See, that's the part I have trouble with - when I think of imagination, I associate it with fantasy rather than reality.. But when people speak on astral projection, which is a form of visualization as I understand it, they talk about things that are real, such as traveling somewhere their physical body has never been but that their mind is able to venture to. I guess I'm just not grasping how that would be possible - How on earth would you know what it looks like if you've never seen it physically beforehand? I'm not sure if I'm really making sense.
If you've ever used your imagination to assume how someone looks, like when reading a book, it is nearly the same idea. The only difference is where you get the details of the description. I suggest daily meditating while practicing visuals. A good starter would be something you see every day, like a door handle.. See it in your minds eye, as detailed as you can. This is one way to exercise the third eye.
Visualization is in essence a directed focus of will towards a specific idea, concept, or goal. It doesn't have to mean literal pictures within the mind. it is just more-or-less the best term we have to suit the idea of having a specific goal or action held within the mind in a state of clarity and intent.
In all honesty, visual thinking (thinking in pictures) is actually a mode of thought that happens for the minority of people (less than 50%). At one time I knew the estimated figure but I can not remember it off hand. Bottom line is that most often people think in language. IE words and concepts.
So what happens is when visualizing something, the term is really referring to having detailed focus. So for an idea as abstract as, say, moving energy from the naval to your hands, the mental process wouldn't need to be 'seeing' the energy. You could imagine/visualize it as a warmth or tingle instead. Or any other sensation that you might imagine energy to feel like. You could link it with an intent of following the movement of your breath- building up when you breathe in, and then moving up and out to your hands while the air flows out. Or you could simply focus on the idea of the energy as already in your hands, by developing a trust that action follows thought. As long as you can hold the singular thought of energy, movement, and a connection between your navel and hands, that is what matters.
For more complex ideas and actions, you could place your focus into describing the concept to yourself, as if it was being written in a book or you were describing it to another person. By doing so, and delving into as much detail as you can consciously connect with, you are focusing your thoughts and intention on your goal. That's what visualization is- confident and consistent detailed focus. How you achieve that focus is otherwise up to what works best for you.
Some good responses given. Astral projection seems to be more closely related to lucid dreaming, I find it really hard to distinguish. Visualization can be achieved whilst 'awake'. And yes not everyone thinks in visuals.
