We all know the import of a major resource — or, call it your own user-friendly helpline, in print, and on the Web — that is making the rounds. In other words, the world of self-help, or New-Age, books. Books, that have a sort of cult image around them. Something you either swallow in big gulps, or not at all.

Your thoughts, as our ancients often emphasised, influence your physical and emotional health. They can even determine your future. Hence, the big question. What would you do to harness the power of your mental muscles? The answer is within you. Just use your creative imagery, or imagination — and, see how you can awaken spontaneous insight. Sounds familiar, with all self-help books? You bet.

Here goes the crux. Take the word imagination. It comes from the root, imaginari, which means, “to picture internally.” Which, in turn, exemplifies our ability to form and express the internal picture — an ability that holds a special key to creative thinking. As the great mathematician Jacques Hadmard found that our thinking process was characterised not by language, or standard mathematical symbols, but rather by visual imagery. Or, as Albert Einstein observed: “The words of the language as they were written or spoken do not seem to play any role in my mechanism of thought, which relies on more or less clear images of a visual, and some of a muscular, type.”

Yes, it is more than a possibility — a ground reality. All of us can use our imagination for the higher purposes of our own existence — both in academics, or work, and at home. To use your imagination, you needn’t resort to buying expensive gadgets — off-the-shelf. Example: whenever you are depressed, or dispirited, close your eyes and imagine that you are in an isolated place in nature. You’d also toy with the idea of a flower meadow, or a lovely sun‑baked beach. Imagine it now — and, there you are!

The concept works! How? According to visualisation experts, simply imagining yourself in a nurturing situation has the very same physical and emotional effect as actually being there. To collate another classical model. All of us constantly generate a flow of mental images and mentally-induced situations. At any given moment, for instance, we are all formulating ideas, worrying about something, picturing a past event, or daydreaming about a forthcoming event. You got it. It’s only through imagination that we can all plan ahead, solve problems, empathise, fall in love, dream — and, generally, make sense of our life experiences.

It goes without saying that all great men/women, down the ages, have actively provoked the imagination. They have also, in the process, recognised that imagination has provided them access to the unconscious processes relevant to health, illness, and spirituality. It’s something that science has also now given credence to: that emotional discord can manifest as physical patterns, or symptoms. These disturbing images, as we all know, can trigger the release of stress hormones into your bloodstream. The resultant effect is commonplace knowledge: illness and disease.

Such “negative” images, as most self-help books emphasise, need not be always harmful. You could use them creatively, for at least 20 minutes, in quietude everyday — to enhance your sense of well‑being. How? By the conscious, repeated use of “counter” mental images and/or creative imagery, while in a state of relaxation.

Result? You will draw in positive life changes — changes for the better. These excursions, researchers reckon, will not only help you reduce stress, combat chronic pain, promote self‑healing, or achieve goals, like being more focused at academics/workplace, but also aid you in giving up a bad habit, like smoking, or improving your academic scores, and athletic ability.

So, what are you waiting for? Just pick up a good self-help book — and, it may all follow!