Meditation and visualisation are major factors in spiritual living, and I enjoy both regularly. However, some people believe that the terms are interchangeable, when in fact, although both meditation and visualisation are activities of the mind involving working with energy, they are completely different concepts. In this feature, I want to be clear on the differences between the two, so first of all, let’s take a brief look at what the two terms mean.
Meditation:
Meditation has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. You don’t have to be religious to meditate, although it does feature in many religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam. It’s also a big part of spiritual practice, and many psychics, mediums and psychic development students like to meditate regularly, because it can allow them to connect with Angels, spirit guides and loved ones in Spirit, as well as accessing past lives and receiving messages for themselves and others.
Spiritual meditation is a good time to connect with your own Higher Self and discover what truly makes you happy. Practiced regularly, you will become more accepting of what is going on around you and less reactive to the words and deeds of others. This makes for a calmer, more peaceful life and allows you to see things as they really are, not as they appear.
I like to meditate before readings to connect with the Universe, and I often receive messages and information for clients during these meditations. I also meditate to connect with Angels and guides, but you don’t have to be psychic to meditate. It can also be a therapeutic exercise, helping to reduce stress and connect with your body by concentrating on your breathing and stilling the chatter in your mind.
That said, meditation is not about clearing your mind, it’s about focusing on what’s really important to you, such as peace of mind and acceptance of everything that’s happening around you. Meditation helps to break the cycle of overthinking, so you’re not replaying traumas and dramas constantly, and reliving the anguish they caused first time around.
Meditation is relaxing, so you may find that physical pain improves after meditation, and you may also sleep better as a result, because nothing encourages deep, healthy sleep like a relaxed frame of mind. So meditation is a great self-help tool, whether you meditate alone, as part of a group, or by following a guided meditation to relieve stress, ease pain, help you sleep or meet your Angels and spirit guides. It can help you feel better, physically and emotionally, as well as helping you become more connected to your mind, your body, and the Universe.
Visualisation:
If meditation is about stilling the chatter in your mind and bringing in calmness and acceptance, visualisation is about giving substance to the reality you want. For example, if you’re not happy in your job, you may visualise your perfect career to motivate you to take steps towards manifesting change. This means you have to first identify exactly what you DO want. Then you can begin to visualise how that would feel. Where are you working? What does the building look like? Who are your co-workers? How are you dressed? What do you do in your down time? How do you spend your money once the essential bills are taken care of?
All this becomes part of the visualisation as you work to manifest the outcome you want. You can also use visualisation techniques to send love, forgiveness and healing to family and friends, or to help with weight loss, giving up smoking or cutting down alcohol consumption.
In visualisations, you are effectively encouraging your brain to focus on what you want, and scientific studies indicate that when you frequently visualise things, the brain’s neural patterns behave as if you’re actually doing stuff for real. You feel more positive, focused and motivated, and look for ways to make things happen the way you want them to. Acting like your goals are actually happening also sends the signal to the Universe that you have faith in your dreams, and of course, it puts you in the Attitude of Gratitude, allowing the Law of Attraction to do its work.
The differences between meditation and visualisation:
For me, the main difference between meditation and visualisation is that meditation is restful and restorative, while visualisation is active and energetic. In meditation, you relax and allow things to happen internally, while visualisation requires active participation to bring about the desired result. Meditation is now, visualisation is concerned with what you want to bring into your life.
Meditation reduces stress and allows your body to heal, physically and emotionally, since stress can manifest in physical symptoms such as high blood pressure. Visualisation, by definition, pictures a more successful which probably involves stepping out of your comfort zone. It’s possible in meditation to go into such a deep state of being you may be unable or unwilling to come back to the present moment. I certainly find myself descending deep into a meditative state which can take some time to return from. In visualisation, you need to be alert and active for it to work. You’re retraining your brain, so you can’t go to sleep on the job, so to speak, or you won’t manifest what you really want.
Meditation and visualisation can each bring about positive changes in your life, physically and emotionally. However, it’s important to know the difference between the two techniques in order to be able to access the best benefits for yourself and your life path. Use meditation to calm and heal your mind, access your inner thoughts and understand yourself better. Then visualise how you want your life to be to hone your focus and motivate yourself to make the necessary changes. As with all spiritual practices, used mindfully, meditation and visualisation can bring positive energy into your life, and this will allow you to learn, grow and live your best life. Love and blessings.
