Imagery To Find Safe

[shimmerz]

There are not a ton of examples of safety in my life. Sad statement. It has been over 50 years and I have a difficult time relating to a safe scenario in my life. Healers kept asking me when I felt safe - that I must have at some time or another. Ummmmm. Nope. lol (no, you are right - this is not really funny).

I was having a terrible time with night terrors. I couldn't for the life of me sleep without jumping and jolting and flashing back. I would wake up screaming, continually say NO, no, no. OMG. As a result of the sheer mental torture of sleeping I determined I had to find a way.

I posted this concept in a posting somewhere but can't find it so please forgive if you have seen this before. Someone asked about it in another thread and I didn't want to hijack so thought I would respond by opening a new thread.

Anyways, I started by falling asleep and creating a 'safe place' that I could go to while I was falling asleep. I used as many senses as I could while imagining what felt safe to me. I started out with a cave that only I could get into. Safe and dark with candles lit all around. I though about music but I wasn't ready for that. Instead I realized that I needed a very small area in the cave where I felt safe to sleep. Next problem was it was too 'hard' so I built myself a cloud to sleep on. The cloud smelled of fresh spring rain, was soft all over like the softest material ever and I could snuggle right into it. Next I needed a very soft blanket that I could pull over my head but could still breathe. It was heavy yet so gentle to the touch.

As I am building these 'safe things' I would recognize what I needed to feel safe. I would recognize what made me feel unsafe. I have, of course, continued to build my safe place. I cannot allow anyone into my safe place yet and am still working on why not. But this process I consider to be of great value (my night terrors stopped very soon after I started the imagery process). I was just wondering if anyone else uses such a method?

 

[KwanYingirl]

Well, thanks so much for sharing that Shimmerz. I just finished therapy and he talked to me about imagery and how important a tool it would be for me to replace the trauma "slides" I see in my minds eye with safe images. And people have recommended writing things down for my therapist and he agreed that would help him, however writing is difficult for me but I am willing to try. I have an APP for guided relaxation that I can set a time to and I think it would be a good place to start a new image for myself. Soothing music helps me ground. I learned that at Reiki.

 

[Recovery4Me]

:hug: If you accept.

It was hard for me to build a safe place imagery during therapy or even after. Being violated in so many lovely scenarios did prevent that from happening with a picture in my mind. Traditional methods do not work for me.

Instead, I built a place inside of myself (in my mind, heart and soul) that allowed freedom to any creative Science Fiction or real world place. I considered that secret place my portal with a moveable translucent bubble. I could venture out as I recovered in therapy or through life.

I took great care allowing the picture of that transportation device to be built with shimmering colors and spent time in fantasy of other peaceful worlds where people were loving and kind. IN time, my inner spirit was freed and I can now close my eyes at night most of the time fearless.

It is our imagination...why not enjoy a new take just for the creative you?

 

[arfie]

I like caves, too. My first one was borrowed from Francis de Assisi. He loaned it to me while he was away on business. He even showed me how to call his magic fish that would let him slice off a fish fillet, then swim away unhurt while I had my breakfast. That imagery grew into a life long fascination with caves. Most recently I treat myself to a spelunker surf on the internet when I am feeling insecure.

Yes, I started my "safe place" imagery on pure imagination, too, and built it into reality. You go, girl!!!

 

[Hope4Now]

I remember when I first started therapy, he asked me to remember a time or a place where I felt safe. My response to that ("I don't know what that means. I have never felt safe.") gave him far more information than any description of my life I probably would have given otherwise. But, I've been imagining safe places for myself to go to sleep since I can remember...and I'm 50 now. I imagine what it might feel like to feel safe. Unfortunately, they don't much help if I awaken at night in a panic as I often do, or get overwhelmed during the day. Once I'm activated, it's really hard to come down...it's like my system will not accept the fantasy world. So I'm stuck with trying to learn how to feel safe in my own body in the here and now, and it is a prodigious and exhausting struggle.

 

[Go Hungry]

For me it is a beach that I went to back in the day. I do feel safe there, though I have some trouble accessing the memory that often. I may have to try some of the things that people have suggested here..

 

[Chava]

Yes, I am big into creating safe spaces. I had to do this entirely as an adult. It felt weird, childish, and yet is giving me a greater sense of confidence because I feel like I contain myself more often. I have safe places in my house. But I also need to wrap a scarf tight around my ribs (I don't know what that's about...chronic back pain, lung trauma, or just protecting my heart or sadness). Stuffed animals, pets, music. Sometimes the garage, as disgusting as it is, feels safe because it has no windows. I'm really into "space"...what feels safe, what feels scared...so important to do what we can to invent our own havens...good work on creating your safe spaces and noticing your safety needs.

 

[shimmerz]

I built a place inside of myself (in my mind, heart and soul) that allowed freedom

brilliant. I find this to be a necessary component to imagery as most 'real places' that I can see based on my past experiences have some sort of bad element tied to it. I create my own place. I swim to islands but use a porpoise in a tube where both of us can breathe to get there. On the island I have my cave and then created more caves. I have a bubble where I can speak to people who I feel I need to connect with for whatever reason. They know nothing of my cave. My panther wanders the island with me (this helps with my agoraphobia). It is always sunny there with beautiful flowers that I can tend to and a beautiful ice castle (so I can get used to houses). I am working on closing in one small wall that I cannot see out of. This has taken me a long time - can't quite figure out what this is.

When I can't figure out something, I swing my saber around and around while trying to build my safe element to see what it gets stuck on. My brain stops when I can't break an attachment to something and I work on it or I find something else to build as it might mean I am not quite ready for that yet. It is a beautiful way to fall asleep and to ease myself out of a pre-panic state.

 

[The Albatross]

Mine is actually a grotto with a waterfall in the Pacific Northwest. It is necessary at times.

 

[shimmerz]

Damn! The Pacific! I never thought of that @albatross! Thank you! I forgot about a waterfall too! It's about time I had a shower instead of a bath anyways. Shampoo never rinses out properly in the ocean. :)

 

[The Albatross]

I was taught to put things into a shape, give them a color, turn it into glass and visualize pouring the colored liquid in the clear glass shaped vessel down the drain too.

For showers, I feel the water hit the crown of my head, do a visualization where the water turns into pure light and washes off every dark/bad/difficult emotion that the water hits, then I visualize further that the water penetrates through my head and washes away stuff on the inside, rinsing everything to the soles of my feet, it comes out through the bottom of my feet and goes down the drain. I had it written down better a long time ago. Tired tonight though... the best I can do. A Huna healer/Christian/German guy who could play the nose flute and digeridoo (really) taught it to me, he was a life coach for almost a year.

(Edited several times, I am more fatigued than I realized. Sorry)

 

[shimmerz]

@Albatross what a great experience! Thanks for sharing even though you sound like you were exhausted. I will use this technique when I shower. I haven't been able to figure out a visualization for showering - which has been a major meltdown point for me each and every day. You have made a difference and I appreciate your posting. :hug: