5 WAYS TO CULTIVATE YOUR INNER VISION
What is inner vision?
Just as our physical eyes take in visual information and help us see the imagery of the physical world we exist in, (if our physical eyes function for sight), our inner eye helps us see our inner world (and the otherworlds) through imagery and visions. Using this inner sense is one way we can communicate with our subconscious minds and other times/worlds/beings not of this physical world.
You might be wondering why this even matters?
Maybe it doesn’t to you. That’s ok. But I’m going to guess that since you are here reading this, there is something about developing your inner vision that is intriguing to you.
Learning to tune into my inner vision and cultivating its ability to make clear images has been a HUGE part of my own process of getting to know my inner world intimately and to communicate with my spirit guides, ancestors and messengers from other worlds. It’s how my subconscious mind speaks to me most often and it serves as a sort of compass, or wise guide on this path called life. And honestly, it is beyond fascinating and super fun for me to try and make meaning out of what visions come through this inner sense.
When I am practicing these skills, all I have to do is close my eyes, throw a question, request, or intention into the void and a vision will form in my mind’s eye that usually gives me guidance and understanding (and let’s be real, sometimes just more questions lol) around how to be with what is on my heart. It’s kind of like having a live action internal oracle deck with an endless number of cards!
Though I have always been very imaginative and think I was gifted with a natural proclivity for inner vision from the moment I arrived on this planet, I have also done a lot of work to make this sense sharper, clearer and more reliable with the exercises below. I firmly believe that anyone can develop this inner vision sense…it just takes practice and devotion!
So, without further ado…
Here are 5 ways to cultivate your inner vision:
1. Regular mindfulness meditation
If you are anything like me, you have a very busy mind that loves to hook you into long elaborate thought processes that use a lot of mental energy. Not super fun in a lot of ways, but super not helpful when you are trying to develop your inner vision! In order to make space for your inner vision to grow, you need to be able to create a blank canvas of sorts. Not that thoughts won’t come, but cultivating the ability to let them run through your awareness without following them means your focus can be used towards seeing the vision forming in your minds eye instead. This is a SUPER important step towards cultivating your inner vision. If your monkey mind is running the show, you won’t notice what is trying to emerge from the depths of your inner world.
In this kind of meditation, you are focusing on presence through breath or body awareness. It is a great tool for training the mind to slow down, letting the body relax and creating a sense of inner spaciousness. Keep in mind, this is a practice and it might take a bit to begin seeing the fruits of your labors. Stick with it! At some point you will begin to notice a shift in the pace and pattern of your mind and you will be well on your way to receiving super clear visions. There are a number of resources for learning this way of meditating. My favorite is the Balance app.
2. Tuning into the details of your outer world
Though our brains are always taking in LOTS of details about the world around us, we can get into the habit of not really paying conscious attention to what we are seeing. This exercise is also more of a practice that can be more and more integrated into your ways of moving through the world. And it’s quite simple! Consciously practice noticing the details of what you are seeing as you navigate life.
Begin by tuning into the details of people’s faces as they talk to you. Notice how the muscles move around their eyes, or nose or mouth. Notice the way they shift their weight or move in even very subtle ways. Notice the colors they are wearing, the shape of their body, the small details of their skin etc. Just practice noticing all the details you can. Once you are beginning to make this a regular practice, begin to do the same with the environments you move through. What other beings are there? What are they doing? How is the air moving through the space, visually? What are all the different textures you can see? How are things layered from your perspective. You get the idea? Noticing these details will help to train your inner vision to bring more details into focus. The more you notice, the more you see!
3. Moving between big picture vision and orienting to detail vision
Being able to perceive the physical world requires us to see the big picture and to also notice the smaller details of things. If all we could see was the panoramic view, we would miss a lot of the individual things that are creating what we are seeing. Conversely, if all we could see were the small details of one thing, we would likely miss the context of where we are. It’s preferable to try this practice when you are somewhere quiet and there is a lot of imagery to take in. I like to practice this when I am walking in the woods.
Begin by tuning to the space around you. Look at it as a whole. Perhaps even allowing your eyes to unfocus a bit so you can tune into your peripheral vision. Once you have a sense of the big picture of where you are, choose something to focus in on. Imagine your eyes as the lens on a fancy camera zooming in on your chosen thing. Zoom far enough in that you can see the smallest details of the thing you are looking at. You can even move your body closer to the thing in order to bring your focus down into what I like to call the “small world.” Try to notice as many details as you can about this thing you are looking at. Once you have noticed what you can about this thing, switch your focus back to the big picture. Practice switching between these ways of seeing and watch as your ability to do the same in your inner world grows!
4. Imagine a peaceful place with all your senses
Our brains have a hard time deciphering between what is “real” and what is imaginary when our 5 senses are engaged. Meaning, the more real we want something to look in our visions, the more senses we need to engage. In order to practice this ability to engage all the senses in our inner vision, pick a peaceful place that you have been before. Could be somewhere in nature or somewhere else that feels relaxing and safe.
Now that you have your peaceful place in mind, take several deep breaths and allow your body and mind to get very relaxed. Now, imagine this peaceful place with all your senses. Notice what you see, hear, smell, taste, touch. Practice moving through the space (in your mind’s eye) as you tune into your different senses. Notice if the imagery you are seeing, or trying to conjure in your mind, becomes sharper as you tune into it in this sensory way. Practice this every day, or very frequently until you are able to bring this place to mind in a very clear way and can tune into all your senses with ease. It is ok if details about this place shift and change, or even the place itself changes over time. It’s not about it being perfect and the same everytime, it’s about cultivating your ability to bring imagery to life in your mind’s eye. Keep that in mind if you notice an inner critic trying to control the narrative.
5. Practice! And also practice NOT controlling what is trying to come through
The only way to sharpen your inner vision is to practice using it. As cool as it would be if there was, there is no magick pill to swallow that will do this for you. There is however, a secret ingredient that will make your process So. Much. Easier. Here it is…let the vision form without trying to control it. This can be VERY difficult for your brain and it will try to get involved in all sorts of unhelpful ways (ahem, see tip number 1). Though it might be tempting to try and force the vision to come through if you are getting some details, in my (loads of) experience with this, it usually makes for a muddy and confusing inner vision experience. It is best to let the vision form in whatever time it takes. It might take a lot of trying to get a vision that is clear. Stay with it. Here is my favorite way to practice this.
Begin by creating an intention for your vision. Then get deeply relaxed in whatever way works for you. Deep breathing or a progressive muscle relaxation can be good ways of doing this if you need ideas. Once you are relaxed, close your eyes and focus your attention on the space between your eyes (also known as your third eye in many eastern traditions). As you gently focus your attention on that point, you will likely begin to see light and color forming, perhaps moving in different ways. Just keep your focus there, gently allowing the shapes and colors to begin to come into focus. Like a camera lens autofocusing and going from blurry to sharp. This will take practice! Remembering to breathe and stay relaxed and just ALLOW. No forcing or trying to control what is forming. It will come eventually. Trust in your ability to cultivate your inner vision. It will be worth the effort!
Ok, thanks for taking the time to learn about my inner vision development tools! Hopefully you find these suggestions helpful as you cultivate your own inner vision so that you too can have an internal oracle to consult wherever and whenever you are! It’s amazing. I promise.
Let me know in the comments how your inner vision cultivation process is coming along! Can’t wait to hear all about your amazing, beautiful, and fascinating visions!
P.S.
If you want a little help from some allies of the natural world, try my SEEKER Daydreaming Candle or Ritual Spray! These amazing tools were intuitively handcrafted by me using flower, gem and environmental essences, organic essential oils, stones and plant allies to aid you in connecting to and cultivating your own inner vision. I love them so much and hope you do too!