INFJ Personality Type - Active Imagination

In this exercise, you'll engage with the four main functions of the INFJ personality type through active imagination. You'll meet the Seer (introverted intuition), the Caregiver (extraverted feeling), the Sage (introverted thinking), and the Tactician (extraverted sensing) in symbolic form, allowing for direct dialogue with different aspects of your mind.
You can do this exercise whether or not you are an INFJ, if you wish to understand and work with the INFJ mind.
This exercise uses active imagination, a technique developed by Carl Jung for engaging directly with unconscious contents, facilitating genuine psychological transformation.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Make It Conscious and this guided active imagination exercise for the INFJ personality type. So here we're going to be using a technique which Carl Jung coined Active Imagination. This is a very direct method for connecting with your unconscious mind. And so in this exercise, We're going to be using it to meet with the various aspects of your personality in symbolic form. Now, As an INFJ, Just like all other types, You have a certain set of preferences about the ways in which you perceive information and make decisions. And these are known as your cognitive functions. You have four of them, Or at least four main ones. And these are what we're going to be using as the various seeds or sources of inspiration for this exercise today. In brief, Your first or what's known as your dominant function is what I've nicknamed the seer or technically known as introverted intuition. So this is really an inner knowing, It's unconscious perception, It's a very mysterious function. What it allows you to do as an INFJ is understand deeper meaning beneath surface appearances and where things situations or even individuals I'd like you to go over time. So just briefly then, The second function is what's known as the caregiver or technically extroverted feeling. So the caregiver is very concerned with what allows people to get their needs met in the outer world. It's concerned with the emotional states of the people around it, And it makes decisions on that basis. Your third or tertiary function is known as the sage or introverted thinking, And this is very concerned with logical correctness and accuracy. And lastly, Your fourth, Or inferior function, Is what I've nicknamed the tactician, Technically known as extroverted sensing. So this is not only your inferior function, So it's the least developed, But it's also the opposite to that seer function, Because the tactician is very concerned with immediate sensory experience, What is happening right now in actualized reality. Less concerned with the meaning, More concerned with the actuality. So with that said. . . I'm just going to begin the exercise here, So. . . Just making sure you are comfortable. You can do this exercise seated. Or lying down. And closing your eyes. So going to begin just with some conventional meditation here. Just to allow the mind to settle. So just bring your attention to the breath. Wherever you happen to feed us. Whether it's the sensation of the air moving through the nostrils. Or the rise and fall of the chest. Or abdomen. And if at any point during this exercise. You get distracted. Simply bring the attention back. To whatever it is you're doing. And now. Going to bring the mines. Into the imagination. And begin by imagining yourself in a space. Where you and your four functions can convene. Something like a meeting room or boardroom often works well for this. It can be indoors, Outdoors. You can try just allowing your mind to show you what it needs by way of a space. So once you've got this space in your mind, Just becoming familiar with it. And next. One by one. You're going to invite these functions to appear in symbolic form. Starting with the seer. Simply invite them in. Seers can be insightful. Visionary. Perceptive. But they can also be impractical. Aloof. Or even paranoid. And remember, The C is your dominant function. You are already conscious of much of it. The water peers might represent aspects that you yourself aren't yet conscious of. So next, Just invite your caregiver function to appear. Caregivers can be nurturing. Diplomatic Considerates. But they can also be manipulative. Smothering. Or even people pleasing. So again, Just watch as your caregiver enters the space. Just take a moment to observe it. And notice its behavior. And thirdly, Invite your sage to appear. Sages can be analytical, Precise. Interested in truth. However, They can also be critical. Detached. Condescending. Just see if you can stay with the very first image that appears. No matter whether it seems. . . Strange. Bizarre. Or even obvious. And lastly then. Invite your tactician to appear. This is your Least Develops function. In their light form, Tacticians can be practical, Adaptable, And grounded. But when undeveloped or misused they can also be reckless, Impulsive and superficial. As your inferior function. There might be even more temptation to change what appears here, Or an aversion to what does. Again, Just see if you can stay with the very first image that appears. And now. . . With all four of these functions. Together in the space with you. Just notice how they appear together. Are there any obvious dynamics between them? And next. Notice if any one function seems keen to speak. You might even ask the room. Is there anyone here who wishes to speak? There may well be multiple functions. That wish to say something. But just allow one for now to take the floor. And give it the opportunity. To say what it has to say. It might not only speak, But also move. Or do something. See if you can give it complete freedom. To do whatever it needs to do. Without trying to control it. As long as it doesn't violate you in some way. You have to honour your own freedom in this too. But otherwise just allow this image. To express itself completely freely. Hear what it has to say. And watch what it does. And next. It's your turn now to respond. And engage in a two-way dialogue. With this function. There's no predetermined way that this should go. But just see if you can understand where it's coming from. What its needs are. And what you can do to continue developing it. And as part of this, You can most certainly express your own needs. Concerns. Or challenges. What you think and feel in this situation is also important and needs to be heard. So take the next minute or two. To engage now in this two-way interaction with this function. So. . . As this interaction draws to a close. No worries if it feels incomplete. For now, Just. . . Address this function and the rest of the room. Let them know it's time to leave. And just allowing the scene to fade. Bringing your attention back now. Into the space around you. Noticing sounds and sensations. And opening your eyes again in your own time. So well done to completing this exercise. You've just performed the technique of active imagination. And this is one of the most direct ways that I know of to help understand your own mind and to work with your unconscious. Understanding your conflicts, Your strengths, Your shadows. But for now, I'll thank you for your time and attention. And look forward to seeing you in a future exercise.