This is an imaginery journey down a road. Take in the sights, sounds and colours, just like a video camera recording all that lies surrounding you. Survey the scene, noticing whatis far off in the distance, the background surrounds, the weather, the season and a total image of what you view. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Try to visualize it as a picture on a canvas, but with movement, sound, colour and emotion. You are the surveyor on this journey. Draw your journey on paper if you desire, as it often shows clearer results, then attach your drawing via snapshot or scan to your post.

Q1. What colour is the road?light brown
Q2. What texture is the road?soft with a few sharp rocks
Q3. How solid is the road?it's dirt but no footprints are left as I walk

You continue walking and come to a river that must be crossed. There before you is the river; the size and depth are up to you. You cannot go around it but must imagine a way to cross it. Whatever you need to cross the river is already within your mind, just imagine seeing yourself do it.

Q4. How do you cross the river?walk with a tall stick in my hand
Q5. What does the water look like?clear, you can see bottom
Q6. How fast is the water current?enough to feel it moving
Q7. Is there anything in the water? If so, what?river pebbles & green stringy moss

You have crossed the river and continue walking. You come to a house. Take a good look at the house. Notice the impression it makes on you.

Q8. What colour is the house?greyish timber
Q9. What condition is the house in? good
Q10. Does anyone live in the house? If so, who?yes a happy woman

We continue forward in our minds journey and come to an open field. A cup is on the ground, and we stop to examine it. The cup can be of any size, shape, colour and description. Focus on it's look, condition and contents.

Q11. What colour is the cup?white
Q12. What condition is the cup in?little worn
Q13. Is there anything in the cup? If so, what?a little bit of dust

You continue walking down the road and come to something blocking your path. It stops you in your tracks and prevents you from going forward. This is an obstacle.

Q14. What is the obstacle, and please describe it in detail?it's a barbed wire fence with a wooden gate
Q15. What do you see beyond the obstacle?the other side of the field

Now you have had a break, go back to every question and look at your response. Try and find what you feel that your mind presented the image it did. Explain colours you chose, textures, water, cup, solids, liquids, space, objects, people, anything and everything that you wrote from your projected image, try and find what you feel to why you have that image. Don't look hard at things, instead try and look for the easy answers, as they are often the correct one's. Don't attempt to find something that isn't present, just look at each aspect for its absolute simplicity.

This is not an absolute, but something you must do in order to try and self analyse yourself. This is important. Please answer what you can, and simply define if you cannot find an emotion to a response you gave.

Q1. l/brown: good colour soil for growth
Q2. soft with few sharp rocks : not every step is soft underfoot, sometimes you stand on something sharp to remind you to watch where you're going.
Q3.dirt with no footprints:connected to the earth but not leaving an impression

Q4.walk with tall stick in hand: easy to walk across due to the depth but have my stick to keep me balanced in case I need it.
Q5. clear/see bottom: like to see where I'm going & can see the ripples in the water.
Q6. enough to feel it moving: can feel it but it's not enough to knock me over
Q7.river pebbles & green stringy moss: smoothness of pebbles & feel they are solid underfoot even though they move somtimes.The moss, every now & then the rocks get slippery.

Q8.greyish timber: like it has been there for years and has weathered over time
Q9.good: little log cabin that has been looked after
Q10.yes, happy woman. She is happy to live in a small place because it makes her feel happy because she has made it her home.

Q11.white:that's what colour those cups are.(camping tea mugs)
Q12. little worn: like it has been used a lot by someone
Q13.little bit of dust: just enough to make it look dusty but nothing a quick dust off wouldn't fix.

Q14. barbed wire fence/wooden gate: fence is to keep things in or out Gate is old and heavy & I'm not sure if I can open it.
Q15.other side of field: open field as far as the eye can see.

You feel a little unappreciated in life and though you feel a little difficulty navigating life’s path, you are aware of your problems and progressing well. You are very trusting within intimate relationships, and though you approach them a little hastily, you are aware of problems and find intimacy enjoyable. You are confused whether your support systems are as excellent as you believe, though you demonstrate and average self esteem. You have an innocent idealism about commitment, and feel a little used by someone over time, slightly depreciated even. You feel imprisoned by painful feelings likely associated to death ideation, and see much optimism towards the future.

I would say Jods, not too bad really. Nothing more than the usual odd element life presents us with on a daily basis. I have spoken with you about the death ideation privately already, thus finding some related feelings to recent events surrounding death in others close too you.

Now, how much do you relate to this Jods within your life?

Hi Anthony

I wrote my response but somehow I lost it! Too tired to rewrite it due to the time so I will try again later.

Briefly:
Unsure if want to work or study. Don't want to go back to old career. Not sure what I do want to do...yet!

Trust & love hubby very much & know he wouldn't purposely hurt me.

Support systems: Got rid of dead weight. Those still in picture are fantastic but at times are not user friendly.

Feeling used/depreciated: Old friend with issues that I'm getting tired of seeing destroy her spirit. Another friend is almost at culling point.

death ideation: Thanks for that Dad!

Know future is bright because when I get my act together I'm gonna kick butt in style!

Nice to see Jods, that now you have assimilated your subconscious emotional state with your concious... being those things you mentioned above are the issues currently causing you discomfort within your life.

As a spouse, this helps show how mental imagery can be used on anyone, anytime, and is not reflective upon having trauma itself. Yes, your imagery came back pretty much without much issue, only slight annoyance shown within your life, which is very usual to see from a person that is not hindered with past trauma causing distressing pain.

Its really quite nice to see normal problems you know... eek!

Thanks Anthony for giving me the opportunity to participate.

I figured that I'm better off knowing if I do have any issues that I need to work through than falling in a heap down the track & thinking where the f... did that come from. Good to know that apart from the usual stuff that life throws at me that I am in pretty good shape to continue being the legend that I am!

Don't know about being "normal" LOL! Is anyone normal these days!?

I would love to know more about this! It's amazing what the mind can do!

It is, your right... mental imagery has stunned me to say the least, and feel quite honoured with bob shareing his lifes work with me to help others. It is the one thing I have found that works, so I want to use it.

Legend ha.... Rob might have something to say about that... how many legends can fit in one household?

I can see why you're a fan of his work, he's a great guy!

Ok, since Rob is older than me I'll let him be the legend! I'll be the legend in training!LOL!

Hi Anthony

I know you have a lot on your plate so I'm in no hurry for an answer to my question.

Could this road trip imagery be used on children? Only thinking that it could be a possible way to see how our kids are effected by living in a PTSD household.

I can answer that for you.. yes it can. I used it on my eldest to try and get a compass of what was going on.. however he stopped co-operating with us on it. so they have to want to do it! LOL

bec