Creative visualization is the cognitive process of purposefully generating visual mental imagery, with eyes open or closed,Isaac, A. R., and Marks, D. F. (1994). Individual differences in mental imagery experience: Developmental changes and specialization. British Journal of Psychology, Vol. 85, 1994, pp479–500.McKelvie, S. J. (1995). The VVIQ as a psychometric test of individual differences in visual imagery vividness: A critical quantitative review and plea for direction. Journal of Mental Imagery, Vol. 19, Nos. 3-4,1995, pp1–106. simulating or recreating visual perception,McAvinue, L. P., and Robertson, I. H., Measuring visual imagery ability: A review. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2007, pp191–211.Cocude, M., and Denis, M., Measuring the temporal characteristics of visual images. Journal of Mental Imagery, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1988, pp89–101. in order to maintain, inspect, and transform those images,Kosslyn, S. M., Image and mind. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1980. Kosslyn, S. M. (1987). Seeing and imagining in the cerebral hemispheres—A computational approach. Psychological Review, Vol. 94, No. 2, 1987, pp148–175. Kosslyn, S. M., Thompson, W. L., and Ganis, G., The case for mental imagery. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006. Marr, D. C., Vision: A computational investigation into the human representation and processing of visual information. New York: Freeman, 1982. Kosslyn, S. M., Seeing and imagining in the cerebral hemispheres—A computational approach. Psychological Review, Vol. 94, No. 2, 1987, pp148–175. Cichy, R. M., Heinzle, J., and Haynes, J. -D., Imagery and perception share cortical representations of content and location. Cerebral Cortex, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2012, pp372–380. Slotnick, S. D., Thompson, W. L., and Kosslyn, S. M., Visual memory and visual mental imagery recruit common control and sensory regions of the brain. Cognitive Neuroscience, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2012, pp14–20. consequently modifying their associated emotions or feelings,Lang, P. J., Levin, D. N., Miller, G. A., and Kozak, M. J., Fear behavior, fear imagery, and the psychophysiology of emotion: The problem of affective response integration. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Vol. 92, No. 3,1983, pp276–306.Holmes, E. A., Coughtrey, A. E., and Connor, A., Looking at or through rose-tinted glasses? Imagery perspective and positive mood. Emotion, Vol. 8, No. 6, 2008, pp875–879.Holmes, E. A., and Mathews, A., Mental imagery in emotion and emotional disorders. Clinical Psychology Review, Vol. 30, No. 3, 2010, pp349–362. with intent to experience a subsequent beneficial physiological, psychological, or social effect, such as expediting the healing of wounds to the body,Wientjes, K. A., Mind-body techniques in wound healing. Ostomy/wound management, Vol 48, 11, 2002, pp62-67. minimizing physical pain,Baird, C. L., and Sands, L., A pilot study of the effectiveness of guided imagery with progressive muscle relaxation to reduce chronic pain and mobility difficulties of osteoarthritis. Pain Management Nursing, Vol. 5, No. 3, 2004, pp97-104. Schaffer, S. D., and Yucha, C. B., Relaxation and Pain Management: The relaxation response can play a role in managing chronic and acute pain. American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 104, No. 8, 2004, pp75-82. Syrjala, K. L., Donaldson, G. W., Davis, M. W., Kippes, M. E., and Carr, J. E., Relaxation and imagery and cognitive-behavioral training reduce pain during cancer treatment: a controlled clinical trial. Pain, Vol. 63, No. 2, 1995, pp189-198. Turner, J. A., and Jensen, M. P., Efficacy of cognitive therapy for chronic low back pain. Pain, Vol. 52, No. 2, 1993, pp169-177. Manyande, A., Berg, S., Gettins, D., Stanford, S. C., Mazhero, S., Marks, D. F., and Salmon, P., Preoperative rehearsal of active coping imagery influences subjective and hormonal responses to abdominal surgery. Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol. 57, No. 2, 1995, pp177-182. Eller, L. S., Guided imagery interventions for symptom management. Annual Review of Nursing Research, Vol.17, No.1, 1999, pp57-84. alleviating psychological pain including anxiety, sadness, and low mood,Margolin, I., Pierce, J., and Wiley, A. (2011). Wellness Through a Creative Lens: Mediation and Visualization. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 2011, Vol 30, No. 3, pp234-252. improving self-esteem or self-confidence,Rees, B. L., An exploratory study of the effectiveness of a relaxation with guided imagery protocol. Journal of Holistic Nursing, Vol. 11, No. 3, 1993, pp271-276. and enhancing the capacity to cope when interacting with others.the Hirsch, C. R., Clark, D. M., and Mathews, A., Imagery and interpretations in social phobia: Support for the combined cognitive biases hypothesis. Behavior Therapy, Vol. 37, 2006, No. 3, pp223–236.Libby, L. K., Valenti, G., Pfent, A., and Eibach, R. P., Seeing failure in your life: Imagery perspective determines whether self-esteem shapes reactions to recalled and imagined failure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 101, No. 6, 2011, pp1157– 1173.
The mind's eye The idea of a "mind's eye" goes back at least to Cicero's reference to mentis oculi during his discussion of the orator's appropriate use of simile.
In this discussion, Cicero said that allusions to "the Syrtis of his patrimony" and "the Charybdis of his possessions" involved similes that were "too far-fetched"; and he advised the orator to, instead, just speak of "the rock" and "the gulf" (respectively) — on the grounds that, "The eyes of the mind are more easily directed to those objects which we have seen, than to those which we have only heard."J.S. (trans. and ed.), Cicero on Oratory and Orators, Harper & Brothers, (New York), 1875: Book III, C.XLI, p.239.
The concept of "the mind's eye" first appeared in English in Chaucer's () Man of Law's Tale in his Canterbury Tales, where he tells us that one of the three men dwelling in a castle was blind, and could only see with "the eyes of his mind"—namely, those eyes "with which all men see after they have become blind."The Man of Laws Tale, lines 550-553.
Visual and non-visual mental imagery The brain is capable of creating other types of mental imagery, in addition to visual images, simulating or recreating perceptual experience across all sensory modalities,Kosslyn, S. M., Ganis, G., and Thompson, W. L., Neural foundations of imagery. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Vol. 2, No. 9, 2001, pp635–642. Pearson, D. G., Mental imagery and creative thought. Proceedings of the British Academy, Vol. 147, 2007, pp187–212. including auditory imagery of sounds,Zatorre, R. J., Halpern, A. R., and Bouffard, M., Mental reversal of imagined melodies: A role for the posterior parietal cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Vol. 22, No. 4, 2010, pp775–789. Arntz, A., Imagery rescripting as a therapeutic technique: Review of clinical trials, basic studies, and research agenda. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, Vol. 3, 2012, pp121–126. Zatorre, R. J., Halpern, A. R., and Bouffard, M., Mental reversal of imagined melodies: A role for the posterior parietal cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Vol. 22, No. 4, 2010, pp775-789. Zatorre, R. J., Halpern, A. R., and Bouffard, M., Mental reversal of imagined melodies: A role for the posterior parietal cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Vol. 22, No. 4, 2010, pp775-789. gustatory imagery of tastes,Tiggemann, M., and Kemps, E., The phenomenology of food cravings: The role of mental imagery. Appetite, Vol. 45, No. 3, 2005, pp305–313. Tiggemann, M., and Kemps, E., The phenomenology of food cravings: The role of mental imagery. Appetite, Vol. 45, No. 3, 2005, pp305–313. olfactory imagery of smells,Stevenson, R. J., and Case, T. I., Olfactory imagery: A review. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2005, pp244–264. motor imagery of movements,Holmes, P., and Calmels, C., A neuroscientific review of imagery and observation use in sport. Journal of Motor Behavior, Vol. 40, No. 5, 2008, pp433–445. Olsson, C. J., and Nyberg, L., Motor imagery: If you can't do it, you won't think it. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Vol. 20, No. 5, 2010, pp711–715. McAvinue, L. P., and Robertson, I. H., Measuring motor imagery ability: A review. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2008, pp232–251. McAvinue, L. P., and Robertson, I. H., Measuring motor imagery ability: A review. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2008, pp232–251. and haptic imagery of touch, incorporating texture, temperature, and pressure.Miquée, A., Xerri, C., Rainville, C., Anton, J. L., Nazarian, B., Roth, M., and Zennou-Azogui, Y., Neuronal substrates of haptic shape encoding and matching: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Neuroscience, Vol. 152, No. 1, 2008, pp29-39.Juttner, M., and Rentschler, I., Imagery in multi-modal object learning. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2002, pp197–198.
Notwithstanding the ability to generate mental images across sensory modalities,Kosslyn, S. M., Ganis, G., and Thompson, W. L., Neural foundations of imagery. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Vol. 2, No. 9, 2001, pp635–642.Pearson, D. G., Mental imagery and creative thought. Proceedings of the British Academy, Vol. 147, 2007, pp187–212. the term "creative visualization" signifies the process by which a person generates and processes visual mental imagery specifically.
However, creative visualization is closely related to, and is often considered as one part of, guided imagery. In guided imagery, a trained practitioner or teacher helps a participant or patient to evoke and generate mental imagesComplementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What's In a Name? US Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication No. D347. Online Version. Retrieved 31 July 2015. that simulate or re-create the sensory perceptionKosslyn S. M., Ganis G., and Thompson W. L., Neural foundations of imagery. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Vol. 2, No. 9, 2001, pp635–642. of sights,McAvinue, L. P., and Robertson, I. H., Measuring visual imagery ability: A review. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2007, pp191–211.Cocude, M., and Denis, M., Measuring the temporal characteristics of visual images. Journal of Mental Imagery, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1988, pp89–101. sounds,Zatorre, R. J., Halpern, A. R., and Bouffard, M., Mental reversal of imagined melodies: A role for the posterior parietal cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Vol. 22, No. 4, 2010, pp775-789. tastes,Tiggemann, M., and Kemps, E., The phenomenology of food cravings: The role of mental imagery. Appetite, Vol. 45, No. 3, 2005, pp305–313. smells,Stevenson, R. J., and Case, T. I., Olfactory imagery: A review. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2005, pp244–264. movements,McAvinue, L. P., and Robertson, I. H., Measuring motor imagery ability: A review. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2008, pp232–251. and touch,Juttner, M., and Rentschler, I., Imagery in multi-modal object learning. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2002, pp197–198. as well as imaginative or mental content that the participating subject experiences as defying conventional sensory categories.Banissy, M. J., Walsh, V., and Ward, J., Enhanced sensory perception in synesthesia. Experimental Brain Research, Vol. 196, No. 4, 2009, pp565–571.