Cognitive Structure in Thought and Personality

Guided imagery and memory: Implications for psychotherapists.

“…For example, in health psychology, the use of imagery improves the rate and extent of healing from surgery or serious illness (Carey & Burish, 1988; Hall, 1984, 1990; Hall & Kvarnes, 1991; Holden-Lund, 1988; Manyande et al, 1995; Sheikh & Kunzendorf, 1984), reduces stress and infectious illness (Baum, Herberman, & Cohen, 1995; Hall, 1990; Jasnoski & Kugler, 1987; Olnes, Culbert, & Uden, 1989; Schneider, Smith, Minning, Whitcher, & Hermanson, 1990; Watson & Marvell, 1992), and helps in managing chronic pain (Marino, Gwynn, & Spanos, 1989; Turk, Meichenbaum, & Genest, 1983). In psychotherapeutic contexts, imagery alone or in combination with various other methods such as hypnosis or music has been shown to be effective in the treatment of stress (Aylwin, 1988; Hammer, 1996), panic attacks (Der & Lewington, 1990), posttraumatic stress disorder (Kuch, Swinson, & Kirby, 1985), and bulimia nervosa (Esplen, Garfinkel, Olmsted, Gallop, & Kennedy, 1998) and in the attainment of treatment goals in brief psychodynamic psychotherapy (Feinberg-Moss & Oatley, 1990). Imagery is also effective for improving complex motor skills and performance (Denis, 1985; Feltz & Landers, 1983; A.…”