How to use nefarious visualization to generate inner strength

If you are passionate about personal growth you will surely have already heard of positive visualization. Positive visualization is in fact one of the cornerstones in the field of personal development.

You know “view the Ferrari in the garden and strongly believe that the universe will bring it to you”?

In the past I have already told you about how this practice so loved by the proponents of the law of attraction could actually hinder your success.

Today I go further.

I’m going to share a counter — current practice that most likely no one has ever told you about, which uses an approach contrary to that of positive visualization.

The counter-current word is just the right one. In fact, this technique does not involve imagining positive scenarios in which things go the way you want.

In fact, the technique is called “ Disastrous Visualization” and the name should already suggest something to you 🙂 In short, I’m talking about a practice that some motivational guru would ban from personal growth. 🙂

Yet as you will soon discover, the application of this technique, with its millenary origins, can give you even greater benefits than those of a rose and flower display.

In fact, putting the Nasty Visualization into practice will help you to:

✔ ️ Appreciate what you have the best. ✔ ️ Develop mental strength. ✔ ️ Resiliently facing difficulties. ✔ ️ Anticipate obstacles and prevent them.

Let’s start with some awkward questions.

What are the worst things that could happen in your life? How would you feel about losing certain things you are attached to? I know, it is not at all pleasant to ask yourself certain questions.

And then on My opinions?!

You generally tend to want more and more from your life: a new car, a better job, a wider circle of friendships.

And this is more than fair because it is part of your evolution as a person.

Many times, however, in life it is natural to run into various obstacles in achieving the goals you have set for yourself, and other times you have to face the loss of something you were romantically attached to.

In these cases, it helps to be prepared and have a certain amount of mental strength. This is where the nefarious visualization comes into play.

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A procedure with millenary origins.

The nefarious visualization is a powerful tool that owes its name to the author William Ervine even if its real origins are to be found much further back in the years.

This visualization exercise has its origins thousands of years ago from the great Stoic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca.

According to the philosophers of the time, it was necessary to live a life in line with one’s own values and be prepared for any adversity that arose along the way, without being discouraged or worse down.

But to be prepared you must obviously first think about the possible obstacles you face.

From this philosophy of thought was born the practice that took the name of “premeditatio malorum” (premeditation of evils).

Imagine the loss.

The core of the nefarious visualization is taking the time to imagine as vividly as possible that you have lost the things you value most.

For example, your employment contract has ended, your house with all the assets you are attached to has burned down, your partner has left you, or you have lost the use of one of your senses.

Just to tread your hand a bit 🙂

While it sounds awful to imagine certain things, the Stoics had learned and handed down this technique to ensure that everyone fully enjoyed every moment while being grateful for what they have.

They have realized that everything we like in our life now is sometimes simply ‘on loan ‘ and can be taken away from us without the slightest warning.

Epictetus expressed the gist of the practice in this way:

“If you want anything, analyze the quality of what you want to do. If you go, for example, to the public bathroom to wash yourself, you are prepared for the things that can happen: people who spray you, who shock you, who insult you, who steal you.

(I can’t imagine what kind of public baths there were 2,000 years ago.)

And to do that thing in the best possible way, you will say to yourself: I now want to wash myself according to my initial will, and beyond that to maintain a serene disposition of mind.

And so for all other things. Now, if by any chance, you encounter any difficulties, you will be psychologically prepared to solve it by saying:

I wanted not only to bathe, but also to keep an open frame of mind. While if I worry, I will not strengthen my inner qualities.“

Anticipation doesn’t magically make things easier, of course.

But by anticipating and imagining the possible contingencies of a situation, you will have mentally prepared yourself not only for what you expect, but also for what can go wrong.

This technique will not only help you in dealing with any unfortunate event that you encounter during your life but will prepare you for any possible obstacles where others were not.

You will be like a runner who trained on hills or high altitudes, so you can beat runners who expected the course to be flat.

Now it doesn’t sound so bad, does it? 🙂

The 3 main benefits of nefarious visualization:

1) It makes you appreciate what you have.

Thinking about everything that could go wrong makes you grateful for what’s already in your life.

When you imagine that your friend or partner is no longer in your life, it will be natural for you to appreciate the time spent with them even more, and you will feel a feeling of joy the next time you see them again.

The same goes for your possessions, your health, your senses, your hobbies, your home, your job, and anything you value.

By voluntarily imagining the loss of your favorite things, they will regain their original value.

You will revitalize your ability to rejoice in the things you took for granted, and more importantly, you will enjoy more time with the people you love.

2) It prepares you to face obstacles in the path.

Whenever you imagine the possible difficulties you will always be prepared for them in an intelligent way and without being overwhelmed by them, since you had already foreseen them.

The practice of nefarious visualization is useful to face with the right calm and resolve the various problems that life may pose you along the way.

At the same time it will strengthen your confidence as a person making you more and more resilient and prepared for the worst as having anticipated it you are now able to face it.

Not for nothing did Seneca wisely exclaimed:

Nothing happens to the wise man against his own expectations.Seneca

3) You will realize that many of your fears are not as scary as you feared.

Finally, this practice can help you realize that the things you fear most aren’t as catastrophic as you’ve always imagined them.

What if I lose my job?

What if you were to move into a much smaller apartment?

What if your date turns out to be a disaster?

Many fears you have are far worse in your imagination than they could be in reality.

You tend to build what your fears are to the point that they become bigger than your life, your dreams and aspirations.

So that whenever a fear arises, you tend to think about something else, but it can only give you relief in the moment, the fear stays where you left it.

The solution is not to look away, but to look fear in the face. Imagine and then do what you fear.

So ask yourself: What is the worst that could happen if you get fired? Watch yourself calmly approach these scenarios you fear and you will see that this will reduce the associated stress.

The comparison with your fears in your imagination (and later in real life) will be of great help in dealing with them.

Suddenly, you will look at what you once feared with the right detachment. Fear has become familiar, normal.

How to put the nefarious visualization into practice.

Start by taking stock of the things that are precious to you and write them down by categories:

Objects: your car, your smartphone, an item of clothing that you really like.

Entertainment: internet connection, a TV series you love to see, a video game.

Affections: Think about your family members, friends, your pet.

Career: Your job and related salary, colleagues,

Obviously, to get started, consider only one thing in one area listed above.

Now it’s time to practice.

Set a timer on your phone to start viewing — 15 or 20 minutes a week is more than enough to make this practice part of your routine.

Once you’re ready, close your eyes, relax and think about how you would feel if that thing was taken from you or it was no longer possible.

Imagine how you would feel about the loss, and how you could reduce the impact of it on your emotional state.

When the timer runs out, open your eyes and focus on the fact that these things are still in your possession and can be enjoyed.

Let a sense of gratitude and appreciation arise for the things you already have in your life. Also allow yourself to be mentally prepared should you lose them.

Alternatively, you can use this technique whenever you have to deal with something that creates tension such as a job interview, a date.

So imagining not only what you would like to happen, but also what could go wrong and your optimal reaction to this eventuality.

To conclude

No matter how many precautions you may take, unforeseen negative events will still happen in life. No positive visualization can prevent this fact.

The technique shared in this article can help you anticipate obstacles and prevent them where possible and deal with them as best you can avoid them.

At the same time, it will help you feel more gratitude and appreciate what you have better. Not bad for a technique called Nefarious Visualization huh?

Did you appreciate this technique? Will you be brave enough to put it into practice? Let me know what you think in the comments 🙂

PS Reading the first comments I realized that this approach can be misunderstood.

Ruminating pessimistically by evoking worst-case scenarios is not applying this technique, it is simply negative thinking. The mind is already specialized in this and certainly does not need help.