Vivid imaginations can elicit the same effects on people as real experiences. For example, you will feel happy if you have dreamed of something happy. That is because our brain cannot distinguish between a real experience and a vivid imagination.
Moreover, some images, symbols, and words can induce feelings within us. It will last longer when stronger feelings are induced. Therefore, the happy feeling will last till you wake up if you had a vivid dream about very happy moments. This is called the priming effect. This phenomenon can be used to increase your motivation and give you energy - that is, you can really be motivated and gain energy by imagining yourself being highly motivated and full of energy. The most effective imagination involves naturally induced visualisations, followed in second place by visualisations that are induced intentionally. We will introduce ways to make your imagination more vivid and effective in this chapter.