Words create experiences
Our brain usually communicates utilising imagery. It also does not seem to understand the word no or any kind of negatives when added to the said imagery. Therefore, when I say, ‘Do not think about your kitchen’, it is likely that the image of your kitchen will be brought into the sphere of your consciousness. If I do say, ‘Now think about your kitchen’, the result is going to be the same.
Once the imaging starts we are also likely to follow up with our other senses, for example, the smell of great food being prepared in the kitchen or the sounds of cooking and washing. We may even begin to salivate as we think about the delicacies being prepared.
All of our senses get pulled into expanding the image and adding the finishing touches until it becomes an experience so enriched that it feels real to us.
Interestingly enough, we’re doing this all the time, whether aware of it or not. Sometimes we allow the image to take centre space and sometimes it remains a fleeting experience in a series of such distracted experiences.
Whatever we think about, is going to have an impact and influence our emotions. What we are going to conjure most often, will start defining and shaping our day to day experiences and the way we feel.
Keeping this in mind, we can actually work upon creating powerful imagery for ourselves that can propel us forward towards pursuing our dreams. We have to remember to make sure that the images we think about are always compelling, powerful, beautiful and inspirational for us. We also need to ensure that we let go of any images which are the opposite, even if we think of them as a no-no, our mind will conjure them as soon as we think about them!
How we feel is inextricably linked to what and how we think. Both feeling and thinking impact and Influence each other. Our psychology is linked to our physiology and vice versa.
Becoming aware of all this can help us utilize this knowledge to our benefit.
Our mental imagery is automatic and involuntary but we do have the power to shape it. Since it is prompted by what we think and what people around us say, we can choose to be around people whose conversations are empowering for us. Similarly, we can choose to be distant from those who are always talking about negative situations and catastrophes or even abstain from watching horror movies.
Our brain will eventually bring up whatever we have been subjected to during the day. This is exactly why it is important, rather it is a necessity to avoid watching horrific scenes on the news and listening to updates constantly. Eventually, it is going to impact our experiences and pull us down into a spiral of negative, fearful and pessimistic thinking patterns.
We share information through our verbal communication and we do pay a lot of attention to it, besides the pitch, tone, volume and body language.
Verbal instruction directly guides our attention, something hypnotists know and use very well.
If I ask you to close your eyes for a moment, relax and then open them and survey the room around you looking for objects of a certain colour, for example brown, you’re likely to focus your attention on all objects of a similar colour. If I then ask you to identify and remember objects that are blue in colour, it is very likely that your brain will find it challenging. It has utilised its resources on focusing on one colour and filtering out the rest. This is exactly what happens when in a crowded room you are able to focus in on the conversation that you are having and focus out of the noisy buzz of the rest of the room. Even then, words that are extremely familiar to you will cut through the buzz and reach your ears.
Language creates strong sensory images in the mind based on our past experiences about how things in our future will play out and then our brain automatically fills in the gaps for us. We start creating expectations about how things in the future will look, feel, sound and be for us; we anticipate the experience and look for validating information. It is almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You get what you expect.
Taking this a step further, you actually see and experience what you believe you are going to see and experience.
Read that again.
You actually see and experience what you believe you are going to see and experience.
Language has a lot of impact on what you think, on how you feel, and consequently on your actions and behaviour.
So choose your words and indirectly the words of those around you, very-very wisely by choosing who and what you will surround yourself with.
You are literally shaping your future with your words!
As a mindfulness practitioner and life-design coach, I help clients focus on well-being and personal growth and make life choices that prioritize their mental and emotional health. This leads to personal freedom and independence allowing the person to blossom and manifest the life they deserve. Connect with me if you are seeking to go forward on your journey.