Problems with visualization (No mental images at all)

[Tryed]

@Chupi: No problem. Oh, if you want to see what I meant by "3D" blackness, try staring at something bright over a black background for 30 seconds, then close your eyes and focus on the afterimage. The blackness will probably start to get some depth and you will start to see what you were staring at with more vividness like image 5.

[Fenrir]

On that scale I'm a 1 and it doesn't get better regardless of a relaxed state... I am not relying on the backs of my eyelids to my knowledge and have looked at this sites visualisation links which all rely on you having at least something to work with and having tried them gotten no further

 

What would you advise? I know to keep trying but how so I improve it?

[Chupi]

@Fenrir: Do you get any activity on the backs of your eyelids, like excessive noise and "plasma blobs"? I find these are quite distracting and make it way harder to focus on my mind's eye vision instead. Usually relaxing my eyes and not squinching them shut helps with this, as the muscles around the eyes press them when contracted, causing the blobs.

 

Apart from that, what is it like when you try to imagine something, either open or closed eye? When my visualization is cruddy, it's like I know what's there and so forth, but just don't see it. What sometimes helps me then is to do something to draw my attention to my mind's eye. Imagine something vividly colorful, with lots of color, and that moves at least some. Lots of contrast is good too. Places you're really familiar with can work well too. I'll sometimes use my childhood home, or a beach with really vibrant, exaggerated colors. Try to describe what you want to imagine with words, and include as many senses as possible. Try to imagine how light and shadow work, and try moving the light source around to see it change.

 

Occasionally I've had success with imagining all black, then all bright white, alternating back and forth. The idea is it's sudden changes and about as much contrast as you can have.

 

Example way to handle a beach scene: (Change the order to put whatever sense comes most easily to you first)

First off, when doing this, let your focus drift. Don't concentrate too hard on making something appear, or it won't. Narrate these details to yourself, or later your tulpa, as you attempt to imagine them. Even if you don't see anything, continue. At some point, you will probably catch a glimpse of something. If something does appear, don't focus on it or go "wow, I'm getting something", or it will vanish as you immediately snap your focus back to your eyelids.

• Sight: Start with the sky, which is clear and a deep azure that is deepest straight above and lighter toward the horizon. The sun is about halfway down the sky, on your right. Let your focus drift downward from the sky and see the ocean water, slightly rippling and with small waves. Now see the rich, warm golden sand, closer to brown where the water has touched it, stretching from the water's edge up to where you stand. See the ripples in the dry sand where people have walked. Move the sun around in the sky to see the effect on lighting and shadows, including on each ripple in the sand. Also look down and see your own body; this helps place you in the scene and establish that you're there, and not just a floating view.
  
• Smell: That unique salty smell you get at a beach... Or that stinkier low-tide smell if you like smelling icky things.
  
• Sound: Hear each wave as it wooshes in, crashes and then recedes. If there's much breeze, hear how it sounds blowing into or past your ears. Add some seagull or other water bird noises if you like.
  
• Touch: Feel the soft sand under your feet and feel how it shifts as you walk, your feet sinking into it slightly. Reach down and pick up some sand. Feel how it's warm from the sun, feels gritty and has the occasional really small pebble in it. Feel it flow out of your hand between your fingers, leaving a slight coating of sand stuck to your skin. Brush it off, feeling how it rubs on your skin a little. Walk down to the water, feeling how the wet sand is cool and hard under your feet. Walk slightly into the water and feel how the cool water flows by. Pay attention to how the water washes away the sand directly under your feet as a wave recedes. Reach down and scoop up some soggy sand. Notice how gloppy it feels for the moment before enough water runs out of it that you're left with a wet crumbly lump. Try to shape the lump a little, then drop it and feel how it's left your hand damp, with small amounts of wet sand sticking to it.
  

[Exceed]

@Fenrir: Do you get any activity on the backs of your eyelids, like excessive noise and "plasma blobs"? I find these are quite distracting and make it way harder to focus on my mind's eye vision instead. Usually relaxing my eyes and not squinching them shut helps with this, as the muscles around the eyes press them when contracted, causing the blobs.

 

Apart from that, what is it like when you try to imagine something, either open or closed eye? When my visualization is cruddy, it's like I know what's there and so forth, but just don't see it. What sometimes helps me then is to do something to draw my attention to my mind's eye. Imagine something vividly colorful, with lots of color, and that moves at least some. Lots of contrast is good too. Places you're really familiar with can work well too. I'll sometimes use my childhood home, or a beach with really vibrant, exaggerated colors. Try to describe what you want to imagine with words, and include as many senses as possible. Try to imagine how light and shadow work, and try moving the light source around to see it change.

 

Occasionally I've had success with imagining all black, then all bright white, alternating back and forth. The idea is it's sudden changes and about as much contrast as you can have.

 

Example way to handle a beach scene: (Change the order to put whatever sense comes most easily to you first)

First off, when doing this, let your focus drift. Don't concentrate too hard on making something appear, or it won't. Narrate these details to yourself, or later your tulpa, as you attempt to imagine them. Even if you don't see anything, continue. At some point, you will probably catch a glimpse of something. If something does appear, don't focus on it or go "wow, I'm getting something", or it will vanish as you immediately snap your focus back to your eyelids.

• Sight: Start with the sky, which is clear and a deep azure that is deepest straight above and lighter toward the horizon. The sun is about halfway down the sky, on your right. Let your focus drift downward from the sky and see the ocean water, slightly rippling and with small waves. Now see the rich, warm golden sand, closer to brown where the water has touched it, stretching from the water's edge up to where you stand. See the ripples in the dry sand where people have walked. Move the sun around in the sky to see the effect on lighting and shadows, including on each ripple in the sand. Also look down and see your own body; this helps place you in the scene and establish that you're there, and not just a floating view.
  
• Smell: That unique salty smell you get at a beach... Or that stinkier low-tide smell if you like smelling icky things.
  
• Sound: Hear each wave as it wooshes in, crashes and then recedes. If there's much breeze, hear how it sounds blowing into or past your ears. Add some seagull or other water bird noises if you like.
  
• Touch: Feel the soft sand under your feet and feel how it shifts as you walk, your feet sinking into it slightly. Reach down and pick up some sand. Feel how it's warm from the sun, feels gritty and has the occasional really small pebble in it. Feel it flow out of your hand between your fingers, leaving a slight coating of sand stuck to your skin. Brush it off, feeling how it rubs on your skin a little. Walk down to the water, feeling how the wet sand is cool and hard under your feet. Walk slightly into the water and feel how the cool water flows by. Pay attention to how the water washes away the sand directly under your feet as a wave recedes. Reach down and scoop up some soggy sand. Notice how gloppy it feels for the moment before enough water runs out of it that you're left with a wet crumbly lump. Try to shape the lump a little, then drop it and feel how it's left your hand damp, with small amounts of wet sand sticking to it.
  

 

Holy shit... I felt it.

[Charles]

@Chupi: Can't even tell you how much that helped me, thank you.

[Chupi]

Okay, think I'll copy-paste and reformat my post into a thread in the guides section...