Visualisation Difficulties

I've just read an excellent guest article by the Urban Monk at Litemind talking about visualisation, and it reminded me of the frustrations I've experienced in the past around trying to visualise.

Here's the comment I left on his post:

"Hi Albert

I found this a good article, but I’ll admit that it was a tad frustrating for me.

I’ve always found visualisation agonisingly difficult. My mind is naturally very audially based, with a little kinaestheticness (kinaesthesia?) thrown in for good measure. Visually, though, it’s like my inner eye is blind :-S

When I “see” something in my mind, what I’m actually experiencing is an inner running commentary of what’s where, or a verbal description of a thing’s features. I can hear any sounds it makes, or if I’m “imagining” interacting with someone, I can hear their voice, tone, accent and speech cadence clearly in my mind. Occasionally, I’ll “see” the way it feels under fingertip or foot, or the way I move when I use it or interact with it.

Visually though? Nothing but the briefest, dullest occasional flashes. It’s like I’m walking around inside my mind with a multi-layered blindfold on, and every now and then, just for the very briefest instant, all but one or two layers is pulled away and then quickly replaced again.

I’d be interested to know if you’ve come across other people who find it easy to imagine things in rich audio and kinaesthetic detail, but almost impossible to imagine visually.

Curious blessings

Starfire"

I've been aware of this difficulty pretty much ever since I started meditating, and right through my priestess training. And minds being the innovative things that they are, I've found ways around not being able to visualise (like focussing on the other sensations that my inner sense *can* perceive.

But writing that comment today was the first time I'd created a metaphor around how it feels for me to try and fail to visualise. That feeling of having my inner eye blindfolded... yeah, that's exactly how it is for me!

So I'm wondering if anyone else has the same issues around visualisation. Has anyone had difficulty in the past with it, despite being easily able to interact using other inner senses within a meditation - and then learned how to visualise without it being an agonising effort?

If so, I'd really *really* like to hear from you. Please - drop me a line in the comments! Thanks so much :-)

Blessings




Starfire