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Using your mind to control your pain: Ideas for Guided Imagery


If you've ever been to any of the Disney theme parks, you have experienced "imagineering": recreating the feel of being in another place or another time...without having to actually go there.  The various theme areas within the parks can make you feel like you're in the tropics, the future, Colonial America, or anything in between.

Today, we are going to look at this concept in the context of pain management.  Some of us might be familiar with this technique, while for others it might be something new to try.  You might have heard the words "guided imagery"to describe this pain management tool.  It's interesting to think that you can take yourself to another place...in your own mind...without going to a Disney Park or anywhere else!

There was a television ad twenty or thirty years ago that I remember vividly. In the ad, a woman who was totally overwhelmed by the stress of her life really needed to get away from it all. When she got home she got out her box of Calgon bubble bath, put some in her bath water...and she was instantly transported away from all her cares.  I found a YouTube clip of this ad to share with you:



Just as this woman was able to get away from her daily stress with bubble bath, you can use guided imagery to distract yourself from the discomfort of chronic pain issues.
Maybe you could take a nice bubble bath, or use a jacuzzi if you have one.  But there are also simple mind exercises that you can use to achieve the same effect.  Using guided imagery is sort of like playing a movie in your head.

Here are some examples:

 Close your eyes and imagine that you are on a beach, or maybe in the woods.  Look around you. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? Take a few steps.  What do you notice now?

You have a chronic pain that just won't quit.  Imagine a box in the middle of a room.  Go to the box and open the lid.  Put your problem into the box and close the lid, then walk away.

Alternatively, you could envision a mop and bucket and mop your pain off of the floor. Another idea is to imagine a stream; place a vessel that contains your troubles into the water and watch it float away.





Truthfully, the possibilities are endless.  It's up to you what you want to envision and how you want to envision it.  Say goodbye to the pain, and hello to a new adventure!

Sources: Wikipedia, YouTube, Wikimedia,"Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions"
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