The use of mental images produced by the imagination as a form of psychotherapy. It can be classified by the modality of its content: visual, verbal, auditory, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, or kinesthetic. Common themes derive from nature imagery (e.g., forests and mountains), water imagery (e.g., brooks and oceans), travel imagery, etc. Imagery is used in the treatment of mental disorders and in helping patients cope with other diseases. Imagery often forms a part of HYPNOSIS, of AUTOGENIC TRAINING, of RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, and of BEHAVIOR THERAPY. (From Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, vol. 4, pp29-30, 1994)

Annotation

a psychotherapy technique; do not confuse with the imagery or mental images produced by the imagination ( = IMAGINATION)

DUI

D019018 MeSH Browser

CUI

M0028397

Previous indexing

Relaxation Techniques (1980-1995)

History note

2020 (1996); was IMAGERY (PSYCHOTHERAPY) 1996-2019

Public note

2020; was IMAGERY (PSYCHOTHERAPY) 1996-2019