The Connection Between Literary Images and Visual Perception in Meditative Practice

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The study of practice based on visualization and the role of visualization in shaping the outcomes of contemplative practice is an overlooked research niche. The aim of this article is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the process that connects literary images and visual perception in relevant meditative practices. The key question is which elements contribute to forming this connection in contemplative practices like meditation. To gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics involved, the study employed a mix of primary and secondary data sources, along with analytical, descriptive, and phenomenological methods, drawing from an interdisciplinary approach that includes psychology, neuroscience, and literature. The following meditation practices were selected: contemplative meditation, creative visualization, koan meditation, imaginative meditation, creative workshops with haiku poetry as an outcome, and meditative storytelling. The identified elements in the connection between literary depictions and visual perception include mental imagery and visualization, cognitive processes, sensory processes, and emotional processes. The importance of literary techniques is particularly highlighted – using descriptive language with metaphors, similes, allegories, and other stylistic figures that create strong visual images. This connection has a neurological basis – neuroscience studies show that reading/listening to texts describing visual experiences activates brain areas involved in actual visual perception. This overlap suggests that the brain processes literary descriptions similarly to how it processes real visual stimuli. The connection between literary depictions and visual perception significantly enhances the quality of meditative practice and promotes deeper understanding and emotional-volitional engagement with the text and personal development of the meditators. Both secondary and primary data sources were used in the paper.