When you set goals, you are also visualizing, and the goal setting format instructs you to review and revise them often, taking time to dwell upon them and visualize the end result.   

 Go to the theater often and enjoy your personal movie production.