Does it matter if the therapist’s idea of what imagination is and the person’s concept are the same? Could the person’s concepts of what ‘imagination’ is work against them? Is there ever a need to reduce negative thoughts the person may have about using their imagination?
Does it matter if the therapist’s idea of what imagination is and the person’s concept are the same? Could the person’s concepts of what `imagination’ is work against them? Is there ever a need to reduce negative thoughts the person may have about using their imagination?
Does it matter if the therapist’s idea of what imagination is and the person’s concept are the same?
Could the person’s concepts of what `imagination’ is work against them?
Is there ever a need to reduce negative thoughts the person may have about using their imagination?
My name is Eugene Irvin,
Explaining what imagination is with people may be fine but the real issue might be reducing or eliminating their misconceptions and negative thoughts about using their imagination abilities.
This might especially be so when they want to use their imagination in a practical way with their long term chronic pain management.
We need to defuse as many of the negative thoughts the person may have about the topic of `imagination.’ Some of these negative thoughts they may be aware of and others may be more unconscious in nature.’
It may be a misconception to think that once you have explained in wonderful detail how the imagination works, the person will take it on board so to speak both consciously and especially unconsciously.
I ask whether there is an emphasis on presenting different aspects of how powerful and important the imagination is with every session. Ths would not only be interesting but informative. Otherwise it is easy to assume the person truly understands and thus reduce its importance with the person.
This is important if you make the assumption the person’s unconscious understanding of what the imagination is, is important with their chronic pain management. To counter this the person `over learns’ how important gaining more imagination control is for their chronic pain management.
There is a link to a simple list of ways people might have regarding their doubts or negative thoughts about imagination.
There is also a link to ways to start getting around the different types of imagination complaints?
This is just my list and is only meant to stimulate other entries.
Thank you
Types of imagination complaints:
Let’s look at the complaints first and see how we can get around them. These complaints may be outright negative comments about imagination to displays which echoes more the clients frustrations with prior attempts or ongoing attempts:
- “I am in pain. I cannot be bothered with imagination stuff?”
- “What do you mean I have strengths we can use. I know what my strengths are and I have been using them to no effect.”
- “Look I don’t want games, I just want some way I don’t get frustrated and dispirited all the time.”
- “I’m too old for all this mumbo jumbo.”
- “ I just do not think you can help me using anything. I have tried everything.”
- “My willpower is very low. How can all this be of any use?”
- “I have tried some imagination stuff before but it did not work.”
- “How can imagination help with my pain? Wouldn’t I automatically have done this by now anyway?”
Approaches to getting around the different types of imagination complaints:
The following are to act as ideas which can be embellished and modified. They are not hard, word-for-word presentations. They canbe used singly or in combinations.
- “Let’s define imagination because often we connect imagination with fanciful stuff like children’s imagination or science fiction movies. Things that are not real. Let’s redefine imagination.”
- “Imagination is brain activity. This is shown with MRI‘s. When we use imagination in a structured way we are actually using our mind-body control. The trick is to know how to use it properly for different people.”
- “Our imagination can often work against us. One example would be phobias and other thoughts or feelings we know are not correct. Imagination is involved with a lot of these. Imagination then can
be a powerful force. To offset that we need to methodically determine your strong and weak abilities and then know how to use them to your advantage.” - “Every person has an imagination. Some people are very much aware of this and others are not aware at all.”
- “Every person has an imagination. Placebos are recognized as a fact. You could say `people imagine something to be occurring with the medicine. Imagination properly used is a powerful tool.”
- “Would you accept that it is your unconscious which is working against you? Your unconscious is made up of how you see things, hear things, feel things. If you look at the in depth characteristics of what is called ‘imagination’, imagination does all of those.
- “Strengths can be hidden away. They may not present themselves in the first few minutes. You
need to seek them out. If they were that obvious and easy to use, you would have already used them.” - “You being frustrated and dispirited a lot of the time can be offset to an extent with using abilities that you already have. These are the abilities connected to how your mind works. The imagination is the way into this world.”
- “There is confusion and mayhem. People try but the way they are thinking may not be the best and most logical it can be. There is a need for someone to come along and bring order to things. Tapping into how one sees things in their mind or thinks is one important way. This is called imagination.”
- “How do we gain access to physical relaxation? Physical relaxation is a skill. Not all skills are what we would call imagination. However, to obtain relaxation whether physical or mental we will use imagination.”
- “You may say you have a strong determination but this is hard to access when you want to. If you have something imaginally connected to it then we can access your determination that way.”
- “How do we gain access to the positive parts of your emotions? Emotions are always connected to something in the mind. The way we are thinking or imagining things are connected.”
- “Willpower has nothing to do with this. An example would be some people can imagine bright colours and others with what you would say have a strong willpower, have no ability to imagine colours.”
- “Every person has some natural skills or talents or abilities. Very few people can by themselves
develop or even bring out all those abilities. They need outside assistance, especially when it is with their imagination abilities.” - “Age has nothing to do with imagination. It is how our brains are designed.”
Stay Questioning
Questions, comments or requests? Feel free to reach out, I’d love to hear from you.
