85/15 Multisensory Imagery
Rehearse success vividly, then practice recovering from disruption
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
This imagery method creates a lifelike rehearsal of a future performance using sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste where relevant. The vividness matters because the brain can treat a sufficiently detailed imagined experience as plausible, building familiarity and reinforcing behavior patterns before the event. Gervais allocates roughly 85 percent of practice to smooth, successful execution so excellence feels accessible and normal. The remaining 15 percent introduces a trapdoor—a mistake, loss of control, or compromised situation—and rehearses finding a way back to success. That smaller dose prevents imagery from becoming brittle perfectionism. Start with three minutes, build toward eight, and use longer 15-to-20-minute sessions when pursuing a particularly clear goal. Regular rehearsal is more effective than cramming the night before.
Origin
Gervais uses imagery with world-class athletes and performers. He recommends the 85/15 ratio from practice rather than presenting it as a research-derived number.
Core principles
- 01Imagery uses all senses rather than sight alone
- 02Vivid rehearsal creates familiarity with excellence
- 03Most rehearsal should make successful execution feel natural
- 04A smaller share should train recovery from compromised situations
- 05Daily practice beats cramming before a big event
How to run it
- 1
Define the scene
Select one specific future performance and the behaviors that would make it successful.
Pro tip A crisp scene is easier to rehearse than a general ambition.
- 2
Build all five senses
Imagine what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste so the scene becomes as lifelike as possible.
Pro tip Emphasize the senses most relevant to the performance.
Watch out Do not reduce imagery to watching a distant mental movie.
- 3
Rehearse easy excellence
Use about 85 percent of the session to experience yourself executing successfully and naturally.
Pro tip Include constructive self-talk and embodied confidence.
- 4
Open the trapdoor
Use about 15 percent of the session to introduce a compromised situation, then imagine yourself solving it and returning to effective action.
Pro tip Choose a plausible disruption rather than a catastrophe.
Watch out Do not let failure rehearsal dominate the session.
- 5
Build a daily rhythm
Begin with three minutes, work toward eight, and extend only when a compelling target justifies deeper practice.
Pro tip Even 90 seconds maintains the skill between major goals.
Watch out Waiting until the night before turns rehearsal into cramming.
In the wild
A speaker imagines the lights, microphone, first slide, room temperature, and sound of her opening line. Most repetitions run smoothly; in one, the slides fail and she calmly continues from her outline before reconnecting the deck.
→ She builds familiarity with both excellent execution and recovery from a plausible disruption.
Common mistakes
Using vision alone
Visualization that omits the other senses is less lifelike. Add bodily feeling and environmental cues.
Rehearsing perfection only
Perfect scenes do not train recovery. Reserve a small portion for a realistic disruption and a successful response.
Cramming before the event
A last-minute marathon can damage sleep and leaves little time to build the skill. Practice briefly and regularly.
Is it for you?
Best for
Athletes, speakers, and leaders preparing for a specific high-stakes performance.
Not ideal for
Vague goals that cannot yet be translated into a concrete scene or behavior.
From the transcript
“really what we want to do is create as lifelike of an image as we possibly can so we're using all of our senses not…”
“85% of the time you're seeing a compelling future that is you being success uccessful in it”
“15% of the time is putting yourself in a compromised situation and working out success from that compromised situation”
From the episode
Dr. Michael Gervais: The High-Performance Mindset for Entrepreneurs
Dr. Michael Gervais