Issue 10: Visualization: A God-Designed Strategy for Stronger Memory

Picture this…
You’re sitting on the beach at the Atlantic. Sand warms your feet. Water stretches out to the horizon, meeting puffy white clouds against a crisp blue sky. A breeze flutters the colorful umbrellas nearby. Waves roll in—blue-gray with frothy white foam—breaking rhythmically before you. Can you see it?

If you can, you’ve just tapped into one of the most powerful ways to deepen memory: visualization.

What Is Visualization?

Visualization is the act of bringing an image into mind - seeing something in your mind. 

This can be something you’ve actually seen before, and just picturing it in your mind from memory…

Or this can be creating new images, things you’ve never actually seen before, but paint a mental picture of what you think something might look like. 

Visualization can involve static images (like still pictures) or action, like playing a movie in your mind. 

Why is this important?

Visualization has many benefits, such as improving sports performance, stress management, and of course improving learning and memory. 

Our brains have different regions for each of the different senses—taste, smell, touch, hearing, and sight. The more of these regions we engage when learning something, the deeper we process it and the better we remember it.

When your brain creates a memory from hearing alone, it’s not using its full resources or capability. But when we add a visual - whether physically seeing or imagining - we’re using more resources. Instead of just walking through the woods to create that trail we mentioned last issue, adding vision is like taking a rake along and actively clearing away some of the plants and branches. The trail/memory will be better established, and more quickly as well. 

God Uses This Too

From the beginning, God designed our brains to process visual imagery deeply. Genesis tells us God made “trees that were pleasing to the eye” (Gen. 2:9). Throughout His Word, He uses rich visuals to help us understand and remember truth.

• The Vine and the Branches (John 15:1–8) – A living picture of staying connected to Christ.
  

• The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11–17) – A vivid metaphor for spiritual readiness.
  

• The Lord is My Shepherd (Psalm 23) – Green pastures, still waters—comfort etched in the mind.
  

God could have given us plain instructions, but instead, He wrapped them in imagery that sticks.

How to Practice This Week

1. Literal Images: If you need to remember to call someone, picture their name written in bold red letters—or imagine their face next to a phone and a clock that shows the time you plan to call them.
   

2. Metaphorical Images: If you need to remember to be patient, imagine yourself as a deep-rooted oak tree, unshaken by the wind.
   

3. Scripture Visuals: As you read the Bible, pause and actually picture the scenes described. Step into them in your mind.

What are other types of things you tend to forget, and how can you make pictures out of them to help you remember?

This is a skill. It might be slow and effortful at first. But the more you practice creating mental pictures, the faster and richer your images will become—and the better your recall will be.

In Him,

Dr. Matt
Christian Neuropsychologist | Fellow Traveler in Faith and Clarity
https://clearmindweekly.beehiiv.com/ 
www.drmattbridgman.com 

P.S. If you’d like structured practice with this and other memory-strengthening strategies, I created a 30-day memory journal that guides you step-by-step using Scripture. You can find it here: Clear Mind Journal: Memory Strengthening