Welcome to this guided session in imaginative inner work.
This is the second meditation in this series,
Which has been inspired by Carl Jung's method of active imagination.
In this kind of practice,
The invitation is to remain relaxed and receptive,
Yet awake and aware.
You are not drifting into sleep or trying to visualize anything specific.
Instead,
You enter into conscious relationship with what is already alive within you,
Beneath the surface.
It's a state of awareness where you become conscious within your unconscious mind,
And where symbols,
Sensations,
Figures,
And landscapes may begin to arise and move of their own accord.
Before we begin,
Please make sure you're in a quiet,
Comfortable place where you won't be disturbed.
You may sit upright or lie down,
Whatever helps your body feel supported while staying awake.
If you are new to this practice or feeling uncertain,
You might bring a guide with you for support.
This can be a person or an animal that brings a sense of steadiness or protection.
There is no right or wrong way for that to appear.
Please also know that you can leave this imaginative space at any time.
You can ask your guide to provide an exit,
Or simply leave the way you came in.
Once you are at the threshold of your imagination,
I will step back for about ten minutes.
Ten minutes allows for a deep,
Immersive experience without becoming overwhelming,
And short enough that you can recall what happened with clarity.
During that time,
All you need to do is stay present with what appears.
Be patient if nothing happens at first,
Then let what you do see come closer.
If something moves,
Follow it to see where it goes.
If a figure appears,
You may wish to ask who they are and what they represent.
Be in dialogue and relationship with the whole experience.
You may encounter parts of yourself that are unfamiliar,
Beautiful,
Strange,
Or intense.
All of it is valid.
It's all part of you.
Jung believed it was essential to document what arises in this imaginal state.
You can write,
Draw,
Speak aloud,
Or create something from it in order to give form to the experience and deepen your relationship with it.
This inner landscape is alive,
And it often reveals what cannot be found through logic alone.
Let's begin.
Please close your eyes if you haven't already.
Take a slow breath in,
And let it go.
Let your body begin to settle.
Soften your shoulders.
Relax your eyes,
Your jaw,
Your face.
Hands are resting gently.
Begin turning your attention inward.
As if turning down the volume on the outside world.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Allow everything in your mind and body to settle,
To soften,
To arrive.
Now,
Imagine you are standing at the start of a quiet hallway.
The air feels still here,
Like something important is waiting.
See the hallway clearly in your mind.
The walls.
The floor.
The way the light filters in.
Feel your feet standing on the floor.
Notice any sounds,
Smells,
And the temperature of the space.
Now begin to walk.
Each step takes you deeper inward,
Away from thought,
Toward something older and deeper.
Colder.
Quieter.
More mysterious.
At the end of the hallway,
There is a door.
You've seen it before,
Maybe in dreams,
Or maybe for the first time now.
You feel a quiet sense of receptivity.
Whatever is behind this door is part of you.
When you're ready,
Reach for the handle.
Open the door and step through.
You are now in the space of your imagination.
Let the air shift.
Let your senses open.
And allow the experience to unfold.
It's time to begin your return.
Bring a gentle close to the scene that you're in.
Offer a moment of acknowledgement to whatever or whoever appeared.
Now begin your return,
Perhaps back through the door and down the hallway,
Or in whatever way feels natural to you.
Arriving back in the room.
Back in your body.
Take a long,
Slow breath in,
And a long,
Slow breath out.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Stretch in any way that feels good.
And gently open your eyes when you're ready.
Take a few minutes now to record your experience,
In writing,
Voice,
Or image.
What you witnessed may not make sense right away,
And that's okay.
Over time,
This practice can become a living conversation between you and the deep intelligence within.
Thank you for being here.
Be well.
