9-19-2023 7:46pm

Creative Visualization

Christine Larkin Editor

SKYLARK'S ARTICLE OF THE WEEK - CREATIVE VISUALIZATION

Creative visualization is the cognitive process of purposefully generating visual mental imagery, with eyes open or closed, simulating or recreating visual perception in order to maintain, inspect, and transform those images, consequently modifying their associated emotions or feelings with intent to experience a subsequent beneficial physiological, psychological, or social effect, such as expediting the healing of wounds on the body, minimizing physical pain, alleviating psychological pain including anxiety, sadness, and low mood, improving self-esteem or self-confidence, and enhancing the capacity to cope when interacting with others. Got that?

That's the literal definition. Creative visualization can be used at anytime, anywhere. I took part in a guided meditation Tuesday evening. We were taken through a creative visualization of walking down a path on a tropical island that led down to a white, sandy beach. The instructor "took us for a stroll" and described the cool, soft sand between our toes. As we got closer to the water, she led us into the warm sea as we "took a swim." We stayed there for a while as a sultry breeze blew over us. Then, we were led out of the water, back up onto the sand, along the beach to the path once again. The use of creative visualization in this case was to create a calm, peaceful environment during meditation. This modality works to clear our mind and create a positive space that we can "escape" to at will.

So why use creative visualization? It's not always so easy to wish a painful situation or physical pain away. But if we use our mind's eye to do the job for us, we can change the direction of our thoughts, too. The idea of a "mind's eye" goes back at least to Cicero's reference to mentis oculi (mind's eye) during his discussion of the orator's appropriate use of simile (a figure of speech that compares two things). In this discussion, Cicero said that allusions to "the Syrtis of his patrimony" and "the Charybdis of his possessions" involved similes that were "too far-fetched"; and he advised the orator to, instead, just speak of "the rock" and "the gulf" (respectively) — on the grounds that, "The eyes of the mind are more easily directed to those objects which we have seen, than to those which we have only heard." Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, writer and Academic skeptic who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the establishment of the Roman Empire.

The concept of "the mind's eye" first appeared in English in Chaucer's (c. 1387) Man of Law's Tale in his Canterbury Tales, where he tells us that one of the three men dwelling in a castle was blind and could only see with "the eyes of his mind"—namely, those eyes "with which all men see after they have become blind."

Creative visualization is not a new concept, but it may be new to you. We may find ourselves, at times, drifting into a deep thought as we stare off into space. We may not realize it, but in essence, we are using Creative Visualization. It may not be deliberate in a situation like this, but it is taking us away from our current thoughts into something else and somewhere else. Some call it day dreaming. We have the ability to transform a bad situation into something beautiful that we desire with our mind's eye. That's the marvel of the mind. That's the power of creative visualization. See for yourself.

Peace and Love,

Skylark

At 60 and Beyond, using creative visualization can be a natural healer.

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SKYLARK'S PICK OF THE WEEK - SAN GENNARO FEAST IN THE HAMPTON'S

You won't want to miss this annual Italian Feast taking place this weekend in the Hampton's. New York City's San Gennaro Feast may be over, but head east for more Italian food and music! That's Amore!

For all the details, visit www.sangennarofeastofthehamptons.com.

SKYLARK'S INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Mangiare per vivere e non vivere per mangiare.

This Italian proverb means Eat to live and not live to eat. Mangia!

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SKYLARK'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK

When you use Creative Visualization, what do you see?

Please put your answer in the Reply section below. I'd love to hear from you.

SKYLARK'S SONG OF THE WEEK - THAT'S AMORE

LYRICS

In Napoli, where love is king
When boy meets girl, here's what they say
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore
When the world seems to shine like
You've had too much wine, that's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling
Ting-a-ling-a-ling, and you'll sing, "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay
Tippy-tippy-tay, like a gay tarantella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta e fasule, that's amore
When you dance down the street with
A cloud at your feet, you're in love
When you walk in a dream but you know you're not dreaming, signore
Scusami, but you see, back in old Napoli, that's amore
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore
(That's amore)
When the world seems to shine like
You've had too much wine, that's amore
(That's amore)
Bells will ring (Ting-a-ling-a-ling), ting-a-ling-a-ling
(And you'll sing "Vita bella") Vita bella, vita bella
Hearts will play (Tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay)
Like a gay tarantella
Lucky Fella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta e fasule, that's amore
(That's amore)
When you dance down the street with
A cloud at your feet, you're in love
When you walk in a dream, but you know you're not dreaming signore
Scusami, but you see, back in old Napoli, that's amore (Amore)
That's amore!

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My brand, Skylark Live, consists of a weekly newsletter, Skylark Live Town News, a monthly vlog, 60 and Beyond with Skylark, and monthly in-person chats called The Skylark Sessions. They are all designed to inspire and motivate women to thrive in older age through knowledge and self-awareness at 60 and beyond. Andiamo! Let's go!

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