There are different techniques people have used to relax themselves, but what is sometimes not recognized is how the mind processes what is happening to induce a state of relaxation. In order for your mind and body to relax, the sub-conscious state can be obtained by processing visual signals.
At times when there is restricted activity within your field of vision, the sub-conscious part of the brain starts to fill in that lack of stimulation without your conscious effort.
Perhaps you have become aware when you find yourself staring at a body of water such as ocean wave or the rippling of a lake at the shore or the movement of fish in a fishbowl, your mind begins to wander? There are times when we seem to stare at nothing in particular.
You find yourself driving down the road not thinking about anything particularly important. After several minutes it dawns on you that time seems to have slipped by very quickly and you are many miles further along your route than you seem to think you should be. And this seems to have occurred without your conscious awareness.
In those cases and others, the mind is actually taking in a minor or insignificant visual information continuously as nothing new is happening. So our mind fills in the gaps with thoughts of one kind or another, distracting us with inner imagery.
The same applies when you watch a video that contains very little actual change in movement or action. It is a technique used to let the creative mind come forward or to allow for decisions to be made or influenced on the unconscious level.
This process has been termed ‘exterpassive’. It can be used in stress management and therapy. And just about anyone can apply it in their daily lives.
You can also use such things as staring at a candle flame, listening to some types of audio meditation tape, through biofeedback, and related methods. Watching a particular type of video through your media player, whether on your computer or on your media-enabled cell phone, will also work.
Sometimes just a few minutes of watching such a video or screen-saver can induce this state of relaxation. It is often a quick and simple way to relax, the benefits of which can be enormous.