Sometime in mid 2006, while working on my book, “THE MANAGEMENT OF EXECUTIVE STRESS”, I delivered what was to turn out a most illuminating lecture to a select audience of one hundred people, at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. The topic of the lecture was simply, “GUIDED IMAGERY” – A special remedy for combating stress. The Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja had asked me to deliver a paper on, Stress Control and Management, but to approach the subject matter from an angle that veered from the commonplace treatment of a well-recognized societal malady. Since my audience would be a motley collection of professionals from the private sector, and technocrats from the public service, I opted for a seminal presentation that would challenge both the intellect and commonly held misperceptions.
It proved to be a quite a fascinating subject. For me it was part of a learning process, the subject being one I hadn’t expostulated on to any significant degree in the past.
Guided imagery has been with us for centuries and its advocates believe that the human imagination is a potent healer that has for long been relegated to the background by practitioners of western medicine. Most certainly, man has for centuries been aware of the remarkable power of the mind to influence the body in many ways.
Imagine, for a moment, that you are holding a fresh, juicy mango, that you can feel its texture and vividly seeing its bright yellowish-green skin. Now, slice it open and see the succulent looking pulp. Aahh! The mango’s rich aroma assails your nostrils, and you quickly put it in your mouth. As you bite on the pulp, the juices roll over your tongue.
‘Well, ladies and gentlemen’, I asked, ‘how have you generally reacted to this graphic description?” “We are salivating”, the audience chorused.
It is no surprise because imagery is the language that the mind uses to communicate with the body, and this mind –body connection is extremely useful in mind – body healing.
Tragically, most of the images we hold in our mind are quite harmful. Worry is the most common type of imagery. We imagine all sorts of negative things that never come to pass. For instance, if you think that your job is arduous enough to give you a headache, you will probably come home with throbbing temples every day. Conversely, if you could learn to direct and control the images in your head, you can help your body heal itself of stress and many stress-related ailments. You can use visualization to harness the power of your imagination. Constant practice is needed to become proficient at this.
The lecture was to last about three hours, during which I went into the mechanics of imagery in very fine detail. I have no intention of being that explicit in this edition. However, I shall quickly tell you what I taught my audience on the step-by-step technique of guided imagery.
Studies indicate that imagery works best when it is used in conjunction with a relaxation technique. When your physical body is relaxed, you do not need to be in such conscious control of your mind, and you can give it the freedom to day dream.
- Loosen your clothing, take off your shoes, and sit comfortably in a chair
- Dim the lights
- Close your eyes
- Take in a few deep breaths
- Picture yourself descending an imaginary staircase. With each step, notice that you feel more and more relaxed.
- When you feel relaxed, imagine a favourite scene. It could be a beach, a garden or a particularly enjoyable moment with friends or family. Try to go into this scene each time you practice your imagery. If you can create a special, safe place where nothing can hurt you and you can feel secure, it will make you more receptive to other images.
- Once you feel comfortable in your favourite scene, gradually direct your mind toward the ailment you are concerned about. Use one of the images suggested by experts or allow your mind to create one of its own. Let the image become more vivid and in focus. Do not worry if it seems to fade in and out. Each time you do this, imagine that your aliment is completely cured at the end of the session
- At the end of the session, take a few more deep breaths and picture yourself re-climbing the imaginary staircase and gradually becoming aware of your surroundings. Open your eyes, stretch, smile and go on with your day.”
Certainly, it was a great lecture. However, my greater pleasure came from the experiences of two remarkable members of the audience about two months after the lecture. I had also related these experiences as apt illustrations in my new book, “The Management of Executive Stress”.
The first case study was a forty six year old lady named Annette Kalu, a cancer patient. She travelled to Abuja from Lagos, just to tell me her incredible story. Quite recently, she was scheduled for her usual round of chemotherapy at a teaching hospital.
“Doctor Garnett this, treatment was to take place on a Friday, and my husband and I were billed to travel the next day to England for our annual vacation.”
“So, what happened?” I urged.
“Well, as is routine, the oncology centre did a routine blood check on the Monday to make sure that my white cell count had recovered sufficiently from my previous treatment to qualify me for the next one. I was devastated by the news that my white cell count was only about half what it should be, which meant I would have to forgo a vacation that, understandably in the circumstances, was the only bright spot in my life at that time. I was really looking forward to it”.
“So what did you do?” I asked again.
“Doctor, based on your teaching, I decided to practice guided imagery intensively for four days. My ultimate aim, of course, was to raise my white cell count. I imagined my bone narrow releasing a steady, strong flow of white cells into my blood stream and spreading throughout my whole body. I also imagined myself directing my breath into my bone marrow, and thereby nourishing the stem cells that produce the white cells, so that the stem cells could grow and release more white cells. I practiced this guided imagery many times a day, with unequalled passion, until I went in for another test.
“And then what happened?” I was literally bursting with anticipation.
“My doctors were stupefied. My white cell count had more than doubled and I was able to take my chemotherapy, and caught my flight to Europe the next day!”
The second case was equally dramatic. Sade Benson was a thirty six year old fashion designer resident in Abuja. Our meeting was actually fortuitous, since we were on the same flight to Lagos one fine Saturday morning. She insisted on occupying the empty seat next to mine and during the flight she regaled me with her amazing tale. She had been scheduled to have a major abdominal surgery for the removal of a cancerous tumour. The surgeon informed her that this type of surgery typically entailed a loss of about ten units of blood. Ms. Benson, however, had an abiding horror for blood loss from any source.
“So, doctor, for about five days prior to the surgery, I intensively practiced an imagery in which I pictured my body going through the surgery without any blood loss.”
“Was that all you pictured?” I asked.
“Indeed no, doctor. I also pictured my tissues knitting back together smoothly with no complications whatsoever and a speedy recovery. I also saw the expression of amazement on my surgeon’s face when he realized I hadn’t lost any blood.”
“The day after the surgery when I had come out of anesthesia, the surgeon came in to congratulate me on how well I’d done, both during and after surgery. With a puzzled look on his face, he told me I’d lost only one unit of blood.”
“So, did you tell him how you’d prepared for the surgery?”
“Indeed, Dr. Garnett, I did. His mouth simply dropped open and he was speechless!”