The power of inner images
- Marco Glaesener
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
This is what a page of your learning diary could look like!
My personal experience with visualization exercises
The power of inner images
Lately, I've been thinking deeply about the topic of learning, and I've come up with some simple yet effective visualization exercises that have had a lasting impact on my daily life and my memory. These methods are so easy to implement that they can be integrated into everyday life almost casually—and they're even fun.
Seeing: Learning with inner images
I've noticed that consciously creating mental images is a real key to learning success. Whenever I try to memorize information, I visualize the content as vivid pictures in my mind's eye. This works especially well when I want to retain complex contexts or many details.
Exercise: Visualize your own space
One of my favorite exercises is to close my eyes and visualize my home or a familiar place in as much detail as possible. I mentally walk from room to room, noticing colors, furniture, and small objects, and try to see every detail as clearly as possible. If I have trouble, I open my eyes briefly, look around, and then close them again to solidify the image. This exercise helps me sharpen my imagination and train my memory for visual details.
Exercise: Tracing pictures from books
Another method I like to use is to look at an image from a book or magazine for about half a minute. Then I close the book and try to trace the image from memory. At first, the drawings are rough, but over time they become more detailed and accurate.
Sometimes I even go so far as to spell individual letters or words backwards to strengthen my memory and spelling skills.
What I find particularly exciting is that I remember pictures much more easily when I have drawn them.
Exercise: Turning texts into comics
One exercise I particularly enjoy is converting text into small comic drawings.
I take any sentence (from a book, newspaper, magazine, etc.), read it carefully, and then consider how I could represent the content as an image or a small scene. I make sure not to simply depict words or letters, but to transform the meaning of the sentence into a concrete scene. For example, an abstract term like "share" becomes a piece of cake that represents a share in a company.
This method helps me to better understand and retain even complex content.
Feeling: Learning through touching and experiencing
I've also noticed that I retain information particularly well when I combine it with movement or practical experience.
I love trying things out, crafting, or doing little experiments.
The more senses I involve in learning, the more vivid and lasting the things I learn remain in my memory.
Sometimes I even go for a walk or jog while thinking about learning content – this helps me make new connections and develop creative ideas.
Why I recommend these exercises
Through these simple visualization and experiential exercises, I have found that learning not only becomes easier, but also more creative and motivating.
I can grasp content faster, retain it better, and even enjoy it. I find it particularly helpful that I can use the methods flexibly in everyday life:
– be it when reading, studying for exams or simply to remember names and appointments better.
- Creativity and imagination are encouraged.
- Information stays in the memory longer.
- Learning is more enjoyable and feels less like a “chore.”
- Even complex content is easier to understand.
These visualization exercises have become an integral part of my everyday life.
They are easy to implement, fun and bring noticeable results.
Those who regularly work with inner images and combine learning with movement or practical experience will notice how much easier and more lasting it is to anchor knowledge.
Try it – it’s worth it.
Here you'll find interesting books in German on visualization techniques! Just click on the link!
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