What if I do not visualise? Can I still have hypnotherapy?
I am often informed that “I am not a visual person, so will hypnotherapy work for me”. Visualisation is not mandatory to be able to take part in hypnotherapy, but it has many benefits. First, it can help you connect with your emotions. The main thing is to connect to an internal space; for some, this is the head, heart or gut. Many think they need to see, but imagination is just remembering or creating from memory. The question is, how do you do this?
Visualisation is just one way of sensing in your mind.
Visualisation is just one way of sensing in your mind. If you’re not visual, move on to another sense. Many people are visual and auditory – try to see what feels suitable for your body and mind. In hypnotherapy and NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming), we find the primary sense used and utilised in the sessions. I send my clients a Predicate Test; they find this a fun tool to understand their model of the world and those around them.
auditory learning
You’re not visual; use another sense.
If you’re not visual, move to another sense. Hearing is an excellent way to recall information. For example, what does the voice of Mickey Mouse or Daffy Duck sound like? Do you often hear a parent’s voice telling you off when you were a child? Most people are running a constant dialogue or self-talk in their minds. I incorporate sounds when working with clients in hypnosis and NLP & EFT (Emotional Freedom technique)
If recalling sounds doesn’t work for you, try something else like smell or taste; can you remember a perfume, maybe one from someone you loved as a child? For me, cigarette smoke is repugnant (Yes! even when I smoked, I wouldn’t say I liked the smell), but I like the smell of the tar when passing roadworks.
Do you have a favourite food and can recall the taste? Love or hate Marmite? Imagine the sourness of a lemon on the tongue or the sweetness of a ripe Strawberry. These are all ways of using your senses and how in a therapy session, they can be utilised.
Many people are both visual and auditory.
If you’re visual, you may find it easier to imagine things in your mind’s eye. On the other hand, hearing something in your head might be easier if you’re auditory. Either way, visualising can help both types of people achieve their goals.
Try to see what feels suitable for your body and mind.
If you don’t see, then try to listen. What are the sounds around you? If you’re in a forest with birds singing and leaves rustling, do those sounds give you any sense of where the trail is leading? If not, move on to another reason.
How does it feel when you step on loose rocks or sharp twigs? Does the ground slope up or down?
Visualisation is just one way of sensing in your mind, so use whatever works for you.
Visualisation is just one way of sensing in your mind, so use whatever works for you. If visualisation isn’t your thing, try other senses like auditory (hearing) or kinesthetic (touching). Many people are visual and auditory, so they can use both types of sensory input to learn best.
Try to see what feels suitable for your body and mind.
Visualisation is just one way of sensing in your mind. If you’re not visual, move on to another sense. Many people are both visual and auditory and can use both methods effectively. Try to see what feels suitable for your body and mind.
This free test can help you understand how you prefer to receive information.
It measures how you interpret sounds, words, and speech.
It takes just a few minutes to complete and reveals patterns shaping how you learn, speak and listen.
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