What does the Bible say about visualization?

Answer

Visualization is the process of creating mental images. Often, visualization involves imagining events or situations that do not exist or have not yet occurred. Visualization can be spiritually beneficial or spiritually harmful, depending on the circumstances and the motives behind the visualization.

A basketball player might visualize himself successfully making a challenging shot, or a skier might imagine herself navigating a slope before beginning her descent. Musicians, actors, writers, and other artists may employ visualization to form a mental image before putting it into writing or performance. Everyone utilizes visualization to some degree. We envision what we want to eat before preparing or purchasing the food. We imagine what we want to wear before getting dressed. We anticipate conversations before they occur. Visualization is a method of preparing ourselves before taking action. There is nothing unscriptural about the human inclination to visualize in this manner. In fact, it is prudent to contemplate the consequences before acting «For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? », (Luke 14:28).

However, contemporary self-help experts often advocate visualization as a way to change reality and achieve desires. Through a method known as “creative visualization,” they pledge everything from financial prosperity to an improved romantic life by harnessing the mind’s power to “manifest” thoughts, “draw in” success, and “shape” a desired reality. This is merely New Age humanism that depends on a non-existent mental power, and it is entirely unscriptural. This form of visualization is linked to the erroneous teachings of the law of attraction, the power of positive thinking, and Word of Faith. The human mind lacks the ability to create reality or reshape it.

Shaping the world to one’s liking is impossible, regardless of how focused the thoughts are or how clear the visualization is. Only God creates, and every good and perfect gift comes from Him “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”, (James 1:17).

Instead of pursuing empty promises of worldly success through visualization, we should fully depend on the Lord our God. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”, (Philippians 4:6).