Mental Imagery: How Does Brain Control The Body

According to Gregoire (2014), former Olympic runner and gold medal-winning athlete Bruce Jenner once said, “You have to train your mind like you train your body.” Mental imagery is the use of perspective and senses to visualize an event (Cumming, 2016). Athletes, such as Bruce Jenner, use mental imagery training to prepare for events by envisioning the scene around them as well as their results.
Research
Moreover, my approach to research is to prove or disprove whether mental imagery will improve performance of running when using a short distance variable of a twenty meter sprint. When conducting this study, there are essential questions that must be addressed.
How does one use mental imagery?
How does the brain control the body?
Why does

Neuroscience is the study of the chemical composition and processes of the nervous system and the effects of chemicals on it, according to TheFreeDictionary.com (2013-2016). For example, endorphins are a neurochemical linked to the feeling of well-being and happiness often followed by encouragement, acupuncture, aerobic exercise, and more (Bergland, 2012). As a result, endorphins are responsible for runner’s high, the euphoria of running, and the feeling of “no pain” or one feeling “invincible” (Bergland, 2012). The level of imagery an individual has varys from person-to-person due to lack of concentration, embarrassment, or inability to translate the physical skill imagined (Mousavi & Meshkini, 2011). For instance, athletes with anxiety who often “psych themselves out” may imagine him or herself having higher levels of self confidence when using imagery (Mousavi & Meshkini, 2011). However,“...[T]he use of this imagery can be counterproductive for individuals who do not deal with cognitive state anxiety well as they will be unable to feel positive and image a believable positive outcome” (Mousavi & Meshkini, 2011)." However, there was no link found between imagery and self confidence (Mousavi & Meshkini, 2011). Anxiety is often genetic or caused by the environment a person is exposed to (Mercola, 2013). Similarly, a study conducted by Florida State University found people that the university had titled “maximizers” tend to be indecisive over decision making, big or small, and fret about their choices later (Second, 2011). In contrast, people which the university titled “satisficers" tend to make a decision easily living with the consequence (Second, 2011). With this being said, there is a chemical called GABA in the brain that can reduce anxiety (Bergland, 2012). GABA, also known as the anti-anxiety molecule, is a molecule that slows down the firing of neurons creating a sense of calmness