You will also find similar exercises for stimulating the mental cinema in other religions. Hinduism, for example. is full of wonderfully fantastic imagery to help their followers visualize their place in the universe. Some, like certain Southeastern American Indians, found  that chewing a little peyote helped stir the mental cinema. I prefer the textual or visual stimulus myself.

Before I give you my adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, here are a few excerpts translated from the original Latin texts. (Let’s switch from the term “vantage point” to “point of view” again. Also, it is important to read the exercises as tools for developing stories ... you may find it useful to substitute names and positions from the modern world or from your particular culture and religion.)

Using an omniscient POV.

First Point. The first Point is, to see the various persons: and first those on the surface of the earth, in such variety, in dress as in actions: some white and others black; some in peace and others in war; some weeping and others laughing; some well, others ill; some being born and others dying, etc.

Ignatius here, and in other exercises, asks us to see the world as if we were looking through God’s eyes in Heaven; then he asks us to step back and look into Heaven:

To see and consider the Three Divine Persons, as on their royal throne or seat of Their Divine Majesty, how They look on all the surface and circuit of the earth, and all the people in such blindness, and how they are dying and going down to Hell.

He asks us to imagine what they think:

Second Point. The second, to hear what the persons on the face of the earth are saying, that is, how they are talking with one another, how they swear and blaspheme, etc.; and likewise what the Divine Persons are saying, that is: "Let Us work the redemption of the Human race," etc.; and then what the Angel and Our Lady are saying; and to reflect then so as to draw profit from their words.

He asks us to visualize the landscape:

Second Prelude. The second, a composition, seeing the place. It will be here to see with the sight of the imagination the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem; considering the length and the breadth, and whether such road is level or through valleys or over hills; likewise looking at the place or cave of the Nativity, how large, how small, how low, how  high, and how it was prepared.

Then, as a contrast, we are asked to lower ourselves to see our relationship to greater powers:

First Point. The first Point is to see the persons; that is, to see Our Lady and Joseph and the maid, and, after His Birth, the Child Jesus, I making myself a poor creature and a wretch of an unworthy slave, looking at them and serving them in their needs, with all possible respect and reverence, as if I found myself present; and then to reflect on myself in order to draw some profit.

Second Point. The second, to look, mark and contemplate what they are saying, and, reflecting on myself, to draw some profit.

Now we move to the five senses:

THE FIFTH CONTEMPLATION WILL BE TO BRING THE FIVE SENSES ON THE FIRST AND SECOND CONTEMPLATION

Prayer. After the Preparatory Prayer and the three Preludes, it is helpful to pass the five senses of the imagination through the first and second Contemplation, in the following way:

First Point. The first Point is to see the persons with the sight of the imagination, meditating and contemplating in particular the details about them and drawing some profit from the sight.

Second Point. The second, to hear with the hearing what they are, or might be, talking about and, reflecting on oneself, to draw some profit from it.

Third Point. The third, to smell and to taste with the smell and the taste the infinite fragrance and sweetness of the Divinity, of the soul, and of its virtues, and of all, according to the person who is being contemplated; reflecting on oneself and drawing profit from it.

Fourth Point. The fourth, to touch with the touch, as for instance, to embrace and kiss the places where such persons put their feet and sit, always seeing to my drawing profit from it.

And finally, the conflict between two standards:

MEDITATION ON TWO STANDARDS

The one of Christ, our Commander-in-chief and Lord; the other of Lucifer, mortal enemy of our human nature.

Prayer. The usual Preparatory Prayer.

First Prelude. The First Prelude is the narrative. It will be here how Christ calls and wants all under His standard; and Lucifer, on the contrary, under his.

Second Prelude. The second, a composition, seeing the place. It will be here to see a great field of all that region of Jerusalem, where the supreme Commander-in-chief of the good is Christ our Lord; another field in the region of Babylon, where the chief of the enemy is Lucifer.

Third Prelude. The third, to ask for what I want: and it will be here to ask for knowledge of the deceits of the bad chief and help to guard myself against them, and for knowledge of the true life which the supreme and true Captain shows and grace to imitate Him.

First Point. The first Point is to imagine as if the chief of all the enemy seated himself in that great field of Babylon, as in a great chair of fire and smoke, in shape horrible and terrifying.

Second Point. The second, to consider how he issues a summons to innumerable demons and how he scatters them, some to one city and others to another, and so through all the world, not omitting any provinces, places, states, nor any persons in particular.

Third Point. The third, to consider the discourse which he makes them, and how he tells them to cast out nets and chains; that they have first to tempt with a longing for riches -- as he is accustomed to do in most cases -- that men may more easily come to vain honor of the world, and then to vast pride. So that the first step shall be that of riches; the second, that of honor; the third, that of pride; and from these three steps he draws on to all the other vices.

So, on the contrary, one has to imagine as to the supreme and true Captain, Who is Christ our Lord.

First Point. The first Point is to consider how Christ our Lord puts Himself in a great field of that region of Jerusalem, in lowly place, beautiful and attractive.

Second Point. The second, to consider how the Lord of all the world chooses so many persons -- Apostles, Disciples, etc., -- and sends them through all the world spreading His sacred doctrine through all states and conditions of persons.

Third Point. The third, to consider the discourse which Christ our Lord makes to all His servants and friends whom He sends on this expedition, recommending them to want to help all, by bringing them first to the highest spiritual poverty, and -- if His Divine Majesty would be served and would want to choose them -- no less to actual poverty; the second is to be of contumely and contempt; because from these two things humility follows. So that there are to be three steps; the first, poverty against riches; the second, contumely or contempt against worldly honor; the third, humility against pride. And from these three steps let them induce to all the other virtues.

The techniques used to building spiritual strength, understanding and the power to visualize are also useful in creating truth or realism in fiction. We can also use this exercise to help us build effective hierarchies in our stories. To illustrate how the hierarchies and POV work together, I have created an imaginary scene in the 13th century. The idea is to take on the POV of everyone involved or witnessing the scene to determine who might have the most interesting POV to work with. Sometimes the best person to tell the story isn’t the most obvious. You may also find that a combination of POVs will present the message best. Each of the characters has a very unique POV clouded with personal agendas.
 

Writing Exercise

The setting is in the center of a town in the 13th century. There is a large crowd circled around the gallows pole at sunrise. Imagine how each of the following characters is feeling and thinking in a specific moment  ... two minutes before the bottom drops out. For each character, write one, two or three sentences describing how their POVs are different than the other characters.

the condemned man.
his wife.
his son
his daughter
his friend
his father
his mother
his brother
his sister
his enemy

someone watching from a great distance
someone close enough to see the sweat roll down the condemned man’s neck
the man next in line to be executed
the woman next in line to be executed

the executioner
the priest
the town drunk
the village idiot
the undertaker
a merchant
 

the king who condemned the man
the queen
the king’s mistress
the court fool

God

Alternative Writing Exercise:

Take some or all of the above characters and translate them into modern people and positions. You may move the scale down to include only people if you’d like. The scene doesn’t have to be an execution.  For example, it could center around someone about to be fired from a large company or the victim of a school prank.
 

To read the complete text of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, click here