how to visualize

Visualization vs. Visioning: What’s the Difference?

Both visualization and visioning involves the use of active imagination while you relax.   When you visualize, there could be many scenarios that you play in your mental studio.  One such scenario is a projection into a time in the future.  And so, visualization and visioning are often assumed to mean the same thing, as the latter involves picturing an ideal picture of your future self.

In the beginning, I did not realize that there could be a difference between visualization and visioning.  I had thought them to be the same.  Thus, I had used the terms interchangeably.  It was only when I started learning more about what visioning is and entails that made me become aware of the difference.


Knowing what the difference is offers benefits.  You are able to reach a higher level of understanding about yourself and thus, elevate your success.  You begin to realize that there is much more to just sitting down and imagining an ideal picture.

What is Visualization

Visualization is a singular process.  You allocate a couple of minutes to visualize.  By letting go of your tension and stress, you first reach the alpha state of relaxation.

Then, in your mental mind, you invoke your imagination to visualize a desired state of outcome in the future.  Alternatively, you could be visualizing meeting your spirit guide, healing your chakra centers, cleansing your negative energy, connecting with your inner wisdom for answers and so on.

What is Visioning

Visioning is a life planning process that takes you into deeper self-knowledge.  And from here, you become aligned with your creativity, gifts and strengths.  You develop a heart-centered vision that will enable you to become your highest potential.

 

A heart-centered vision is one that is meaningful to you.  You are on your way to living a life that matters.  Included in the visioning process are visualization exercises that can help you to activate your dream.  You do this consistently until your dream manifests.

Envision From the Inside

You could be shortchanging yourself if you do not know yourself enough when you visualize your future self.  The thing is that you want to be able to design the best life possible for yourself.  You may be engaged in active imagination during the visualization process but you could be visualizing some thing that you do not really want in an ideal picture.

It usually happens when you simply adopt other people’s dreams without question.  We immediately assume that we want the same things: the red sports car, the bungalow with the swimming pool, a gorgeous romantic partner, success and recognition and so on.  We believe that we will be happy with these.  And so without spending some quiet time to gain deeper inner awareness, we could be mistaken into visualizing a dream that does not truly resonate from within.

When there is no complete resonance, you can find it difficult to manifest the ideal picture in your mind.  This is because you are sending conflicting signals to the Universe.  The Universe is not able to act when you are not clear on your desire.  You are not able to keep your focus.

Hence, it is important to align with what is in your heart.  Visioning is a heart-centered inside approach because it requires you to follow your passion, doing what you love and loving what you do.  The vision of living a full life incorporates living and expressing your unique and innate self.  Holding on to this vision, you leverage on the Law of Attraction powerfully to bring it forward.

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Evelyn Lim is dedicated to the vision of inspiring heart-centered living.  She helps others gain inner power through loving themselves and loving their lives.  A life coach, energy therapist, author and intuitive consultant, she assists her clients with shifting into higher vibrational states internally for a more positive outer experience of abundance. 

Evelyn Lim is the creator of The Life Vision Mastery Program, an online course that teaches on creating heart-centered visions.  Click over here to get a free Vision Board guide and a meditation audio to activate your abundance (http://www.VisionBoardGuide.com).

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  • L JamesMcfarland

    I find that we can connect with our vision when we become very simple and child-like in our declarations of what we want. The conscious mind many times likes to obscure the power and directness of our truth with intellectualization and qualifications or doubts. So if we can come straight from the heart, like a kid does, we get closer to our truth.

    For example: I remember when I was a kid, there were times I was playing, and noone was around, and I just wanted some friends to play with- do you remember wanting a couple new friends? Maybe it was the perfect summer day, just nobody to have fun with- well that need doesn’t ‘go away’ as an adult- we have times we just would really like to have an ideal partner to share our time with- and that very Pure, clear heartfelt need becomes part of what we envision -jim

    • http://Abundancetapestry.com/ Evelyn Lim | Abundancetapestry

       I certainly like what you said about being child-like. I am lucky to have the opportunity to reawaken this in me, just by playing with my children.

      Being child-like helps us to lose our inhibitions and fears and become more open to the wonder, magic and beauty of life.  And yes, we lovingly connect with the heart-felt desire that comes from the center of our beings.

    • http://jianiteo.com/ Jia Ni

      I couldn’t agree more. Connecting to the Inner Child + Simplifying everything can bring you big realizations and aha moments! 

  • Sean McCarthy

    Great posting!  I never realized that this concept: the difference between vision and  visualization might be confusing to someone not talking about this everyday.  As a Coach, of course this is part of my regular vocabulary, but this article provides a great distinction between the two.  Thanks.

  • Joseph Michael

    Having vision is one of those things that we often forget about but can also make the biggest difference. I remember an old basketball coach once teaching me to spend time visualizing myself shooting and making free-throws. The results of this always amazed me. They even did studies that reflected free throw percentages being significantly higher for those who did this vs those who did not. I believe this same technique is equally important for other projects we wish to succeed as well. I know I had a vision for my blog before I began and I continue to visualize where I want it to go. When pairing vision and visualization together the result can be quite powerful. 

  • http://twitter.com/SuzanneJonesBiz Suzanne Jones

     What you are describing here is in fact self hypnosis. As a hypnotherapist, one is guided to visualize their best life, whatever that is for them. You need to engage all of your senses in that which you desire. Great post here. Very clear. Love the Laws of Attraction!

  • http://www.rpsmiles.com/ Del Mar Dentist

    It is nice to know these two things are actually different when I first thought they are the same. But are these two needed to make your dreams in life come true?

  • http://glynisj.com/ Glynis Jolly

    An interesting article, Evelyn. I didn’t know that there was a difference in these two words. Thank for the teaching.