Visualization by Scarlett Kat

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Visualization is the process of
using the imagination to induce specific visual illusions in oneself at will, what
Karl Jung called the active imagination. It is the ability
to make yourself "see things" that are not physically present by strongly
imagining them and behaving as though they were. In other words, self-induced hallucinations.

Magicians hold that sufficiently powerful visualization by one person can have an influence on the psyches of others in their presence as well as themselves. The most mundane example of this phenomenon
is the situation where one person stands in a street and looks up at the empty sky
intently, as if there were something up there. Within moments a crowd has gathered,
all looking up at the same non-existent thing. Some will even swear that they see
"something"!

Another example is the effect of watching a performance by an expert pantomime. If s/he describes the "solid" objects of the performance will sufficient skill, the audience will come to "see"
the invisible barriers, doors, windstorms, etc. - so much so that people who attend
performances by masters such as Marcel Marceau think for brief moments that they
actually do see Marceau's invisible "props".

Visualization is one of the "slight-of-mind" tricks that are a part of every magical system ever devised. Remember that magic functions by tapping into the psychological state we call "belief". Powerful
visualization is indispensable for putting the magician into a belief state conducive
to deriving magical effects.

What follows are some basic exercises in magical visualization. One should first spend some time getting into the first stage of magical trance, then practice these exercises once a day. Many studies
have shown that meditation greatly improves one's learning ability, especially immediately
after a session, so we may as well take advantage of it, right? The techniques in
the following section on Magical Protection can be practiced concurrently with these;
the technique of protection described is itself a visualization exercise.

Visualization Practice

A good way to practice visualization and get a handle on what the experience is like is to use the visual phenomenon of "after images" as a learning tool.

For this exercise, you need some brightly colored construction paper (fluorescent colors work particularly well if you can find them), some large white card stock paper (11 x 17 is perfect), scissors,
tape or paper glue, and a blank white wall (an extra large piece of white poster board
hung on a wall will do nicely.)

Take some scissors and cut some approximately 1 foot long strips of colored paper about one-quarter inch in width. Now use these to paste or tape together a five-pointed star figure as pictured below:

Mount this on the white card stock. You should end up with what looks like a large flash card with a star in the middle.

Make four of these cards using different colors. The best colors to use in the construction of the star are orange, purple, green and red. The reason will be clear in a moment.

Arrange yourself facing the blank white wall with your "flash cards" in easy reach. The wall should be brightly lit. Choose one of the cards and hold it up in front of your eyes. Stare fixedly
at it without moving your eyes for at least one full minute. You may want to pin
it to the wall in front of you to avoid having it move. After a minute or two, quickly
remove it and stare directly at the blank white wall. You should see an after image
of the star figure on the blank wall, in a hue that is the opposite of the card's
on the color wheel. (In other words, the orange star will yield a blue image, the
purple a yellow image, the green a red image and the red a green image. These are
the traditional "Elemental" colors of water, air, fire and earth respectively,
and are as good a place to start as any.)

Once you have an after image showing on the blank white wall, try holding your gaze very still and "trace" the apparent outline of the star with your fingertip. This is a typical action used
in "setting wards" or traditional banishing rites.

Next you can try doing the same thing, but look out into the room instead of at the blank wall. The after image should seem to float in mid air in front of your eyes. Try tracing it's outline
with a fingertip again.

Then try the exercise with all of the different colors. You may have to wait a few moments between each one for the previous image to fade away.

Eventually you can create more and different flash cards to practice with, if you feel inclined.

All this is only to give you an idea of the "look and feel" of magical visualization. The final goal is to be able to "see" the figures, or any other image you choose, by sheer
imagination alone. But I've found that these exercises are an excellent way to speed
up the learning curve. It gives your memory something on which to hang the visualized
perception, making it easier to obtain.

The next step is to practice summoning the images without the use of the cards at all. One way to progress toward this goal is to start by first obtaining the after-image, but trying to keep the image
"going" even after the visual effect begins to fade. Progressively use
the cards less and less until you can do without them.

Do the above exercises at least once a day for another few weeks at least, while continuing with your meditation
sessions. When you find you are able to get yourself into a light trance state in
less than 10 minutes, and can visualize simple geometric forms to a reasonable degree
of "visibility", you'll have the basic mental disciplines needed to do
effective magical work.