Visualization is the act of imagining a future that we direct our focus and energy toward, an expression of our internal infinity. Visualization is without limits and supports individual productivity and participation in many ways. When we desire change, visualization is most effectively used to establish frameworks for action. By exploring our imagination of the possible, we begin the process of creation. We build frameworks for a future we desire and direct our time experience in such a way that we are pulled toward it. Visualization is the spiritual act of creating ourselves in our own image, a small ritual we combine with the practice of active soulcraft to proactively navigate our journeys in alignment with the single truth.
Much has already been written about the practice of visualization. The strategic planning model explored in the previous chapter is a single example that supports individual development of the practice and the embracing of our roles as self-directing observers. Visualization takes the form of a spiritual small ritual in its being the direct expression of our internal infinity. The more we focus our visualization on a specific vision, the more real it becomes. Through visualization, the individual develops a wide variety of possibilities, alternatives, pitfalls, and outcomes that are otherwise unavailable. Some we choose to direct action toward, others are simply thought exercises. Visualization is like anything else within the relational universe: the more the individual dedicates focus and energy to it, the more proficient they become at leveraging it.
The most commonly illustrated examples of visualization are athletes visualizing their success. The athlete trains themselves to imagine the entirety of their contest from a variety of possible circumstances. Their imagination extends into a complex web of happenings that dictate the next steps should they find themselves within a specific moment. Throughout my wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu career, I used visualization for both repetitive practice and competition. I was obsessed with the sport and spent much of my time off the mat dreaming of techniques to drill, much to the detriment of some of my university courses. The same was true when running my small business; it consumed me both on and off the job. Again, it happened during my journey in building a nonprofit. If you’re sensing a pattern, it is not by chance. The relational universe applies to both the internal and external infinities expanding within the immediate present. Our prolonged practice of focused imagination empowers us to become more than we are. At its most basic levels, imagination is a form of self-therapy. We make the time to reconnect with our ability to imagine alternatives to what is and direct our beliefs and actions toward their creation. That we can always imagine more is a source of incredible power. Visualization fuels a passionate obsession through which we express our divinity in the moment.
The phrase “internal infinity” represents the limitless places the imagination can take us. We leverage it to inhabit fantasy and the future. When we act upon it, we express awareness, enthusiasm, and courage in our chosen directions. Consider visualization within the context of the single truth. Change is always happening in all directions at all moments. Within any given moment is a universal network of information interacting with itself. We inhabit the role of observer, a set of consciousness coordinates processing information within a specific set of limitations that our biological and mechanical technologies support. As the individual engages with visualization, they expand their capacity for imagination. However, visualization is distinctly different from fantasy or rumination in that it is directed, focused, and serves the purpose of empowering us to express creation within the moment. The individual should be wary that the positive outcomes the relational universe supports through the direction of focus and energy equally apply to negative circumstances. Sometimes our circumstances place us into pessimistic internal spaces, especially when happenings do not align with our wants and expectations. Visualization is the active direction of our awareness and is a valuable technique for guiding our inner narratives away from wasteful obsession and toward the realities we seek to create.
Individuals should practice visualization in whatever capacity they have available in the moment. Do not wait for a special event on the horizon; imagine a known future now. An easy way of incorporating it into your daily routine is to attach the small ritual to other aspects of life. As little as ten minutes of imagination is all that’s needed to begin developing your powers. Over your morning coffee, before settling into evening entertainment or bed, or as an alternative to staring at your phone in the bathroom—there is no wrong time to direct your focus and energy on visualizing milestones within your journey. Distraction and doubt play the biggest role in our ability to imagine, yet they are two components of life quickly vanquished through the act of impassioned creation.
We embrace visualization as an aspect of modern shamanism and spirituality because it is the technique through which we develop our greatest powers. It is a vital component of both individual and systemic actualization in providing a pathway to alternatives beyond what is. Without visualization, we know only our present trajectory toward the age of crisis. Therefore, we embrace it deeply in our being and exercise it often.
