Active Imagination: Jung's technique to communicate with the unconscious. Presented by PlanetShifter.com Magazine

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Active Imagination: Jung's technique to communicate with the unconscious. Presented by PlanetShifter.com Magazine

Carl Jung developed the technique of Active Imagination as a tool for Personal Development.

Active Imagination enables people to communicate with their unconscious. One of the distinct aspects of this technique is that it alternates between simply being receptive to the unconscious, and react to the unconscious with conscious intent.

(This method, like other methods of communicating with the unconscious, is not for people who are psychologically unstable with difficulty separating fantasy from reality.)

Attitude

When you approach hidden parts of yourself, do so with respect. This doesn't mean that you abandon your sense of humor, but you need to value the intelligence of your hidden self, and be prepared to act on vital information.

Great teachers often use laughter to break us out of our routines, and see how ridiculous some of our behavior us. Don't take yourself too seriously, as you explore.

But don't treat the search for knowledge from your inner self as a joke. It's one of the most profound journeys you can take.

There are two approaches in Active Imagination: Visual and Verbal.

Visual

Close your eyes. Use some powerful image as a starting point. It could be a scene from a haunting dream, or a photograph that you're drawn to.

Get the scene as clear as you can. Then follow your unconscious as it changes the image. One of the clear signs that the unconscious mind is at work is that things change. Dreams always have subtle changes in the environment from moment to moment. In our conscious reality, people don't suddenly change in age, size, etc.

Let the scene change. That's how your unconscious will "speak" to you. As you continue to let the scene change, imagine yourself speaking with the characters who appear before you, and listen or "look" for their answers.

Verbal

Start a dialogue with a person or object who you feel might help you.
Talk out loud, write down the dialogue, or imagine it inside of your head - whichever lets you connect the best with your unconscious. After the unconscious "speaks" to you, then think consciously about what was said and respond.

Then relax your mind, re-establish the unconscious flow, and listen again.

Write It Down

The information you receive from your unconscious may become clearer to you at a later time. Be sure to record your sessions in some kind of journal for later review.

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