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I Imagine...
I
Imagine...
Now if you’ve really begun to do this (or imagine yourself doing this), your whole body is beginning to relax, your heart rate slows, blood pressure and pulse steadies, respirations are slower and are providing more oxygenation to your cells. Perhaps you’ve found that old magic wand in your inner kingdom – even “imagine” yourself picking the old, abandoned thing back up as it zaps to life! Perhaps you can even see and feel it streaming with light, or iridescent colors flowing from its tip as you turn it toward yourself – letting yourself bathe in its warm, healing, magical light (neuropathways are now crackling and sparking – maybe even a few new one’s are being forged!). While you see and feel this light flowing over you, and through you, your parasympathetic nervous system is being activated, as you slip out of the high-geared sympathetic nervous system (leave it behind like an old stiff suit!). Letting go of linear thinking and finding yourself thoroughly enjoying the experience of now, as the past and future melt away... Feeling these magical lights filling your being, they move deeply into your cells, “zapping” them with new life... Ahhh, your whole being sighs as it releases soothing, “feel good” bio-chemicals. Yes, now your cells are regenerating (aglow with light) as they respond to these “self loving” messenger molecules, with their encoded messages down loading into your cells. As these healing messenger molecules communicate soothingly, your cells “open up” and let them in, absorbing them (like magical lights) and bathe in them. As your body/mind rests, it is paradoxically rejuvenating – releasing “dis-ease” as it slips into “ease.” Now a whole gang of “magic elves” – or fairies – which ever you happen to believe in, are bouncing (or flying,) into your magical kingdom. Armed with their own “magic wands” they are sworn to protect you, and zap out anything that doesn’t support this magical world of YOU... which is coincidentally (or synchronous with) a world of self-healing. Still splashing around with me? Then you just strengthened your immune system, (those darn tough, little Killer T Elves and phagocyte Fairies!!!! Who would’ve thought it?). I’d say right about now; you’ve just reached some form of homeostasis (or your patient has, depending on who you’ve given this gift of magical healing to). Okay, okay – I know how important it is to you to “analyze” this – to get to the “nitty-gritty” reality of what just happened. This isn’t Disneyland you say? Hmmm.… Well, for many of us, I beg to differ. We need the joy, the well-being, the fun, the inspiration, the wonder, and the belief in the possibilities that are evoked by something like Disneyland. We need these inner experiences as much for healing as we do the well provided medical care and carefully administered medications that are prescribed. So what’s this all about? Simply this – imagery, or guided imagery, is just as powerful a medical tool as all our allopathic approaches. I’m talking about the holistic healing paradigm, which takes into consideration that we are greater than the sum of our parts. I’m talking about a nursing intervention (although can be provided by physicians, family, or any caregiver) that stays true to our pledge of “do no harm.” Guided Imagery is a noninvasive “medical” intervention that can be built into any “care plan” as it is well within nursing scope of practice, and doesn’t require a physician’s order. I’m talking about psychoneuroimmunology, which can be defined as the interactions between, the mind, the Central Nervous System, immune and endocrine systems. Or the Electrochemical Self, defined in the *“Art of Caring” course by: Barbara M. Dossey, R.N., M.S., FAAN, Lynn Keegan, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN, and Cathie E. Guzzetta, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN as the following: (shortened excerpts) *“The human bodymind is a complex electrochemical feedback system based on intimate connections between every cell in the body. A continuous electrochemical shower of information and activity moves through this system at all times. It tells us what is going on in the different areas of the body, as well as what those areas need. The mind is present literally in every part of the body, not just in the brain. So it is possible for us to communicate directly with all body parts about health and healing.” It goes on to talk about how mental images and calmness are actualized in the body itself. In comparing our bodies to computers these Nurse Educators go on to describe how the central nervous system is our “hardware,” which interacts with all other connections in our bodies. *“The area in the anterior frontal lobe of the brain where images are formed is directly wired to the limbic system, where emotions are processed. From there the neural pathways connect to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, thus directly linking the image forming area of the brain and all other major regulators of the body. In order for this neural hardware to be in constant contact with every cell in the body, it makes use of chemical messengers (our “software”) made up of neurotransmitters, hormones, immunomodulators, and neuropeptides to communicate throughout the body, traveling through the bloodstream and lymphatic system keeping in touch with our cells and tissues.” Perhaps you’ve read some studies on this (or its related areas) already and are familiar with the supporting data ). If not, and your saying “Let’s get back to reality here” I’d like to quote from Candice B. Pert, PhD’s book, Molecules of Emotion which states: “Since our sensing of the outer world is filtered along peptide-receptor-rich sensory way stations, each with a different emotional tone, how can we objectively define what’s real and what’s not real?” Mumbo jumbo? Okay, here’s another example from Candice’s book: “Most of our bodymind attentional shifts are subconscious. While neuropeptides are actually directing our attention by their activities, we are not consciously involved in deciding what gets processed, remembered, and learned. But we do have the possibility of bringing some of these decisions into consciousness, particularly with the help of various types of intentional training that have been developed with precisely this goal in mind – to increase our consciousness. Through (<imagery>) visualization, for example, we can increase the blood flow into a body part and thereby increase the availability of oxygen and nutrients to carry away toxins and nourish cells.” Imagery can, and has, affected quicker-better wound, bone, and burn graft healing, and combined with relaxation (which usually goes hand in hand with imagery) a “whole” host of benefits are produced for healing in countless areas (lowering blood pressure for one). Imagery can be used for most all types of diagnosed illnesses and disease (and for some of those “undiagnosed” ones too), and can even be used with invasive interventions such as surgery (i.e. pre-surgery prep and post-op). It can reduce pain, boost the immune system, increase effectiveness of cardiovascular functioning and inhibit “stress chemicals” while producing more bio-chemicals that support healing. Psychologically it is pleasing and appropriate for most people (with the exception of those suffering from delusional disorders such as psychosis), and it just plain “feels good.” And when we “feel good” we are promoting homeostasis – the harmony of mind & body. Of course, common sense tells us that it isn’t the best associative tool for “acute” conditions, medical emergencies, etc. But even in these cases, imagery can be effective as a recovery tool or to reduce anxiety. Imagery isn’t even dependent on a second party as it can be taught as a “self-help” tool. There are many types of imagery to choose from: Body-Mind Imagery, Clinical
Imagery, Correct Biologic Imagery, End-State Imagery, Guided Imagery, Imagery
Process, Imagery Rehearsal, Impromptu Imagery, Packaged Imagery, Relationship
Imagery, Symbolic Imagery, Transpersonal Imagery & Visualization, all
defined in Holistic Nursing, A Handbook
for Practice, Third & Fourth Editions by Dossey, Keegan and Guzzetta.
The type of imagery used is a choice made between medical professionals,
patients and family, so whether that choice is to use “symbolic” imagery
(i.e., magical elves and fairies, or lazar blasters!) or more biologically
defined imagery (i.e. seeing accurate images of your biology in action),
it can go a long way towards assisting in achieving our ultimate goal – healing!
Of course, there is that comparison to “curing,” and I know that “curing” can
sometimes be confused with “healing.” Healing, (and the human
experience) still being the mystery it is, doesn’t always provide the
result of a “cure”. For nurses, some of our patient’s are
still determined to slip out of our healing hands, as perhaps are family
members, or loved ones in our lives. In the case of life transitioning, imagery
can still provide much needed healing to patients and families (along with
ourselves) alike. The goal of imagery can be adapted to support a different
kind of healing, one that promotes comfort, care and “right relationship” to
those beyond ‘curing.’ It is said that in some ancient healing
traditions that “death” is the ultimate healing, and as much
as we may fight it, if it’s beyond the medical communities’ ability
to change, we simply must “let go.” But letting go doesn’t
mean detaching from our patients, or disconnecting from their “healing” journey.
On the contrary, imagery can provide a rich resource for staying connected
to the individual experience of life and that-which-is-beyond our “knowledge.” You ‘see’ imagery,
unlike visualization, doesn’t rely on “mental images” alone – imagery
is the culmination and use of all our senses, providing a rich experience
of an inner reality that, when related to the “inner” world of
healing is just as “real” as everything we perceive outside ourselves.
For example, a blind person who has never ‘seen’ a lemon can
still define a lemon by many other senses. When we do imagery, we can still
experience its richness by any of our other senses without having to visualize
anything (which by the way is why imagery is considered different from visualization
techniques) Whether you are a medical professional or lay person, tending or coping
with anything from cancer treatments to colds and flues – or a person
who just wants to change the quality of your life for the better – allowing
a little of your imagination to run free, through imagery, can truly bring
about some amazing – dare I say magical? – (Yikes!
Small Ways to > BIG Change
If you’d like to hear Mayling talk about Imagery, go to: http://beyondtheordinary.net/mayling.shtml to listen to a 3 part series, free of charge archive on this subject. Just scroll down her guest page to her guest spot for April 10, May 15, & June 9, 2006, and simply click on the “Listen Now” speaker box. To see the published version written originally for physicians, in the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatric News at: http://www.aapca2.org/PediatricNews/Sept_2004/I%20Believe.htm Article® 2007 written by Mayling, RN, HN-BC Board Certified Holistic
Nurse, Executive Director for Holistic Education & Program Development,
Brightest Blessings Creations, Network Leader for the American Holistic Nurses
Association, and President of The Center for Nursing Advocacy, Los Angeles
Chapter. Permission to use article is granted only with notification, and
use of author name, title, and reference to www.BrightestBlessingsCreations.com.
For permission email: Ask@BrightestBlessingsCreations.com
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results. But don’t just take it from me – the proof is in the
pudding. And if we can’t take our patients to Disneyland for some “feel
good” therapy, we must help bring Disneyland to them (or any other
delightful realm of the imagination). Don’t think of imagery as a ‘replacement’ for
all the wonderful techniques and care that are provided by our medical teams
provide, but rather as “including” another rich resource for
well-being. 