Believing is Seeing!

Let’s begin by reminding ourselves that our thoughts are very powerful. Rabbi Nachman says that “Wherever your mind is, that is where you are”.  It all depends on what we really want.  If we really hunger and yearn and think about G-dliness and personal growth, we can attain it!  If we desire something else, and that is where our mind is, then that is what we will achieve.  If we think it is Night, then it will be Night.  If we think positive thoughts, thinking it is Day, then we will find ourselves emerging into the Light! (Crossing the Narrow Bridge).
 
Rabbi Nachman talks about the good use of our thoughts as creative visualization and the negative use of our thoughts as imagination.  Rabbi Nachman even goes so far as to call the Evil One “Imagination” (Likutey Moharan 125).
 
When we let our imagination run wild, we are subjected to chaos and confusion, and our minds see everything as Night.  When we focus on something that we fear, the darkness of illusion actually shuts out the Light!  Most things that we fear cannot harm us, yet we have these phobias we cannot overcome.  We no longer have access to the wisdom and understanding that would help us see through this illusion and resolve it.  We must avoid this anxiety and ensuing depression, as it is the worst mental state possible.
 
The other side to imagination brings light, wisdom and understanding into our minds. Rebbeinu refers to this as creative visualization.  We are able to turn the darkest Night in to the brightest Day.  Human thought has tremendous potential.  When we concentrate our thoughts on something and really imagine it to be, we can actually force the thing to happen.  We must visualize every step of the entire result in great detail, avoiding diffused or general thought.  We must use every faculty of the mind and intensely focus on what we want to see happening.  We are able to exert great influence on all sorts of matters in the world (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #62).
 
Our emuna should be so strong, that we see the thing in which we believe right in front of his eyes! (Likutey Moharan I, 62:4)  Believing is seeing (Crossing the Narrow Bridge page 73).  Believing in something strongly can bring us to a level of understanding as if we saw the thing with our own eyes. This is juxtaposed to the non-Jewish philosophy that we must first see to believe.  This approach lacks emuna, and removes Hashem from the world. 
 
When we are disturbed and unhappy, we must imagine ourselves as being joyous.  We may be depressed, but by simply acting joyful, we come to genuine joy (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #74).
 
Thanking Hashem in advance is a wonderful addition to using creative visualization to fulfill our needs.  When a person thanks Hashem, no prosecuting angels interfere with his words.  The thanks must be heartfelt and uttered with complete emuna.  While using the thanking method to fulfill his needs, he must bear in mind and truly believe that everything is for the best.
 
By thanking Hashem in advance, it is possible to “precede” Him.  Hashem is then obligated to, so to speak, pay us back.  For Hashem says, “Who has preceded Me that I should repay?” (Job 41).  Therefore, if we thank Hashem for what he will do in the future, Hashem will have to fulfill his commitment, as it were, and to pay (Garden of Gratitude pages 242-245).  In this way, you can thank Hashem for everything in advance that you are lacking- children, your soul mate….”Thank You very much for the ________ You will grant me in the future.”  Continue with your thanks for 1 or 2 hours or more.  Hashem will see that you have thanked Him so much for what He has not yet given you, that He will ultimately give it to you!
 
You can also promise Hashem that if He fulfills your request, you will thank Him in installments, for a certain amount of time.  Thirty minutes at a time, over an extended period of time is one suggestion.
 
Thanking Hashem is the ultimate purpose of Creation!  Someone who trusts in G-d and expects G-d to perform a miracle, and grant the needed salvation, is actually saying Thank You before receiving the salvation.  She already says thank you for the miracles she will be experiencing.  “Thank you very much Hashem for the specific miracle that I expect you will do for me”.
 
As with every tool, we must take the time in our hitbodedut to move from the intellect to the heart and truly internalize these concepts.  The distance from the head to the heart may be the longest distance, but with prayer, all things are possible!
 
Hatzlacha!