Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Author Topic: Active Imagination  (Read 6533 times)

begeegs

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
    • View Profile
Active Imagination
« on: August 31, 2015, 06:36:20 PM »
Hi All

I recently have started in with Active Imagination. I have put things together piece-meal from various books, websites (including this one), but still really had a very hard time understanding the actual procedure. The concept makes a lot of sense, but when it comes to the actual application, I found that a lot of sources really lacked.

From what I have gathered, it is necessary to empty to conscious (ego) mind as in a meditation. Once one gets into this state, you can go into a couple of directions as hypnagogic images will start to arise. This is usually when I will begin to start a visualization going into an inner house from here which is located (in the minds eye) on a seafront. 

When the images come up is when I start to have issues. I have read that it is necessary to go with the images, but in others, it is necessary to discard things that may not necessarily mesh with the purpose of the meditation. So I carried on until images would start to be similar to the landscape/setting that I was actually in. Which is the correct way? I suppose that the answer is probably be that it depends on what it is that I want to do.

The next issue would be if I try to engage the images with the conscious mind, it will pull me out of the hypnagogia completely and then I would need to relax back in again. If I were to let the images overwhelm, I probably would sleep. Are there methods which I am missing in this regard or is this indeed the way to practice Active Imagination?

Many thanks

Keith

Tony Crisp

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3419
    • View Profile
    • Dreamhawk.com
Re: Active Imagination
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2015, 09:02:32 AM »
Keith - I have an impression from your description that you are entering active imagination but, here I am guessing, that you do not understand how it really functions - or need to practice other methods first.

In any case I suggest reading http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/what-we-need-to-remember-about-us-3/#Levels

It sounds that what happens - This is usually when I will begin to start a visualization going into an inner house from here which is located (in the minds eye) on a seafront -is that you are in the mythic or dream image level.

If that is so I recommend using several techniques until you can easily move beyond the imagery level - http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-on-your-dream/#BeingPerson - http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/lifes-little-secrets/#Seahttp://dreamhawk.com/inner-life/water-wonderland/

Tell me how you get on with these and we can move on unless you are now fully involved.

Tony

begeegs

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
    • View Profile
Re: Active Imagination
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2015, 01:47:57 PM »
Hi Tony

Many thanks for the pointers.

I get the idea now. I was thinking that it was something to do with the hypnagogic images, but now it looks as though it is almost like a form of method acting, albeit minus the physical acting.

I will give this a go, but how are people actually getting these other visuals with this format? It looks as thought the images are getting a life of their own and that the unconscious pours into the vessel created, but how?

Many thanks

Tony Crisp

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3419
    • View Profile
    • Dreamhawk.com
Re: Active Imagination
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2015, 09:25:03 AM »
Begeegs - I don't feel it has to do with method acting - it is about letting go of acting anything out and opening to another part of you that can take over.

In life and sleep we have two powerful actions working in us. The first is our waking experience based on having a body, its limitations, vulnerabilities and a particular gender. Our second is the power that gave us life and continues to express as dreams, in our breathing and heartbeat – our life. This I have given the description as the Life Will.

While we sleep our conscious self is largely or totally unconscious, and while we sleep our voluntary muscles are paralysed – therefore another will or motivating force moves our body. So we have a Conscious Will, and what I will call a Life Will. The first one we have experience of as we can move our arm or speak in everyday activities; but the second will takes over when we sleep. See Sleep Paralysis

This Life will can move us to speak, to move our body, and in fact do things that we cannot do with our Conscious Will. As Freud pointed out this inner will has full access to our memories. It can do so many other things that are described else where – See Edgar Cayce and the Cosmic Mind; ESP in Dreams.

For simplicity I have called this experience, of what is actually waking lucid dreaming, ‘LifeStream’. It would take us too far out of looking at dreams to explore it, but it can be studied within these features: LifeStream-People’s Experience of LifeStream- Life’s Little Secrets - Arm Circling Meditation

This Life Will we can learn to allow - See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/the-waking-lucid-dream/

Tony