Active Imagination

I have had a creative imagination as far back as I can remember, I would make up stories to put me to sleep at night. The problem was I could never get them out of my brain onto paper or tell about about them. I also have had some vivid dreams that were full of color, sounds and feelings. These two parts of our brain is the conscious and sub-conscious.

From different readings and such over the years, I have learned that the sub-conscious holds a lot of information that many times the conscious has no clue about. Some people have blanks in their past and then start having nightmares as the sub-conscious is trying hard to tell us things that if feels that it is time for us to know. A lot of times these things are not easy to live through again for that was why we have the blanks.

Though we might be afraid of what the sub-conscious knows, it is best if we open the door or damn and let the thoughts and feeling through for a number of reasons. We have prejudices and rules learned when we were young that do not fit to who we are or do not fit with any way of life. The thoughts and ideas from the sub-conscious can easily flood us and overwhelm us if not meeting it half way to help smooth the path of what it wants to tell us. It does not want to hurt us with nightmare and stormy feelings, but it just trying to tell you what is going on.

Some one of the ways that your sub-conscious tries to tell you what it wants you to remember is through dreams or odd behaviors that leave you wondering why you feel that way. Another way, and one I know very well even though I might not know is through the body. The last few weeks I have been biting the side of my tongue while sleeping. I am holding a lot of tension and clamping my jaw down, waking with a sore jaw and my tongue swollen. I have no idea why I am stressing at this time, but I will have to take time and listen to what my body has to say, what my sub-conscious is trying to say and since they do not talk to me using words, I will have to learn to 'listen' in a different way.

So how can we do this besides waiting for a dream that could be days or weeks away. In Elaine's workbook she talks about doing active imagination and writing down what is happening. You must proceed with caution if you are not in therapy or counselling because of the intense feelings or reactions you might have.

First you must find a quiet, safe place to sit where you will not be interrupted. I do meditation so it helps to relax and do deep breathing. When you are ready, you can invite you sub-conscious to speak. This can be done in many ways, with a left off dream, a feeling or image that wants to speak, or the inner child that we need to learn to take care of. Once your invited 'subject' had spoken, you can talk to it, ask questions whatever it takes you as long as it is 50/50 and you are not guiding it. If you start to wonder, bring your attention back to your invited subject. Write down what is being said and what is happening.

There might be resistance, but do not judge what it is or how ordinary it might be. In time it could have a lot more to say as you react to it as a real subject.

After you are finished with the active imagination, it is important that you follow through and do what your sub-conscious has shared with you. This is important for this is why you are having the aches and pains or stress. This is what needs to be done so that you can have balance . It could be something as simple as writing a litter or making the phone call or something a lot bigger. But ignoring it will only have your body screaming at you and your body suffer under stress. I should know, I am under stress now and will have to have a sit-down with my sub-conscious and have a talk and find out what it wants me to know.