Photography is an amazing tool for communicating with our minds and a means of shaping pathways, learning and transforming our brains.
“There is a river of sensations in all of us. Perceptions arise, remain for a time, and cease to be. When our mind is not still, we do not see clearly. Like the surface of a lake in windy weather, the picture we see is distorted. Our perception is often wrong and causes us suffering and the suffering of others. It is very helpful to look deeply into the nature of our perception without being too sure of anything. When we are too sure, we suffer. When we ask ourselves: “Are you sure?” we have a chance to look again and see whether our perception is correct or not.” — Thich Nhat Hanh, How to see
“If you still have my photo, I am still safe in your heart.” — Judy Weiser, Photo Therapy Centre, Vancouver
“Photographs can be seen as a powerful form of language, constantly providing us with a vivid way to communicate. Sometimes it can be difficult to linguistically express concepts, feelings or visual experiences and we can use photographs to enhance or replace our verbal communication for people who are unable to connect with others through words.” — Linda Berman, Beyond the Smile – The therapeutic use of the photograph
When science, photography, heart, and humanity come together, we get an insight of ourselves and the world around us in the full depth and breadth of our life story; and we can create a new subjective reality — now, non-pharmacologically.
“WE TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, VISUAL AWARENESS, VISUAL LANGUAGE AND ART OF SEEING, WE USE PHOTOGRAPHY TO CONNECT PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES, AND WE USE PHOTOGRAPHY TO HELP WHEREVER VERBAL COMMUNICATION IS NOT ENOUGH, OR IS NOT POSSIBLE. WE INTERCONNECT PHOTOGRAPHY AND VISUAL PERCEPTION WITH THE LATEST NEUROSCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND WE BRING THE HOLISTIC (SELF-) APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE.”
OUR MISSION ~ We strive to incorporate photography and visual language° in the prevention and avoidance of mental illnesses and to mental health care for children and women; photography and visual language° as a tool in the treatment of anxiety, coping with serious illness, etc.; photography and visual language° as a tool in therapy and scientific research. More information in the individual sections. °= our own holistic approach, visual language always means photographic visual language and our own approach of photographic and visual inquiry*photography-evoked self-, other-, relations-mindfulness.
Welcome to the world of My Universe Photography & Visual Perception
Right now, right here … each of us is forming our “bubble”, our vision of our universe — ourselves, others, everything around us, ourselves in relation to others, ourselves in relation to everything around us, ourselves now in relation to our life story.
So let’s stop for a moment and really look, let’s learn together the art of HOW to see that all, how to see ourselves, how to see our life stories. What is VISUAL (PHOTOGRAPHIC) LANGUAGE, how does it differ from the verbal one and what all it enables us?
My Universe is a connection of photography (mindful & therapeutic potential of photography, specific photographic procedures & (self-)therapeutic photographic techniques and other photographic approaches), work with the setting of visual perception and mental image (art of seeing, true perception), mindfulness, work with visual language, neuroscience and Eastern philosophies — for you, us, all of us, which aims to:
~ care of people’s mental health and well-being
~ contribute to global peace and planetary peace by reducing the epidemic of trauma and toxic stress
~ to put a camera in your hands for and in such a way that you learn to perceive yourself and everything that affects you and your life through it, and to learn to work with yourself and your mind through the camera and your visual perception
~to support and teach you to truly perceive, see, experience and be able to internally express yourself for yourself in every moment
~ to activate your sight-heart-soul-mind axis
~ to work with your “mind’s eye” for a more joyful, fuller and calmer perception and experience
~ gradually shift your mental image in a positive direction, and enabling you to live a happier and fuller life
WHY TO START WITH MY UNIVERSE PHOTOGRAPHY?
To improve mental well-being and learn the art of “being at ease in all circumstances” (gradual creation of My Universe “Bubble”)
For reducing anxiety and depression and increasing mental resilience (gradual creation of My Universe “Bubble”)
For self-knowledge and improving the relationship with oneself and with others
For learning to understand visual language and the art of visual expression
For true vision and the art of seeing and true experiencing each moment
For a happier and fuller life
HOW DOES IT WORK, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING?
My Universe (MUM) methodology naturally provides and brings a unique connection of the latest (NEURO)SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE (work with brain neuroplasticity on chemical, functional and structural level, neuroendocrinology), PHOTOGRAPHY (the dynamically developing field of THERAPEUTIC PHOTOGRAPHY, attentive and mindful photographic process and other photographic procedures), defined work with the setting of VISUAL PERCEPTION AND RE-LEARNING OF MENTAL IMAGE and at the same time deeply naturally human knowledge (MEDITATION and ancient spiritual techniques). The methodology uniquely uses photography as a means for visual objectification of the mental image and mental re-learning. THE MAIN AND CRUCIAL PILLAR OF MUM IS PESORM* DEVELOPED BY US. PESORM* brings the scientific method of “photographic and visual inquiry” under VERY DEFINED CIRCUMSTANCES; PESORM is also a method of visual and photographic inquiry in non-scientific setting. Photography and visual language are in MUM and PESORM* tools which bring us a completely new possibility to communicate with our mind on a neurobiological level. Further information can be found in the methodology (public simplified description only, for the scientific description please contact us): https://muphotosci.org/en/what-methodology-we-develop/
Therapeutic photography & therapeutic photographic techniques have been developing as a field since 1982 when Judy Weiser, RPsychATR Dir, PhotoTherapyCtr founded the PhotoTherapy Center in Vancouver. Robert Gordon University in Scotland as the first in the world opened a one-year PGCert in January 2022 allowing to obtain an academic qualification in the field of Therapeutic Photography, the PGCert of which we have already completed as one of the first in the world, and we are now continuing to collaborate with RGU. Mindful photographic approach is a form of mindfulness practice as well as a form of photography and training in being fully in the present moment, which involves full presence and awareness while photographing. It involves paying attention to the present moment rather than getting lost in thought or letting your attention be distracted by surrounding influences. The process of mindful photography is healing and calming in itself, as well as providing an opportunity for learning visual mindfulness and training the eye and the eye-mind axis, if practiced in a defined way.
My Universe (MUM) methodology has been developed and continues to be developed in such a way that it is accessible to everyone without distinction and has nothing to do with photography skills. The methodology uses photography to objectify and work with the mental image and to brain (neurobiological) re-learning. The uniqueness and functioning of the MUM methodology is based on a step-by-step targeted combination and defined training of defined certain photographic procedures for working with the mindset. The main pillar of the MUM methodology is the PESORM* developed by us.
WHO WE ARE?
I am neurobiologist PhD with 10 years experience in clinical science and photographer with 10 years experience as a professional photographer, PGCert Therapeutic Photography from Robert Gordon University, Scotland, original publications, on which I co-authored, have achieved more than 1400 citations worldwide, 2023 TEDx Prague Women Speaker. More in About us section.
WHAT WE OFFER?
~ Support and facilitation wherever verbal communication is insufficient or impossible
Further:
~Programs for schools in the framework of care for the mental health and well-being of children *(PESORMpublic_child~VOFRE_child~VFP~PD~ASMV)
~Summer CAMP CAMERA for children *(PESORMpublic_child~VOFRE_child~VFP~PD~ASMV)
~FULLY NOW, ANSWERING YOURSELF FROM INSIDE & VISION WELL Program for Women *(PESORMpublic~VFP~PD~TP~VOFRE~ASMV)
~Stress Reduction Program *(ASMV~VFP~VOFRE)
~Programs of Mindful and Conscious Pregnancy and Parenting *(PESORMpublic~PD~VOFRE~ASVM~VFP)
*PESORMpublic = Photography-evoked awareness of the self, others and relationships (self-to-others, others-to-self) for self-knowledge, growth, shift, happier perception and experience; VFP = Mindful Photographic Process and other Photographic Practices for Peace, Relaxation and Full Being (creating of My Universe “Bubble”); PD = visual diaries; TP = therapeutic photography, therapeutic potential of photography; PS = Photographic Science; PV = photovoice; VOFRE = work on self-acceptance, self-kindness, self-compassion, humility and gratitude; ASVM = training and learning the art of seeing and visual awareness
~Support for creating of the photographic projects (Visual Storytelling, PhotoVoice, Photographic Reseach & Science)
~What is BEHIND your photos – what stories and feelings do the photographs tell (+ Photographer’s Eye & Seeing)
~ Support and facilitation in keeping of the photographic (visual) diary and its evaluation, evoked step-by-step visual diaries for self-healing and therapeutic purposes
WHO IS MY UNIVERSE PHOTOGRAPHY INTENDED FOR?
We are open to all; we also deal with specific groups, see below.
WHY SHOULD I COOPERATE WITH YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL?
We will guide you through a non-verbal visual language that is inherently more authentic and true than the verbal one. Photography represents a strong and deep form of communication enabling the connection of consciousness with the unconscious, they bring the possibility of exploring life stories as well as a conscious transcription of the perception of the here and now and the future. Photographs “say” things that words cannot and will not express and “tell” stories that you, or your client, do not know you know. We are developing a method of using photography to understand and process trauma (objectification, self-healing). “Reading” of the photographs requires knowledge and experience just like any other field, so thinking that I can use photographs in my practice without a deep knowledge of the field can lead to choosing the wrong procedures and drawing the wrong conclusions. Do you have clients for whom you need a permanent lifestyle change that would bring peace and joy into their lives? Do you have topics with your clients that you are unable to express using verbal language, move on? We are here for you. We offer you support and facilitation wherever verbal communication is insufficient or impossible.
SPECIFIC PROJECTS – PROGRAMS
We work with women with eating disorders as part of the BIRDS_OF_MIND program. We help people process traumatic life events as part of the KEEP YOUR INNER BUTTERFLY ALIVE project #terapiefotografii. More info in specific sections.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Contact us ~ schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
TEDx Prague Women 2023 Speaker "Take a picture of it! Photography is a tool for communicating with the mind."
“For me, photography is both a meditation and a visual capture of my perception of the present moment. Through photography, I create my own world in which I can get rid of everything that surrounds me in the present, that touches me from the past and from my the self, and connect with and understand my the self at the same time. Expectations disappear, comparisons and evaluations disappear, time runs differently, it slows down as if adapting to the natural rhythm of the heart, only a feeling of peace, joy and discovery remains. In the times of instant Instagram happiness and superficial values, photography for me represents returning to the deepness and truthfulness, as well as to the world as it is, as well as I would like it to be. Returning to the roots and origin where we accept each other as we are. Yes, I am scientist, yes, I am professional photographer, yes, I am woman, yes, I am mum, yes, I have many roles in life, but I am first and foremost human being who needs to develop the safe space and time for himself inside of himself in today´s world. The path towards this art and learning is visual language and photography.”
~ Ivana Dostálová, scientist and photographer
“Photography and visual language, in the way as I use them, are a tool for communicating with the mind on a neurobiological level that can, under defined conditions, constitute a form of bridge between subjective and physical reality.” – Ivana Dostálová
