Is It Real Or Is It Imagined?

Liu Chi Kung, a world-class pianist in the late 1950’s was imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution in China.  After seven years without a piano he immediately resumed his concert tour. His fans said he played better than ever and wondered how this was possible.

Kung said, “I rehearsed every piece I had ever played, note by note, in my mind.”


Psychological research has proven that the mind cannot neurologically tell the difference between a real occurrence and one that has been imagined. The moment you experience an event vividly in your imagination it is neurologically recorded as a “real experience”.

Mental rehearsal, or the process of visualization creates new neurological pathways in the brain and can give you a competitive edge. Olympic athletes have used it in training for years and it works not only in sports but also in business, education and anything else we do.

Unfortunately, this also works to our detriment. When we visualize failure or losing a sale the brain records this as “real” and our subconscious goes about making this a reality. We cannot control the process but we can control what we visualize and think about.

So the next time you make a phone call, schedule an important appointment, or make a sales presentation, practice positive mental rehearsal beforehand. You can think your way to success. You don’t need any special tools, it doesn’t cost anything, and you can begin right now. Imagine that!