How the process of Active Imagination Understood Jung

Introduction

Since Jung himself said that there are no rules to understand Active Imagination, that there are just “facts” (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 21) that manifest themselves, one could ask, how did the practice of Active Imagination understand Jung? Jung is quoted saying that though Active Imagination was a scientific experiment to him, on the contrary, an experiment could just as well have been conducted on him (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 26) by the unconscious. When one meets a figure from the unconscious, one must treat these phenomenal figures as one treats meeting a person in real life or a group of people (Psychological Perspectives, p. 220). Jung treated these figures as real entities (Psychological Perspectives, p. 210), as they served as a mediatory function between human reason and the divine being (Psychological Perspectives, p. 213). Let me expand on this notion further.

The Inner Guru and the Ego’s Threshold

In a conversation with an Indian man, Jung was delighted to hear that he had an inner guru (Shankara). This was the first inkling of Jung’s future theoretical and psychological construct of the master concept in the psyche that he called the “Self.” In this way, one does not need to be dependent on the mercy of an outer guru (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 30-31), but rather through dreams and Active Imagination, one could find their inner guru—the spirit of the depths, which is different from the spirit of the times that the outer guru may be enforcing. During his journey through the Liber Novus and Septem Sermones ad Mortuos, Jung’s psychagogue or inner guru, Philemon (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 30-31), came to meet him, to understand him, to develop him, to enable, advise, and guide Jung to generate one of the greatest psychological opuses of all time. From this encounter with Jung’s inner guru, Philemon, he was given the prima materia that would birth the theory we know today as Jungian psychology.

Archetypes and the Field of Awareness

Now, how does an inner guru or other figures enter the field of awareness of the “I,” the center of consciousness Jungians call the ego, when engaging in Active Imagination? Furthermore, what are they? We’ll start with the latter. These figures are part of the theory we know as the “archetypes.” More precisely, they are archetypal images that come forth from an unknown center, which Jung termed the Self. In discussing the former, though it is called “Active” Imagination, it is a passive process (Aims of Psychotherapy, p. 92) of sinking down, allowing images of the archetypes to surface. The active part is engaging in dialogue with the figures of the unconscious that come to meet you in your awareness, leading you to the “one,” the monad, the Self. Though the center is unknown, it is our task to attempt to know it. Often, images of the center appear in the form of a mandala, representing the microcosmic nature and world of the psyche (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 38), depicting our potential for wholeness and psychic totality.

The Ego’s Defense Mechanisms

In Jung’s theory, psychological contents allowed in our awareness must have a high energetic value for the ego (the “I”) to accept a figure like Philemon into its psychic sphere. The “I” will defend itself to keep harmful content out that could potentially fragment the ego and its disposition. The ego says, “I am not that,” as did Jung when speaking in Liber Novus with the archetype of the Anima, who tells him he is doing art. He replies, “I am not doing art!” The “I” or ego of Jung is defending its position and arguing with the figures, showing the tension between the conscious and the unconscious.

To have a more agreeable encounter with these figures, one must let the ego relax. Lower the intensity of the light in consciousness, let it dim, and have the “I” sink down into the depths, into Hades, into the world of the archetypes, which lie beneath the threshold (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 26). This is why Jung recommended adopting the Taoist philosophy of “Wu Wei,” the art of “letting things happen.” This means allowing whatever content, emotions, and images that surface to come up into consciousness, even if they are disagreeable. This task is not easy, as one should consider crafting a sacred or safe space for the content to emerge (Psychological Perspectives, p. 214). Jung himself admitted that he would use yogic practices (likely pranayama, such as nadi shodhana or alternate nostril breathing) to calm himself from disturbing and disorienting emotions. The practice of yoga and pranayama creates a temenos for incubating and inviting images. Today, some therapists employ breathing techniques to help patients relax and become more open and receptive to whatever manifests.

Emotions as Gateways

Continuing with the theme of emotions, they are the doorway to enter into the realm of Active Imagination. Jung says that images are concealed within the emotions and, to the extent that he could translate these emotions into images (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 26)—taking the numinosity of the invisible archetypal energy and giving light and shape to its darkness—he could calm down. He realized he didn’t need to feel these disagreeable emotions anymore (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 32). He didn’t want the complexes (which form on top of the archetypes) to grip him. He needed a way to loosen the grip of the stern hand of the unconscious, and like Michelangelo liberating the figure from the stone, Jung liberated the emotion by way of the image.

Elaborating on this idea of emotions concealing images through the Ayurvedic element and constitutional theory, this thinking suggests that three main elements (water, fire, and air) always co-mingle within a body/container (earth) in the realm of space (ether). We may relate the emotions to the element of water, the state we find ourselves in. The images relate to the element of fire, as they are self-luminous and carriers of consciousness. Air, the life principle, through the interaction and communication between emotion and image, brings new vitality, inspiration, and relief to the individual. By revealing the concealed image through Active Imagination in psychic space (the ether of the unconscious), we have a psychosomatic effect on the body that releases energy and provides a healing effect.

Unity and Integration

One can bring these elements together, as Jung did, by writing down fantasies or drawing pictures, bringing the unconscious into tangible forms and personifying the archetypes (Jung on Active Imagination, p. 32). This helps to depower the unconscious neurotic effects they have on the individual, which Jung later described as complexes possessing us rather than us having complexes.

Importantly, Jung’s patients did the work; he did not carry the load for them. Just as he carried his own load, his own cross, when he journeyed to hell in Liber Novus. Jung became an individual through Active Imagination. By going through it himself, he helped others to stitch their lesions in their psyche, weaving themselves into becoming undivided individuals. Thus, the concept of “Individuation” came to be.

The Role of Archetypal Images

To conclude, it is the practice of Active Imagination that understood Jung. It worked on him, challenging him to grow, so he could impart this knowledge to others. The figures he encountered, particularly Philemon, had to be sure Jung could handle the practice of Active Imagination before it was given to him. He was up to the task, and as a result, a whole theory, along with an inner pantheon, was born. We need not adopt Philemon; each person should find their inner guru. Nor should we accept any aspect of Jungian theory wholesale. What we need is the courage to be up to the task when the time comes. Considering our current state of affairs, that time may come sooner than we expect.

Redefining Our Understanding

We often take a geocentric view, thinking the collective unconscious revolves around the ego. Rather, it is more heliocentric—the ego revolves around the Self, which resides in the collective unconscious. Edinger extracted from Jung’s letters the idea that we are a projection of “God,” or at least the Parental Imago, containing darkness in need of conscious redemption. If this is the case, we have been chosen, like generational trauma or through transference, to live the unlived life of the parents/ancestors/archetypal images and energies and bring their expression to completion. Are we living the unlived life of God? The Parents? The Collective Unconscious? Perhaps so. 

The Ego’s Role

This is where the ego comes into play. As Jung said, it is the receptacle of consciousness capable of reflection, reflecting back to God/Archetypes the flower that the seed intended to produce. Consciousness is the flower, and individuation is the process of growth of that flower. This is why many spiritual traditions preach selfless service. We are vehicles for the images and energies to express themselves. It’s not ours as much as we want to grip and identify with it. This realization is both a relief and a burden that few want to undertake. Buddhists preach detachment, void, and compassion, translating to a kind of “impersonal love” that only happens when the ego moves out of the way.

Final Thoughts

Some of us are unknowingly conflating individual identity and individuating into the trendy idea of becoming “who you are supposed to be” with individualism. When individuated, you don’t put up more walls with your identity; you become more open because your ego can handle it. If we take Christ the man as an example of an individuated person, he bore his cross, accepted himself, and served others after becoming individuated.Yoga teaches us, and Jung tells us, to detach and disidentify with archetypal contents, to become void inside so that we may have more love and compassion.

Conclusion

Active Imagination serves as a profound tool for self-discovery, psychological healing, and spiritual connection. By engaging with this practice, we unlock the hidden depths of our psyche, fostering personal growth and wholeness. As Jung aptly demonstrated, the courage to explore these inner realms can lead to a richer, more integrated life.

Resources

Editorial board page for “Psychological Perspectives”, volume 58, issue 2. (2015). Psychological Perspectives, 58(2).

Jung, C. G., & Chodorow, J. (1997). Jung on active imagination. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Jordan, M. (2015). Active Imagination: A Passport to the Soul. In Psychological Perspectives, 58(2), pp. 210-230.