A short imaginal exercise to demonstrate detached mindfulness. The client closes their eyes, creates an image of a tiger and observes it without intervening. This shows that images and thoughts exist on their own and change without conscious management.
Step-by-step guide
- "Close your eyes and imagine a tiger"
- "Do not control the image — just observe what the tiger is doing"
- A pause of 1–2 minutes without instructions
- "What was happening? Did the tiger move? Did it change?"
- Discussion: "You saw that the image lives its own life — so do thoughts"
When to use
- When introducing DM (sessions 2–4), when it is hard for the client to grasp the concept of detachment
- As a quick demonstration before moving on to DM practice
Key phrases
Notice: the tiger exists without your effort. You are only the observer
Follow-up questions
Your thoughts are like this tiger. They do not require your management in order to exist
Did you see the tiger or were you the tiger?
Alternative phrasings
Just observe what is happening with the image — do not direct it
Warnings
- ⚠️ If the client becomes anxious about the content of the image (the tiger threatens them) — use this as an occasion to discuss meta-awareness, not the content
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.