SEEING WITH THE MIND'S EYE - The History, Techniques and Uses of Visualization

by Michael Samuels

This book opens the mind's eye to the inner world - whether as memories, fantasies, dreams, or visions. Over 100 illustrations.

Genres: Psychology, Art

Paperback

First published October 12, 1975

About the author

Michael Samuels, MD, is the co-founder and director of Arts as a Healing Force. He teaches at San Francisco State University's Institute of Holistic Studies and is the author of 22 books including the bestsellers The Well Body Book, Seeing with the Mind's Eye, and The Well Baby Book.

Reviews

[Maryann Burrows · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this entire text pretty much in one go for a course... I would recommend to others reading it in parts over time to absorb more. I felt very engaged initially, but found it difficult towards the last chapters to get through. While I appreciated a different, enlightening perspective on the many different elements of visualization, it felt identical in many ways to Law of Attraction theory. I did enjoy the many pictures provided along with summarizing descriptions. The detailed meditation exercises felt like filler to me, and there were a number of spelling errors throughout the book.

[Steinbjörn Jónsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the single and most dense book that covers the subject of mental visualization in detail without going into [too much] esoteric or religious ramblings. Although it's quite a dense text on the history, practice and effects of visualization and written with a flair of late hippy movement lingo, it still delivers with fantastic amount of information on visualization.

The book is heavily illustrated with art work from various periods and areas of the world to supplement the content of each chapter. This is one of the highlights of the book and could be a reason alone to skim it. Some chapters go into either too detailed descriptions of methods of visualization ceremonies or in some cases quoted citations of tantric rituals, which while interesting feels like too much information except to dedicated tantric/Hindu practicioners. Other chapters detail stories of people which great visualization powers and even of the supernatural effects of visualization which you can choose to believe or not. The connection to health as well as the worlds religions is also very interesting. In general, this book would have benefitted from some serious editing and could have sufficed with less content but nontheless is interesting in its own right.

For anyone who is interested in improving their visualization or at least learn something about how their mind works, this book is definitely recommended.

[Feliks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very large format book --dense with pictures--and subtitles for those pictures--and footnotes to those subtitles--which are all cross-referenced to footnotes--for other pictures--and other subtitles--to other pictures. It's the kind of book I've read many dozens of in grad school so right now I'm going to shelve it unread until I am in the mood for it. Look very authoritative and cogent but I'm not feeling in need of any lectures right now...

[Ingrid Vandenboorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool picture and interesting read

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book is probably the variety of illustrations. When I ordered it from the library, I was expecting that it would be more about design and the way mind works but it ended up being a bit more "the power of the mind," "the power of positive thinking" which is both old news, not of great interest to me, and not based so much on information as on belief. Ended up being a slow and dull read despite the broad ground it tries to cover.

[Lee Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I liked: The joining of inner and outer worlds, Detailed visualizations should include sights, sounds, smells; Devise symbols (imagos) that represent objectives and interact with them, e.g. ladder=ascent, mountain=success; Process of remembering is largely associated with images.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

i made it about 2/3 through this book before giving up. interesting topic, but shallow treatment and no discernable thesis. i just wasnt learning anything by reading it. pretty pictures.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed. Something I need once in a while.

[Aras · Rating 5 out of 5]

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