By wiping out all other thoughts from the conscious mind, the person is able to address only one thought -- and that thought is to remain the focus throughout the entire meditation (Kaur, Agarwal, & Babbar, 2014). The continual repetition of Om or another word, sound, or phrase, would be an example of exclusive meditation. Additionally, a person can visualize a specific image and hold that image in his or her head as a point of focus for exclusive meditation. Transcendental meditation is a popular method, along with another similar method called relaxation response (Smith, 2007). Studies done on transcendental meditation from Harvard researchers have shown that the technique is effective for people who want to reduce stress levels (Smith, 2007).
Mental imagery is the creation of an image in the mind (Smith, 2007). This can be an image that is put there as a suggestion from someone else, or it can be something the person who is seeing the image has determined would be a good choice. Some believe that it differs from visualization, but research does not support that (Smith, 2007). The only real difference is in the personal opinion of the terminology, with some people preferring the term mental imagery and other people preferring visualization. The other difference is one of semantics, where some people believe that mental imagery is something that is created by one person in the mind of another person, and visualization is something that is created by the person in his or her own mind (Payne & Donaghy, 2010). This is the main consideration when these two phrases are addressed. Regardless of any subtle differences, though, and regardless of semantic concerns, both mental imagery and...
They may not be successful for everyone and they do take work.
Despite that, though, many people use visualization techniques and mental imagery in order to find ways to get through stressful days, or to get past a period of time in which they have a high level of things going on in their lives. People who want to be calm and relaxed may also use visualization or mental imagery techniques every day in order to keep overall stress levels low (Smith, 2007). Even if there is nothing particularly stressful about their lives at that time, using this type of meditation can help them be prepared for future stress. They will know how to handle issues that arise more easily because they have prepared themselves with images and techniques they can use when a stressful or difficult situation arises for them (Kaur, Agarwal, & Babbar, 2014). That is an important way to focus on what really matters, and to address concerns that they may have when it comes to how they can handle and cope with stressful issues that they have to deal with at work or in their personal lives.
References
Kaur, S., Agarwal, N., & Babbar, R. (2014). Effectiveness of relaxation techniques in reducing stress levels by measuring heart rate variability. International Journal of Physiology, 2(1), 26-30.
Payne, R.A., & Donaghy, M. (2010). Relaxation techniques: A practical handbook for the health care professional. NY: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Smith, J.C. (2007). Chapter 3: The Psychology of Relaxation. In Lehrer, P.M., Woolfolk, R.L., & Sime, W.E. Principles and practice of stress…
