Visualization is one of the most powerful tools anyone can use to realize their dreams and reach their goals. It is often connected to the Law of Attraction as the saying that you become what you think and you will attract whatever you think. There are two ways how you can visualize the things that you desire, one is through the first person point of view, and the second is the third person point of view.
So what do you think? Should you visualize in the first or third person point of view? In fact, both methods can work and can be helpful for different reasons and situations. And this is exactly what you will discover in this article.
What Makes Visualization Works
Before you go in to debate about which visualization technique works better, it is crucial to understand how visualization works. In fact, you should have heard that expert athletes, businessman and successful people use visualization to successfully achieve their goals and their dreams.
This is because when you visualize the things that you want, you are creating the images inside your mind. And because your mind cannot differentiate the difference between what is real and what is fake, you are creating a focused state to subconsciously move into the direction of your goals.
In other words, visualization is powerful because it consciously programs the things that you desire into your life. It creates the intention, attention and helps you better focused on the things that you want to accomplish in life.
Now, the better your feelings and emotions during your visualization, the more powerful and effective the technique will be.
Try these exercises below and see how the first person and third person technique affect your feelings and emotions.
First, be the observer. See yourself sitting on the beach somewhere hot, maybe on a beach in Hawaii. Picture yourself sitting on a bench by the seaside, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds. Notice how you feel. Remember, you are seeing yourself doing this from a distance.
Next, try to step in and become the dreamer. Step into your body and see through your own eyes. Feel the heat from the sun, feel the sandy beach with your feet, hear the waves and the sea breeze whispering in your ear. How do you feel this time?
After you have tried out the two exercises above, notice how you feel from both perspectives. Do you feel more real, with feelings and emotions, from the first person or the third person view?
For most people, their feelings and emotions are the strongest when they visualize in the first person perspective.
First Person Vs. Third Person Visualization
Before you dive deeper into this subject, please understand the definition of both first and third person visualization:
First Person – You see the images through your own eyes. It is also called an associated state. This is where you are the dreamer doing the visualization and you see every detail from the pictures you visualize.
Third Person – This is where you see yourself from outside of your body. It is also called a disassociated state. In this case, you are the observer seeing yourself from a distance and it can be far or near.
Oftentimes, the first person visualization works better in terms of creating the emotions and feelings through your eyes. This is because you are imagining yourself doing the things.
For example, if you are trying to imagine yourself driving a new car, the first person visualization has a better edge in linking you with your senses. You see yourself from your own body walking to your new car. You feel your thumb clicking the remote to unlock your car. You open the door, feel the heaviness, sit into the comfortable seat, put both hands on the steering and feel the texture. Finally, press the start button and hear the engine roaring sound.
The effect of visualization can be heightening when you are visualizing through the first person view.
On the other hand, if you do this with the third person view, the effect may not be as powerful since you are seeing yourself doing so from another person’s eyes. It will be more difficult to feel the images with your senses.
Some experts suggest first person visualization as it has a better advantage of creating a more emotional state and feelings in your mind.
And as you already know, visualization can only show its effectiveness if you imagine with feelings and emotions. Therefore, try to practice more on the first person visualization rather than from the third person view.
Visualization In The First Person
When you see yourself reaching your goal, you are not in the experience yourself. And because of that, the effect from the visualization is not as great as when you see, feel, and sense yourself reaching your goals through your eyes.
When you are practicing visualization, see the images in the first person because this will engage your “action brain”. More importantly, when you are in the first person perspective, you feed your brain with information from your imagination in digestible fragments. You are the navigator and this allows your mind to visualize and builds a vivid plan of action.
At the same time, you do not want to clog up your mind with too many info and details that will “jammed” your subconscious or deflect your attention. When you are in the first person view, it allows you to see the subject bigger and at a more focused state.
Visualization In The Third Person
Although visualization through the third person view may not have the edge of creating more powerful pictures, it has benefits too.
First, as an observer seeing you reach your goals, you put yourself from a different perspective and this is good because sometimes, you need to step out from the obstacle and see the big picture to handle a problem.
Plus, by being an observer, you give yourself the opportunity to get away from negative feelings. Sometimes, this will give you calmness and clarity during the visualization. This is because you detach yourself from emotions, and when the emotion is not there, you will be more rational in dealing with things.
Besides that, by being an observer seeing yourself from afar, you can uncover blind spots that you have never thought about before. Sometimes it is difficult to spot the problem, but when you see yourself as for how other people see you, you will be able to discover things from another’s perspective.
As you can see now, both visualization in the first person and third person have their own advantage. Therefore, it is better to sometimes switch technique and exchange how you see yourself reaching for the things you want in life.
The Key to Making Visualization Works for You
As what you already know, one of the most important keys to making visualization works for you is that you need to include feelings and emotions when you are imagining yourself living the life you want.
Another key factor that often forgotten by most people is repetition. Repetition is the mother of all skills. There is no way you can become successful by thinking about what you want, your goals and your dreams only once.
There is a saying, “You will become what you think about most of the time,” and it is true. The key is to hold the images inside your head so often that your subconscious will direct your life towards your goals.
Unfortunately, most people only practice visualization occasionally. Some people will try it for once and then they said that it is not working.
Just like losing weight, it will be impossible for you to achieve your ideal weight if you hit the gym only once. If you spend an hour in the gym today, do you expect to lose 10 pounds tomorrow? It will be impossible.
Yet, this is what most people expect. Visualization and achieving the result you want is not a sprint, it is a marathon and you have to practice it every day.
There is no way you can become successful by just thinking about being successful once awhile when you feel like it. Nope, it does not work this way. You need to hold the imagines of success in your mind long enough, imagine and seeing yourself achieving the result you desire, and take action to move toward the right direction to materialize what you truly desire.
Visualization is indeed a powerful tool that has been proven by science of its effectiveness. And knowing how visualization in the first person and the third person can affect your result is a good way to start.
Now you understand how visualization works and whether you should visualize in the first person or third person, the next thing you should do is to create a schedule for visualization and stick to it.
Make it a habit to visualize daily and you will eventually see the results you want in your life.
References
- com/srinivasan-pillay/why-does-visualization-no_b_294293.html
- ca/2009/01/06/should-you-visualize-in-the-1st-or-3rd-person
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