Sober Synthesis

Neuroscience and Psychology Facts

• Communication between these parts of the brain that are responsible for goal achievement. 
  • The amygdala is responsible for emotions.
  • The basal ganglia is responsible for action/inaction (go/no go).
  • The lateral prefrontal cortex is involved in planning and thinking across timescales.
  • The orbital prefrontal cortex helps us orient our emotions involved with goals.
• Positive visualization is a necessary and powerful way to start a goal pursuit, but is not always the best way to maintain the pursuit of a goal. If you are having difficulty visualizing yourself making the steps towards a goal, you can visualize someone you respect taking those steps. 
  • Positive visualization (1-3 min) is helpful prior to engaging in a goal oriented activity if you are feeling motivated.
  • If you are feeling less motivated, thinking about failure or what will happen if you don’t achieve a goal (1-3 min.) is actually the best way (twice as effective) to motivate follow through with a goal-oriented activity. This activates neurochemicals that increase motivation (e.g. “play the tape forward”).

• There is a spectrum of ability to mentally visualize.
  • Some individuals (about 5%), have an inability to mentally visualize (aphantasia). For these people, replacing visualization with writing and/or drawing is an effective way to rehearse a behavior change. 
  • Others at the end of the spectrum (about 10%), experience very strong and vivid imagery (hyperphantasia). 
• Mental practice and physical movements share the same neural regions. Therefore, what you imagine can also activate your body awareness, action, movement, and behavioral performance.
• Scientific research demonstrates that visualization can improve immune system functioning, relax the body and improve athletic performance, improve memory, improve academic performance and other goal achievements. 
  • For example, a study of building muscle mass contained two groups. One group participated in actual physical exercise and saw a 30% increase in muscle during the study. The second group visualized performing exercises in their minds only and showed a 13.5% increase in muscle mass. Not only that, this increase persisted even three months after the visualization training. 

Mental Rehearsal Guidelines:

• Be Specific: Make your visualization or written rehearsal as detailed as possible. Engage all your senses.   
• Be Emotional: By adding emotion to our visualization, we tap into our brain’s limbic system, making our visualization even more powerful.
• Be Frequent: To keep your goals front and center in your brain’s conscious and unconscious awareness, it is recommended to visualize at least twice a day for 1-3 minutes.

Propose Questions for Thought/Sharing

1. Have you used mental rehearsal activities as part of your recovery/health and wellness plan/goals? How have you used it? How has it been helpful or not?
2. Has this information given you any ideas of ways to use mental rehearsal in your recovery/health and wellness? 

Disclaimer

This summary is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed.