Mandalas: The Magic in Me

Introduction

One might use art, and more specifically the concept of drawing or painting the mandala, in active imagination to lead to religious experience and centered wholeness. While one is unknowingly suffering from a kind of “spiritual poverty” (Neumann, 1966, p. 168), this mandalic process can be vital to an individual alienated from the archetypes, considering the “Spirit of the Time” is bankrupt from the wealth and meaning that symbols of art provide. I would like to stop using the words “religious” or “religion,” in their common usage, for there are the countless inaccuracies in understanding to be found in our modern parlance. The word Religion, has been reduced to the notion of someone who is of “blind faith,” following a “blind set of instructions.” Rather, I would like to use original etymolgoical understanding of “re-linking.” Religion as “Re-ligeo,” to “re-link,” or to “re-connect,” so that within both art and active imagination, it is possible through the “drawing out” and construction of the mandala, that one can “re-link” back to the source of wholeness, that is, to the Self.

The Role of Mandalas in Active Imagination

Active imagination allows one to engage with the unconscious mind, bringing forth images and symbols that reflect inner states. The mandala, a symbolic representation of the Self, plays a central role in this process. According to Mark Pearson and Helen Wilson say that “the use of art, symbols, and metaphor can help a client develop language for spiritual questions, aims, experiences, and goals. Skills to recognize, experience, formulate and share metaphysical concepts and experiences seem to grow naturally when creative arts media, and a highly respectful environment, are provided” (Pearson & Wilson, 2009, p. 27). This practice was evident in Jung’s Red Book, where he explored his inner world amidst the turmoil of the “Spirit of the Times” and his subjective “Spirit of the Deep.”

In moments of crisis, such as a global pandemic, the creation of mandalas can provide a sense of peace and understanding. By funneling inward experiences onto paper, one can transform the anxiety and stress of daily life into a creative symbolic act, resonating with a profound sense of self-discovery and integration. It is creation; we repeat the act of creation, but it is a continual re-creation, a re-recreation of our self and reflecting back of ourselves. In that sense, it can give an experience of the Mandalic Self in the form of “the atman, chen yen, the complete man, The Anthropos, Mercurius” and so on (Jung, 1997, pp. 98, 106, 107).

Artistic Inauguration: The Artificial and Spontaneous Methods

Two ways of approaching: The journey of using art in active imagination can follow two paths: the artificial and the spontaneous. Both may be used to serve individuation if the mechanism of conscious attention is used and to remember that it is primarily for the purpose of “re-linking” back to the source of what we may call “archetypal” energy.

The Artificial Method: The artificial method involves structured or ritual activities such as visiting art galleries or following specific artistic instructions. For example, in yoga, a mandala can be drawn in a mechanized form known as a “yantra,” a practice known as Yantra Yoga (Chayban, 2019, pp. 140-141). This method of the “Yantra” or consolidated image is used in yogic communities, where one draws a circle within a square shape and complex geometric patterns inside. Yoga is the method of uniting with the divine. Yantra Yoga is the method of yoking with the divine by using images (often sacred geometry). One can use a prescribed Yantra or a Dream image and meditate on that. Also, active imagination is a form of Yantra Yoga” (Chayban, 2019, pp. 140-141). Principally, one could say Jungian Active Imagination is a spontaneous method of Yantra Yoga, which we will get into in a moment. But this artificial way of “re-linking” back to the basic geometric and archetypal patterns of the psyche can be a nice launch point for those who struggle with coming up with things on their own or don’t have dreams. The alchemists did this too with their countless constructed and coded emblems. They let the artificial image work on something within them so that they could “re-link” back to the divine source. Sometimes, these can be like the “training wheels” that eventually lead us to ride our own psychic bicycle. 

The Spontaneous Method: The spontaneous method, on the other hand, arises naturally from the unconscious. This approach does not follow a codified ritual but instead adheres to one’s inner law or inner ordering logos. Mandalas can emerge spontaneously in dreams or waking states and can be brought into an artistic medium, such as painting. Jung described a case where his patient, Mrs. X, used mandalas as part of her active imagination, finding that these images of wholeness brought order to her psychotic state and facilitated her individuation process (Jung, 1997, pp. 115, 119). “Mrs. X” where she uses the painting of Mandalas as a source of active imagination. A Mandala, by the way, is a “Magic Circle” which holds the psyche together, and appears in images of the psychotic. Mandalas, as images of wholeness, “bring order to the psychotic state,” and “are centering, and bringing together opposites” (Jung, 1997, p. 115). These mandalic paintings are “helpful in self-analysis and healing” (Rubin, 2015, p. 98) and seemed to draw out Mrs. X’s individuation process in a tangible way.

Engaging the Self through Art Therapy

Using art in active imagination allows for deeper engagement with the unconscious, surpassing the limitations of verbal expression. It brings us out of the clutch of our ego and traumatic defenses. Jung noted that letting go is essential for higher spiritual development, whether through meditation, yoga, or spiritual exercises (Jung, 1997, p. 111). When the body or hand is allowed to “think,” it shifts the focus from the ego to the somatic, enabling a more profound interaction with the unconscious. When one lets one’s hand do the thinking, it is then turned over to the somatic, and “it thinks you.”

Both artificial and spontaneous methods can serve as pathways to re-link with the archetypal source. Neumann says “It is a unitary image of one part of the unitary world. Inward and outward perceptual images” (Neumann, 1966, p. 173).  Colors, for example, can evoke specific emotional responses and psychological functions, aiding in self-discovery and re-connection with the Self.

Color is packed with light but also emotion, both qualities of the numinous and “re-linking” back to the source. The color is outside of us, yet inside, it evokes parts of our psyche so that when we see, like “red,” we somehow “feel” it as emotion/affects, and blue as the spiritual process, mind, or nous (Jung, 1997, p. 108). Colors can also be categorically objective and lead to self-discovery of the inner. If we draw and color in something, it can tell us about the “types of consciousnesses” or the psychological functions coming out onto the paper, as “Mrs. X” in her paintings denotes “yellow = intuition, light blue = thinking, flesh pink = feeling, brown = sensation” (Jung, 1997, p. 119). This classification can help map your psychic processes and can be seen as a form of self-knowledge. Therefore, it is a mechanism for “re-linking” back to the original source. Which, of course, is you.

Engaging yourself in “soul” work with art therapy. In a time where there is a dearth of soul, it is good to see that there are still some people left perpetuating a practice for the soul. We get lost and want to get away in our psyche from normal conscious life. That is one purpose of engaging in soul work. But this kind of healing is “semi-active,” and not just lying passive on the couch. This sounds like Jung’s suggestion that the conscious needs just a “slight” direction to let the unconscious flow naturally. But the key is not “directing” too much. In that case, you let the hands or the body think for you, and you just observe what will emerge.

Comparison Table

Jungian Concepts	Eastern Esoteric Concepts
Mandala (Self)	Yantra (Sacred Geometry)
Active Imagination	Geschehen Lassen, Wu Wei
Consciousness	Sattva
Psychic Energy	Rajas
Unconscious	Tamas
Transcendent Function	Symbolic Life

Conclusion

Studying the integration of Jungian psychology and Eastern esoteric concepts offers several benefits:

1. Enhanced Self-Understanding: Engaging in active imagination and creating mandalas fosters profound personal insight and self-discovery.
2. Cultural Balance: Bridging Western and Eastern philosophies promotes a holistic approach to mental and spiritual well-being.
3. Practical Application: Techniques like Geschehen Lassen and Wu Wei provide practical methods for achieving inner harmony and wholeness.

By exploring these practices, we can reconnect with our deeper selves, finding peace and understanding in a chaotic world.

References

• Buchalter, S. I. (2004). A practical art therapy. London: JKP.
• Chayban, C. (2019, April). The Yogic Lexicon: Definitions and Reference Material. PDF.
• Jung, C. G., & Chodorow, J. (1997). Jung on active imagination. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Neumann, E. (1966). Art and the creative unconscious; four essays. New York: Harper Torchbooks.
• Pearson, M., & Wilson, H. (2009). Using expressive arts to work with mind, body, and emotions: theory and practice. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
• Rubin, J. A. (2015). Introduction to Art Therapy: Sources & Resources. Place of publication not identified: Routledge.

Additional Resources

• Rubin, J. A. Introduction to Art Therapy.
• Buchalter, S. I. A Practical Art Therapy.
• Neumann, E. Creative Man and Transformation.
• Pearson, M., & Wilson, H. Using Expressive Arts to Work with Mind, Body, and Emotions.
• Jung, C. G. A Study in The Process of Individuation.

Optional Videos

• Dr. Roberta Shoemaker Beal: Jungian-oriented art therapist interview.
• Sondra Geller: Making Art in the Presence of the Analyst.
• Juliet King: Art Therapy and Neuroscience.