A descriptive study of the interactive guided imagery experience.

The purpose of this Study was to describe the experience of participating in Interactive Guided Imagery (IGI) from the perspective of clients. A qualitative descriptive design guided the research. Ten clients who had engaged in IGI, each with an R.N., IGI-certified practitioner, composed the sample. To explore participants' perceptions of their IGI experience, data were gathered through semistructured, in-depth interviews. Data analysis was carried out through data coding, categorizing, and subcategorizing; thematic synthesis; and structuring of relationships. Six primary themes emerged to compose the description of the experience of participating in IGI: the client's lived experience, use of a nonordinary state of consciousness, the guide, the guide-client relationship, influencing factors, and the results of IGI use. Based on the primary themes and their interrelationships, a model of the IGI experience was developed. The description and the model of the IGI experience provide the basis for further nursing knowledge development of the IGI modality.