Working with dreams often forms a primary part of Jung Hyun analysis and can play a pivotal role in anyone's investigation into themselves.
Dreams often form a compensatory role to our conscious attitude and can provide great insights into the nature of our minds and the direction of our lives,
Where we might be going off track,
Where we might be having conflict with ourselves and the world around us.
So Carl Jung actually recommended using dreams as the seed for active imagination.
Now there are many seeds that can be used,
But certainly working with dreams,
Given the emotional charge that often accompanies them and the direct reflection of the dynamics of our minds,
Can be a particularly useful entry point into active imagination.
So before we begin this exercise,
Just have in mind a dream that you would like to work with.
It can be a recent dream or from a very long time ago.
Either way,
I suggest choosing one that feels unresolved or that carried a particularly high emotional charge.
So when you're ready,
Just taking a position.
I recommend doing this exercise either seated or lying down.
Close your eyes.
Just begin by taking a couple of deep breaths.
It's a good idea to start each act of imagination just with some basic meditation.
So just bringing your attention to the sensation of the breath,
Breathing normally.
And just hold your attention there.
Each time the mind wanders,
Just bring it back to the exercise.
Doing this just helps to clear out the mind a little.
So take the next minutes or so just to keep your attention on the breath.
And if and when the mind wanders,
Just bring it back to that raw sensation of breathing.
And now,
Just imagine yourself being transported back to the dream scene.
And find yourself right where you were in the dream.
First,
Take in the details of the environments around you.
No need to engage with it at this stage.
Just observe it.
Including any objects,
Symbols that appear,
Or any people.
No need to try and control anything.
If it's moving or static,
Just let it be.
The only exception would be that if there are any malevolent forces in this space,
They do not allow it to harm you.
And at the same time,
Do not harm it.
And now choose a single dream image to work with.
I suggest you choose whichever one you feel would be most beneficial to understand.
Or whichever one you feel the most resistance or aversion to.
And now engage in an interaction with this dream image.
Whether it's a person,
Creature,
Or an object,
Or the setting itself.
You might ask it questions,
Or interact physically.
Try asking the image,
What is it you are trying to tell me?
What is it that I need to see or face?
What do you represent about my own mind?
Having asked these questions,
And taking notes of any responses,
We're now going to engage in a free-form interaction with this image.
This is your opportunity to ask any further questions,
To deepen a relationship with something.
Or to reconcile where there might be any tension or conflict between you.
Again,
You can converse or interact or just simply spend some time with this image and observe how it behaves.
So take the next minute or two to engage in this free-form interaction.
So as this interaction draws to a close,
Take a moment just to resolve anything else that needs to be resolved with this image.
If that doesn't feel possible right now,
That's okay.
You might need to do this exercise multiple times to fully process the feelings of this dream and to fully integrate its insights.
So saying goodbye to the dream space for now.
And allowing the scene to fade.
It can be a good idea to journal this experience after the exercise and continue to reflect on it over the coming days and weeks.
So just bringing your attention back to the physical space around you now.
Noticing whatever you happen to notice.
Whether it's sounds,
Sensations,
Taking a deep breath and opening your eyes again in your own time.
