Arachnae's Metaphysics










Affirmations and Visualizations



Affirmations are positive statements of the way people would like their lives to be. These are the "I look GREAT today" messages people tell themselves in the mirror, the "I'm strong enough to survive this" statement that they articulate in moments of crisis. Self-coaching is a form of affirmation.

Visualizations are imaginings of what one's like would look like in the desired state. Call them daydreams or fantasizing, but many professional athletes know the value of imagining the perfect pass or swing before engaging in their sport.

Affirmations and Visualizations are similar yet distinct - they actually activate different areas of the brain, since affirmations are verbal and visualizations are, well, visual. But they both do the same thing - program the brain to more readily accept the desired state.

This section features articles on both Affirmations and Visualizations.

REVIEW: Shakti Gawain's Creative Visualization

Shakti Gawain literally wrote the book on Creative Visualization. She wrote and self-published Creative Visualization in 1979, with an initial run
of two thousand copies. Her tiny publishing firm had no distributor, no
advertising budget, and one title to sell. And yet, bookstores that
carried her book couldn't keep them in stock, as purchasers returned to
buy multiple copies to give as gifts.

Today, Creative Visualization has sold more than three million copies
in English and an equal number in all the other languages it is now
available in, and gone through numerous editions. Word of mouth sells
this book, and hope. (more)

FEATURED ARTICLE: Why Do Affirmations Work?

Affirmations are easy to lampoon. Many people's first exposure to affirmations was Al Franken's Saturday Night Live character Stuart Smalley, chirping "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it - People LIKE me!"

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror and telling yourself you're healthy, wealthy and/or happy may seem ridiculous to some - surely just saying something over and over doesn't make it so. Can it really work? (more)