The purpose of this meditation is to travel inward and let your imagination freely interact with your unconscious.
We start by imagining ourselves digging deeper and deeper,
Or if you prefer,
You can picture descending a long spiral staircase until you are still conscious but able to fluidly engage with your unconscious material.
Carl Jung called this state of consciousness the active imagination,
Like a waking dream.
If it's more comfortable for you,
Especially if you're doing this for the first time,
You can bring with you a kind of imaginative sherpa,
A guide,
An escort,
A chaperone,
Such as a wise person,
A dog,
An animal,
But this is not necessary.
Jung also suggests that if during the active imagination someone from your real life appears to you,
That you kindly request that they change their appearance so that you understand that they are representing an energy within you and not the actual person in your life.
So we begin by assuming a comfortable posture,
Upright,
Regal,
Majestic,
With your spine erect and your heart open and also relaxed.
Begin with two or three full complete breaths at your own pace,
Just letting go of the old stale air in your lungs and gently close your eyes.
We're going to begin with a breathing exercise.
We're going to inhale for four,
Hold for four,
And exhale for eight.
If my pacing on this feels uncomfortable for you,
Just let my voice recede and do this at your own pace.
The idea is to be relaxed,
Receptive.
We'll repeat this cycle five times.
I'll count with you.
Inhale slowly,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold full,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale fully,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
Inhale slowly,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold full,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale fully,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
Inhale slowly,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold full,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale slowly,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
Inhale fully,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold full,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale slowly,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
Last cycle.
Inhale slowly,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold full,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale slowly,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
And then relax your breath into its own natural rhythm.
Not trying to control anything.
And now imagine a place where you would like to begin digging.
It could be a forest,
A basement,
A garden.
Any place that appeals to you to begin.
Imagine this place fully with all of your senses.
Look at the shovel that you've brought with you.
Feel its weight in your hands.
The texture of the handle,
The temperature.
And lift the shovel right where you are standing and plunge it into the ground.
And start tossing earth to the side.
Keep digging,
Smelling the earth or the sand or whatever it is.
Feeling the weight.
Noticing your progress.
Seeing the hole grow bigger.
Hearing the sound of the digging.
Any taste in the air,
Moisture or dryness.
The color and texture of the soil.
Dig until the tunnel is big enough for you to enter.
Noticing shapes,
Colors,
Sounds and smells.
Hearing your own footsteps as you descend.
Just keep going until eventually your shovel may hit something.
A rock,
A door,
An entryway.
If nothing appears,
Keep digging.
Keep descending.
Whatever does appear,
Engage with it.
Get curious about it.
If a door,
Push it open and an entirely new place may appear.
Whether a vast vista or an ocean or an additional underground space.
Whatever it is,
Just take in the new surroundings with a sense of wonder and awe.
Absorb its scope,
Its size,
Its smell,
Its color.
See if this is the destination that invites you right now or if you wish to continue descending deeper.
Whichever it is,
Keep engaging all of your senses.
Smelling,
Tasting,
Touching,
Listening.
Seeing shapes and colors.
Once you have arrived at some sort of bedrock or new vista or symbolic bottom,
Just notice everything around you.
Not compelling anything to appear,
Just waiting to see what does.
Waiting with great curiosity.
If something moves,
Follow it.
See where it leads you.
Let the scenario blossom spontaneously while you simply observe.
If you encounter another being,
You might ask a question to see what happens.
Whether an animal or a tree or a stone or a being,
You might ask who they are,
Why they're here.
What you can learn from them.
No need to force any answers.
The answer may be silence.
The answer may simply be present with the image.
Simply letting the image work on you.
Wash over you.
Be radically present to whatever is there.
If at any time you feel overwhelmed,
Simply call your guide,
Your sherpa,
Your counsel to be by your side.
Remembering that this is your imagination and at any moment you may ascend as you wish.
I'll leave you in silence now for about 10 minutes and then I'll give you a signal to begin ascending again.
Take your time,
Explore,
Be present.
Whatever appears,
Accept it.
If it moves,
Follow it.
Enjoy your journey.
God Bless.
And now closing the scene you are in,
Thanking whoever or whatever has appeared.
Holding it in your heart,
Whether understood or not.
The meaning may unfold for you in the hours and days to come.
In beginning your ascent at your own pace,
By the same tunnel or by rope or ladder or flight,
Whatever you choose,
Rising back up to the surface of your life,
Your everyday life.
Once you are again fully in the waking state,
Take a moment to write down what you saw,
Regarding any beings that you interacted with,
Writing down both sides of the dialogue,
Including any mysteries,
Any details you might like to further explore.
If nothing particularly happened for you today,
It's okay.
In Carl Jung's view,
If you do this practice consistently for 20 or 30 days,
It's likely that you will begin to notice a fairly consistent setting and cast of characters.
Still mercurial,
Still changing,
But with more stability than a dream.
And that over time,
These characters and this setting can speak to you and offer you your own wisdom.
So thank yourself now for this opportunity to be with this deeper hidden part of you.
And knowing that you can return here whenever you wish.
Thank you,
Everyone.
You You
