Ultimate Mind Control

Making fear your best friend....

They need not be currently living. Before you move ahead with this exercise, you may wish to research the life of the individual you have chosen. You might even decide you want to see the world from the perspective of your favourite animal or bird, such as a wolf or an eagle.

When you are ready to do the Expert's Head exercise, prepare yourself by deeply relaxing your body and your mind. Take some time to get comfortable in a place where you will not be disturbed. Internally scan your body for tension, and allow your muscles to relax. Breathe calmly and smoothly in a relaxed way.

• Now think: is there a particular place where you would like to meet your imaginary expert? You might want to meet this guide in your own home, but feel free to imagine another place. For example, you could visualise meeting in a garden, in a forest, on top of a mountain, or some other location.

• You can improve your ability to visualise imaginatively by speaking out loud your inner impressions to a tape recorder, or to another. Eventually, even the slightest glimmer of imagination will be reinforced and amplified by consistent repetition of this exercise.

• If you are not yet able to easily imagine a location in which to meet your chosen expert, don't worry. Simply move forward to the imagined encounter with this person, whenever you are ready.

• Your imaginary encounter may go exactly as planned, or there may be surprises in store for you. Perhaps someone you weren't expecting shows up. Perhaps your chosen expert does not want to participate. If no one appears in your mind's imagination, ask for someone to come forward, and then wait.

• When your imaginary guide appears, handle the encounter with as much politeness and respect as you would a real life encounter. Do you feel comfortable in the presence of this expert? Do you have the sense that the expert feels comfortable with you? Even if these guides are figments of your inner mind, you still need to be sure you are accessing a part of yourself that wants to promote only the best for you.

• If you feel any sense of discomfort between you, thank the expert for coming, and politely dismiss them. Think of another expert you admire in your chosen field and create an imaginary encounter with that person. You may even have to create a totally fictitious character to be your imaginary expert.