Imaging ability and effective use of guided imagery

Abstract

Imaging ability, the ability to generate mental images and become absorbed in them as if they were real, is proposed as a moderator in the relationship between guided imagery and symptom relief. Two existing measures of image generation, Marks's (1973) Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire and Betts's (1909) shortened Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery (Sheehan, 1967), and one measure of absorption, Tellegen's Absorption scale (1993; TAS) were completed by 60 graduate students prior to listening to a guided imagery intervention to relieve anxiety associated with an upcoming stressful task. Analyses were conducted using data from 30 participants (7 men and 23 women) who reported an increase in anxiety level after learning of the stressful task. Participants were divided into two groups, successful (n=21) and unsuccessful (n=9) users of imagery, based on change in anxiety scores after listening to the guided imagery intervention. Absorption (TAS) scores were significantly higher for persons in the successful group; there were no differences in image generation scores. Two TAS items were identified as potential predictors of success with guided imagery. Findings may be helpful in developing a clinically useful instrument to predict likelihood of success with guided imagery in relieving cancer pain and its distress.

Effects of Guided Imagery on Blood Pressure in Pregnant Women with Hypertension: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The small change we found in anxiety levels is inconsistent with most other studies of guided imagery on anxiety outcomes (15,27,49–51), including one with pregnant women (52). A floor effect may be one explanation; baseline anxiety was similar to scores reported for women with low‐risk pregnancies (53,54).…”

Apophenia, absorption and anxiety: Evidence for individual differences in positive and negative experiences of Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptual Disorder

“…Matefy (1980) also suggested that flashback experiencers (i.e., HPPD I) are more prone to immersion in an experience which appears to fit the findings with our HPPD I cohort. Absorption may also be more effective at reducing anxiety response than vividness of visual imagery (Kwekkeboom, Huseby-Moore, & Ward, 1998). Using guided imagery interventions Kwekkeboom et al (1998) showed that an increased ability to become immersed in the mental imagery generated, over and above its vividness, may promote anxiety reduction potentially explaining some of our findings.…”

Mind-Body Therapies for Opioid-Treated Pain

“…Six studies examined multiple-session guided imagery interventions, with the remainder examining single-session interventions. Seven studies focused on surgical pain, and 2 studies focused on cancer pain.…”