Development of selfobject images I've been chewing on it and think the best thing is the "emotional preparation" used in the Meisner techniques of acting. Images that really activate the real self are very personal and archaic and could be embarrassing. It would not work if I were to give you one as a guru [3], and if were to have you describe them as a guru you I would be inclined to judge them and you'd be inclined to be dishonest because you'd be afraid of being judged.

In the case of Meisner you go into the repetition exercise having done an emotional prep and your "guru" observes how it affects your behavior and can tell you "that was amazing, that really worked for you" or "that fell flat" and the one thing they'll tell you is that you have to imagine something rather than recall an experience. You aren't expected to talk about what you used, you're getting feedback about the effects.

The other thing I want to suggest is the Bandler/Grinder kind of content-free exercise where you are told to evoke an image but not expected to describe it, I think that's less effective than the Meisner training because it is presented as something you can do out of a book or in a large group and you don't have the closed loop that monitors behavior and physiology.