MANILA -- Vision board is a collection of images and affirmations of someone's goals and dreams. Cork boards are usually used as the blank canvas then filled with images like photographs and magazine cutouts; inspirational quotes; and other significant objects, meaningful to the owner.

Basically, the idea of a vision board is to inspire and motivate the owner. In Philosophy, it is intended to use the Law of Attraction to attain goals and dreams. Simply put, by creating positive thoughts, it would bring positive results as well.

But does it really work?

According to vision board coach Trixie Esguerra, vision board is actually backed up by science.

“There is this thing that we call Reticular Activating System (RAS), it's a part of your brain that filters out all the information you receive. Imagine if there's no RES that filters out information, it's going to be information overload,” Esguerra said.

“The vision board makes you understand and reminds you, kahit busy ka, kahit ang dami mong distractions, eto 'yung goal mo, eto 'yung importante sa'yo. The reason why you look at your vision board every day, is for your subconscious to actually understand eto yung gusto mo. So when an opportunity presents itself to you, you will be able to see if you're going to take it or not,” she continued.

A Behavioral Sciences graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman, Esguerra has been conducting vision board parties across the world like the US, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Tanzania. She is also a certified Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner under the American Union of NLP.

She recently held a workshop with Filipina women at the Neutrogena x Belle de Jour (BDJ) event at Happy Dream Cafe in Makati City.

As for the effectiveness of vision boards, Esguerra shared her personal experience. One of the items on one of her vision boards is a photo of an African safari. Her goal was to go on a safari trip within the next few years but an opportunity came in 2016 when she was invited as a speaker in Tanzania. She was able to fulfill that African safari dream earlier than expected.

She said that it's important to have a physical vision board that one can see every day. Although digital vision boards are available, for her, something made by hand is much more personal.

Esguerra advised during the workshop that always put one's photograph in the middle of the board and arrange the images and objects according to how you read a book (left to right). Post that board in an area of the room that is highly visible like the door, for instance.

“Others would say, yeah, it's in my head. I could consider that as a vision, lahat tayo meron but it's different when you actually create it because you're sending the energy right there. What they always forget is the feeling that comes while doing it. More knowing the right picture, knowing your mantra in life, it's how do you feel about every picture. Kasi you're sending out vibrations, your sending out positive energy,” Esguerra said.