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The Science of Visualisation

Visualisation is science backed.

Have you ever purchased a new (to you) car, and suddenly it seems that every second car on the road is the same as yours?  You would swear that they hadn’t been there before.

That’s the power of the Reticular Activating System.

The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a bundle of nerves at the bottom of the brain stem that determines the priority of information that is allowed into your conscious mind.

You see we are being bombarded by way more sensory based information than we can handle at any one time.  Much of this information is filtered out of our awareness.

Until… something brings it into our consciousness.

  • Like buying a new car. 
  • Or, you might learn a new word or phrase, and suddenly you seem to be hearing it everywhere. 
  • Or you might be introduced to a new music artist or actor, and suddenly it seems that they are everywhere.

Your RAS has changed the priority on the information involving these new conscious thoughts, and so you seem to be seeing more and more instances of them.

The truth is that they were likely there all along and only now you are noticing them.

We utilise the power of RAS in visualisation

Imagine a rich, chocolate cake on your kitchen worktop.  It is glinting in the sun so you know that it is moist and delicious and it has a creamy frosting on top. You reach over and cut a slice, the knife gliding through the cake, with a little push back from the sponge texture. As you release the knife, the rich chocolatey smell reaches your nostrils.

  • What do you notice is happening in your mouth?
  • Are you salivating? Is the cake so rich that you are feeling a little nauseated?
  • But where is the cake that is causing you to feel these real feelings?

Your brain cannot tell the difference between what’s real and what’s not.  

By purely visualising the cake on the kitchen worktop, you had a physical response to it.

This is what makes visualisation so powerful.  We can give our minds an experience of something that we desire, which helps the RAS to prioritise the opportunities that we need to help us achieve our goal.

Your brain cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is not

You may have heard the phrase, “be careful what you wish for”.  

We can understand this through what we have learned so far.  Whilst it is true that the RAS will filter information according to what you are focused on, it is important to ensure that you are focused on what you want more of in your life.

What you focus on E X P A N D S… and if you are focusing on what you want to avoid, rather than what you want to attract, then you will not get the result you are hoping for.

I remember back when I was learning to ride a motorcycle. My instructor would tell me, “Eyes up, look where you want to go. Eyes up, look where you want to go.”

Her reasoning was sound.  The bike would naturally go the way I was looking.  But if I saw a pothole up ahead and began to fixate on that, what do you think would happen?

I would crash into the pothole, because that’s where I was looking.

It’s the same with visualisation.

Watch the video below for more tips to make your visualisations the most effective and powerful they can be.

https://vimeo.com/805001786

Visualisation is a powerful, 

science-backed 

tool in my coaching practice and now you know why.

The Reticular Activating System prioritises the information that gets filtered

Your brain can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s not

What you focus on EXPANDS… focus on what you want MORE of

Hi, I’m

Lorraine Hamilton

Lorraine Hamilton is an award-winning coach.

 

She is also a former engineer, voracious tea drinker and wannabe race car driver.

She is the founder of the Feminine Success Accelerator® and has spent the past 17 years coaching ambitious high-achieving women, writing books and mentoring hundreds of other coaches to greater freedom and success.


FREE GUIDE To Accelerate Your Income

Why It Matters

Coachable People Grow Faster

People who are coachable don’t waste time defending their status quo. They lean into feedback. They turn setbacks into stepping stones. They ask, “What can I learn from this?” rather than, “Why is this happening to me?” This mindset fuels exponential growth—personally and professionally.

Coachability Builds Resilience

When you’re coachable, failure doesn’t define you—it instructs you. You stop fearing mistakes and start using them. In my coaching work, I often see that the most resilient leaders aren’t the ones who never fall. They’re the ones who fall, learn, and rise again—smarter and stronger than before.

Coachable Leaders Attract Trust

People follow those who are willing to grow. Coachable leaders are more transparent, adaptable, and self-aware. They don’t pretend to have all the answers. Instead, they create environments where learning is safe and encouraged. That fosters trust, collaboration, and high performance.

The Inner Work of Coachability

Coachability isn’t just about actions—it’s about mindset. The foundation of a coachable mindset includes:

  • Self-awareness: You can’t grow what you won’t acknowledge. Coachable people are committed to seeing themselves clearly. They reflect regularly, ask tough questions, and welcome different perspectives.

  • Emotional agility: Feedback can stir up emotions—defensiveness, embarrassment, even shame. Coachable people feel those emotions but don’t let them rule. They pause, process, and then engage with intention.

  • Ownership: Blame blocks growth. Coachable individuals take radical responsibility for their lives. Even when external factors play a role, they ask, “What part can I own?”

  • Curiosity: Coachability thrives in curiosity. Instead of clinging to “I already know,” coachable people live in “What else might be true?” This openness creates space for insight and innovation.

Coachability in Action

So what does being coachable actually look like in a coaching relationship?

It looks like showing up on time—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

It looks like coming prepared, having reflected on prior conversations, progress, and roadblocks.

It looks like being honest, even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable.

It looks like taking aligned action between sessions—not just consuming insight but applying it.

It looks like being willing to slow down, examine patterns, and challenge limiting beliefs.

It looks like staying present when challenged—and being just as present when celebrated.

It’s not always easy. But it’s always worth it.

How to Cultivate Coachability

Even if coachability doesn’t come naturally, it can be developed. Here are a few practical ways to start:

1. Assume There’s Always Something to Learn

Even if you’ve been in your role for 10 years or feel like you’ve “heard it all before,” stay open. Ask, “What’s here for me to learn today?”

2. Separate Feedback From Identity

Feedback is information, not a verdict on your worth. When you detach your ego from critique, you gain access to truth.

3. Create Reflection Rituals

Whether it’s journaling, meditation, or post-session debriefs, build space into your routine for processing. Insight without reflection rarely becomes transformation.

4. Ask Better Questions

Instead of saying, “Did I do that right?” try, “What am I not seeing?” or “What would it look like to challenge this assumption?”

5. Take Action, Not Just Notes

Coachable people don’t just collect insights—they implement them. Pick one thing from each coaching session to put into practice, and follow through.

The Coachable Client = The Empowered Client

 

In my coaching practice, I don’t promise answers—I promise a partnership.

But that partnership only works when you’re engaged and willing.

The most powerful coaching relationships are co-created. I’ll bring the questions, reflections, and challenges—but you bring the commitment.

Ultimately, coaching is not about changing who you are. It’s about unblocking the parts of you that already know how to lead, love, and live more fully. That unblocking?

It begins with being coachable.

So whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, creative, or simply a human committed to growth, ask yourself:

  • Am I willing to learn?
  • Am I willing to be seen?
  • Am I willing to be challenged?
  • And—most importantly—am I willing to change?

Because if you are, everything becomes possible.

mentor coaching

Lorraine Hamilton is an ICF-accredited Coach, registered Coach Mentor, creator of the SWITCH Coaching System®. She has almost 20 years of experience in Professional Coaching.

Check out these ways to work with her: