ɪn ɡˈaɪdᵻd ˈɪmɪdʒɹi, ɐ tɹˈeɪnd pɹæktˈɪʃənɚ ɔːɹ tˈiːtʃɚ hˈɛlps ɐ pɑːɹtˈɪsɪpənt ɔːɹ pˈeɪʃənt tʊ ɪvˈoʊk ænd dʒˈɛnɚɹˌeɪt mˈɛntəl ˈɪmɪdʒᵻz ðæt sˈɪmjʊlˌeɪt ɔːɹ ɹˌiːkɹiːˈeɪt ðə sˈɛnsɚɹi pɚsˈɛpʃən ʌv sˈaɪts, sˈaʊndz, tˈeɪsts, smˈɛlz, mˈuːvmənts, ænd tˈʌtʃ, æz wˈɛl æz ɪmˈædʒɪnətˌɪv ɔːɹ mˈɛntəl kˈɑːntɛnt ðætðə pɑːɹtˈɪsᵻpˌeɪɾɪŋ sˈʌbdʒɛkt ɛkspˈiəɹɪənsᵻz æz dᵻfˈaɪɪŋ kənvˈɛnʃənəl sˈɛnsɚɹi kˈæɾɪɡɚɹiz.
In guided imagery, a trained practitioner or teacher helps a participant or patient to evoke and generate mental images that simulate or re-create the sensory perception of sights, sounds, tastes, smells, movements, and touch, as well as imaginative or mental content that the participating subject experiences as defying conventional sensory categories.