Active Imagination Uncovered

07.10.24

In this article, we’ll explore what active imagination is as developed by Carl Jung and 5 keys to stimulating the unconscious and entering the Active Imagination space.

First of all, how is Active Imagination different from traditional meditation methods?

The difference is in the “Active” part. While traditional meditation focuses on detaching from our thoughts and bodily sensations, Active Imagination has the goal of focusing on the unconscious images and dialogue with them.

It’s a dialectical procedure between the conscious ego and the unconscious perspective in which we strive to reach an agreement and find new solutions for our conflicts. The simplest way to understand is as if you’re engaging in a therapy session with yourself.

Following guided meditations or hypnotherapy isn’t Active Imagination either. First because they work through suggestion and not with spontaneous fantasies arising from the individual. Second, because you’re passively being guided during the whole process and aren’t confronting the unconscious material.

I dissected the whole process in my article How To Journal Like Carl Jung (Active Imagination Explained), and I received great feedback, however, many people reported having trouble starting Active Imagination in the first place, and that will be our focus today.

Psychic Images

First and foremost, it’s important to realize that imagery is just one means of expressing the unconscious as Carl Jung explains the psyche is structured around 4 functions: Thinking, Feeling, Sensation, and Intuition. In other words, a psychic image has four layers.

This means the unconscious can be manifested through various forms, such as inner dialogue and speech, creative endeavors such as painting or playing music, emotions and bodily sensations, and even dancing.

When fully immersed in Active Imagination, our whole body is engaged regardless of the tool we’re using. Sometimes I experience my whole body shaking, tensing, and relaxing when I’m writing because I allow myself to be fully taken by my emotions and affects.

Now, here are 5 keys to stimulate the unconscious:

1 – Focus

The first skill we have to develop to enter the Active Imagination space is being able to fully focus. The state we’re aiming to reach is a combination of being relaxed but alert.

The best tool I ever found to reach this state is Yoga Nidra. Instead of seeking to detach from your thoughts and sensations, this technique teaches you to be in your body and incredibly trains your focus.

Every Active Imagination session starts with focusing on the psychic images and this tool will help you tremendously.

To me, having sensation as an inferior function, the secret to opening the unconscious doors lies in fully being with the emotional charge and bodily sensations when utilizing the departure points I mentioned in the other article, such as:

• Affects (emotional reactions and “triggers”).
• Dream fragments.
• A genuine question.
• Spontaneous fantasies.
• A narrative or repeating pattern.

As you focus on it and allow yourself to be fully taken by the experience, you’ll notice yourself entering the Active Imagination space. As I mentioned, psychic images have four layers, which means it’s possible to start “seeing” images, maybe you’ll “hear” a few words, or you’ll simply experience a deep feeling and bodily sensations, and through writing you can “translate” the experience.

2 – Overcoming The Inner Critic

The number one thing that prevents the unconscious from being manifested is the inner critic, that nagging voice constantly judging everything that appears or berating us from being able to achieve our goals.

Regardless of your aptitude to “see” unconscious images, I think the easiest way to overcome this is through writing. You simply have to train yourself to write exactly what’s in your mind without any filter.

Just “talk” to the paper and don’t run away from your thoughts. If you think this is stupid, write about how stupid this is, it doesn’t matter. The goal is simply to bridge the gap between your mind and how fast you can write.

If your mind is blank, simply start writing a random story or dialogue, this might seem pointless but I promise you these “random ideas” can be connected to your experiences somehow.

This is simply a starting point, over time, you’ll notice yourself engaging in automatic writing and entering the flow state of Active Imagination.

3 – Safety Net

Another great obstacle to Active Imagination is fear of the unknown unconscious realm and being unable “to return”. The way I found to overcome this is by creating a safety net for myself.

You need to develop grounding practices, learn to emotionally regulate, and build healthy habits like going to the gym and having proper nutrition before attempting Active Imagination.

When you feel safe and know you can easily “come back to earth”, it’s easier to allow yourself to be fully taken by the affects. But especially in the beginning, please don’t underestimate how powerful the unconscious can be, as one of the dangers is psychosis.

4 – Flow

Flow is a modern term adopted by the Positive Psychology field that perfectly matches what Carl Jung calls numinous or religious experiences, and the flow state is the same one we enter during Active Imagination.

A great way to stimulate the unconscious is by engaging in other creative activities that promote flow and through lateralization, you can transport these skills to Active Imagination.

In other words, the more you enter into the flow state, the easier it is to enter this state regardless of the context. My favorite way is through music, but I also experience this state by writing and doing physical activities.

• Here’s a video on Flow

5 – Rituals

As Marie Von Franz states, the unconscious responds really well to rituals, both for starting and finishing, as it “invites the participation of inorganic matter”.

It can be something simple like preparing some tea, lighting a candle, or saying a few words. Robert Johnson shares an example of this guy who would put a special hat to start Active Imagination and take it off when he was finished.

Speaking of which, It’s important to choose a few special items too, like a proper notebook and pen you only use for this purpose.

The idea is to create an anchor by doing things always exactly in the same manner. Over time, as you start the ritual you’ll notice yourself easily entering the Active Imagination space, and finishing the ritual will help you return to normal life.

Integration

Lastly, Active Imagination is a tool to better live your life and not to escape to a fantastical world. If you find yourself detaching from reality, and losing interest in your life and your relationships, you should stop this immediately and focus on building your real life.

The individuation journey is a balance between the demands of the inner and outer world. However, it’s in the external world that we must apply our insights. Our life is the canvas to concretize our personal myth.

• Now, I’ll refer you once again to my last article in which I explain what to do once you reach this state and have a proper dialogue with the unconscious.

Finally, you can find a step-by-step to integrate the shadow, unlock the flow state, and perform Active Imagination in my accessible course Active Imagination Deciphered.

Rafael Krüger – Live an Audacious Life

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

• Katabasis – The Shadow Integration Manual – My best-selling and accessible course will introduce you to all you need to know to disrupt the unconscious patterns keeping you stuck. Join over 100 students.
• Audacity University – My flagship course contains a  4-year psychology curriculum and gives you access to the Audacity Inner Circle and live meetings.
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