How to Coach Yourself and Others Better Coaching Through Visualisation | Page 153

10. The Power of the Mind’s Eye
10.1 See without seeing
Our ability to see is literal and figurative, in that our brains can
generate images regardless of whether or not we are physically
seeing an object with our eyes. The ability to “see” without seeing,
known as mental imagery, can be used as a way to improve athletic
performance, to instil positive thinking, and to treat the symptoms of
certain mental conditions. For example, the use of meditation to
focus the mind on a single object can reduce the occurrence of
intrusive thoughts in conditions such as OCD (1) and ADHD.
Though our general understanding of the ways in which mental
imagery can affect us is pretty good, how and why we use it remain
unanswered questions.
Knowing how the eye works and how we physiologically process
visual information has brought to light some of the details
concerning the underlying physical basis of mental imagery. At the
back of the eye lies a thin, delicate layer of cells sensitive to light.
Light waves detected by these cells are converted into electrical
signals that pulse along neurons extending from the back of the eye
to an area of the brain involved in visual information processing.
Light waves flow into electrical signals flow into meaningful
images. This gives us our sense of vision.
It is no secret that the images generated by the brain extend to the
human conscious. Images originating in the brain are manifested as
responses, emotional or otherwise, that are a result of activity in the
matching mind. This enables us not only to see but also to react to
what we see. In the case of particularly moving or evocative images,
these reactions, positive or negative, are often stronger than reactions
elicited by words describing the images.
But visualization, in a philosophical sense, is larger than the ability
to see. With the exception of people who are born blind, the brain
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