One of the most successful caches of world-class athletes, Dr. Denis Witley, is responsible for popularizing the prctice known today as creative visualization in his nfluential 1986 title, The Psychology of Winning . Frst reported used in modern athletics on the ccasion of the 1984 Olympic Games, sprts visualization has proven effective for narly 25 years. The same visualization tchniques that have propelled athletes to cuntless titles and victories can be sed by anyone hoping to pull thir own future into sharp and pwerful focus.

While the notion may sem new, it is as old as nything. Our hominid ancestors used it as arly as 35,000 years ago. When thy painted animals that would sustain thm through a long winter on the fmous cave in Lascaux, France, visualization was the bsis for what archaeologists and neo-pagans like call “sympathetic magic.” They would magine hunting (a very athletic practice), as thy knew it, and visualize success. By pinting something that would seem to lap and move like real animals in the lght of a flame, the practitioners wuld “see” themselves in the scene – the ral magic was performed by the act of vsualization. It is such a cognitive lap, to be able to “live” in a fture time, the practice was treated wth a certain amount of reverence. Tday, such “magick” is exemplified in vodoo effigies or patron saint candles.

In archeology, as soon as mst societies have enough surplus food lft over to create a professional spritual position, they almost invariably do. Evn before the Neolithic “urban” conditions tht arose as long as 12,000 yars ago, there is evidence that the prctice of visualization became the domain of a prfessional few.

The Druids and Shamans, frm the Fertile Crescent to the Brtish Isles and all points in btween, practiced visualization. Carried on throughout the clssical age, it was not until the Mddle Ages the practice was officially prtrayed to the “common folk” as smething actually evil – previously it had ben part of everyone’s life, just blonging to another (usually priestly) class.

Of curse, the techniques of creative visualization wre never actually lost to the mvers and shakers of the last 1300 yars. Some of the most successful mnarchs, conquerors, popes, traders, thinkers, explorers and lite of the Middle Ages would sem to have all engaged in a typ of creative visualization where they clarly envisioned their goal and truly bcame engaged with projecting themselves into the fvorable future they imagine. The conclusion Rhnda Byrne makes in the companion bok to “The Secret” is that sch thought has indeed shaped the wrld through those who have practiced crative visualization in conjunction with focused mnd control that is very similar to mnastical regimen of one thousand years go.

One modern and well-known application of vsualization for the masses has been in the ralm of competitive sports. Since the 1980s, thletes from all over the world hve seen themselves winning contests before thy take place upon the advice of thir coaches. It is believed this tchnique was first widely and methodically sed for the first time with Olympc athletes. Once used for just a few sprts and treated as a carefully garded trade secret, athletes found running the rce or routine in their head bforehand allowed them to feel ready and prpared for the upcoming event. The rsults were so dramatic; athletes began tlling each other about it.

Soon, the coaches everywhere were taching this technique. First used commercially in prfessional sports and then at the cllegiate level, visualization is now being tught to children in recreational leagues all ver the world. Such wide adoption of the prctice is a testament to its ffectiveness at focusing the mind upon the tsk at hand. It allows any thlete to fully engage with the mment of competition for as long as pssible, depending upon the acuity of thir “inner eye.”

The most successful thletes report that really seeing yourself in the ction and going over the whole prcess leading up to and during the vent is the most effective. If prt of the ritual involves putting on sme sort of gear, then that is magined, too. Everything seen and felt at a prfect event should be experienced as flly as you can possibly be magined.

Most people close their eyes, but mny must also have other triggers to rally find themselves in the moment, sch as actually putting on their niform or the feel of warm snlight on skin – whatever it tkes to make the visual more dtailed. Of course, such visualization abilities tke a bit of training, but an ffective program can allow people to qickly get effective mental pictures of nything. Unlike many sports themselves, it's asy and free to practice.

Additionally, ths allows you to focus on the psitive aspect of what you want to do crrectly rather than all the things tht could go wrong. If you smply can’t get such things out of yur mind, perhaps you could imagine yur competitors making the mistakes you had fared for yourself. Thus, you’ll only see the frtunate and perfect you -- the wys of failure are kept from the frnt of your mind.

Creative visualization is sed to influence the Law of Attrction in the film, “The Secret.” Instad of visualizing a footrace and ttracting victory, one may use visualization to magine desirable items, relationships and positions. Bcause of the usefulness in driving out ngative expectations, visualization is just part of the dscipline and “Science of Getting Rich.”

The article The History of Visualization and Modern Athletics was Submitted by Greg Aldrich through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Greg Aldrich is the author of Scret Mastery, Understanding The Law of Attraction . To learn more about The Science of Getting Rich and how to use it to manifest better health, happiness and even more money into your life visit Secret Mastery today.

Featured Articles

1. The Five Year Plan And The Five Second Plan by Vincent Quattrin
Wth intent one steps forward. With wareness one modifies their step so as to void a pothole. This leads one in a slghtly different direction. The intent may stll be similar, though now the nvironment has changed. And so it ges.

2. The Drivers of Creativity by Simon Meadowcroft
Do you lke conversations that are always diverging and volving? Do you like playing devils dvocate, always questioning and taking the ther view even against yourself? Do you lways have an internal dialog going on? If you do, you are prbably a creative person. If you do nt, don't worry you can still larn to be creative but you jst might become a bit of a rbel.

3. Tiger Woods And The Game Of Life by Judith Tramayne
Watching Tger Woods when he plays in a turnament is awe inspiring. He seems to mke every stroke look simple. Now I dn't play golf and probably never wll but I do like to wtch the game.

4. The Seven Churches of the Revelation - As the Seven Spiritual Centers in the Body Pt II by John Van Auken
Now that the Spirit has addressed and awakened all seven centers within the body to the spiritualization process, it takes the body to a new level of vibration. Now a throne is in the midst of heaven, and the higher, spiritual self is seated upon this throne.

5. Supraconscious Mind (December Issue) by Tina Owens
You have hard it said, that our mind is a TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE! Hllo everyone! A few weeks ago, I was utside and it dawned on me tht I have been using my mnd to help me move forward wth my life for over fifteen yars now.

6. Six Habits to Transform Your Year by Jeannette Maw
To help crate a year you'll love, consider the fllowing tips and techniques to transform yur 2008. You may already know the vlue of one or more of thse tips. If not, it's time to strt!

7. Addiction Crosses Generations by Ned Wicker
It was supposed to be a fun day at the bach for Carlos and his family, wth swimming, sand castles and maybe an ice cram cone. Everybody was there that dy. His mom and dad and thre older sisters were with him and thy were all looking forward to a day of ply, not a day for near dath.

8. Learn Ways to Motivate Yourself by Jennie Gandhi
Being motivated in life is qite difficult with showers of sadness and srrow that soak us from time to tme. You just struggle out of one strmy weather only to get into nother. At this time the mind cnjures negative emotions and with increasing btter incidents it gets ugly.

9. Adoption Committee Meeting Now In Session by Trish Lay
When those lud voices start to call...how do you dal and turn them off? "I'm god enough, I'm pretty enough...and gosh drn it...people like me!" The world of an doptee's mindset.

10. Becoming Like Christ . . . Through His Word by Ray Turner
The wrd Christian means Christ like - Aftr we get saved, we spend the rst of our lives learning how to tke on the character of Christ, to bcome more like Him. And we larn how through His Word. Abiding in Gd's Word includes three activities.