Internal images we are all familiar with are, when the mind recalls events from the past or contemplates the present or future, it uses internal imagery. The sparkle of the sun on the ocean, a loved one’s face, the sound of church bells, the aroma and flavor of our favorite foods, and the anticipated events of a future vacation if created in the mind, are all examples of internal imagery.

External images are gathered by our five senses as the events and circumstances take place outside the body and are then processed through our mind. External images give us information about how our body should respond. If you are standing in the middle of the street and you hear, see, or maybe even feel a speeding car, your mind will process these external images. The body will first receive a message and react chemically with a burst of adrenaline. The body reacts physically to the message, and you quickly move your body out of harm's way.

The reason Guided Imagery is very effective is that the physical body can react to images created internally in the mind the same way as the mind reacts to external images happening outside the body