Activeimagination

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Activeimaginationisacognitivemethodologythatusestheimaginationasanorganofunderstanding.
Disciplinesofactiveimaginationarefoundwithinvariousphilosophical,religiousandspiritual
traditions.ItisperhapsbestknownintheWesttodaythroughC.G.Jung'semphasisonthetherapeutic
valueofthisactivity.

Contents
1Islamictradition
1.1HenryCorbin
2Europeantradition
2.1CarlGustavJung
2.2RudolfSteiner
3Roleinscientificandmathematicaldiscovery
4Seealso
5Furtherreading
6References

Islamictradition
TheimaginalrealmisknowninIslamicphilosophyasalamalmithal,theimaginalworld.Accordingto
Avicenna,theimaginationmediatedbetween,andthusunified,humanreasonanddivinebeing.This
mediatingqualitymanifestedintwodirections:ontheonehand,reason,risingaboveitself,couldattain
tothelevelofactiveimagination,anactivitysharedwiththelowerhierarchiesofthedivinerealm.On
theotherhand,inordertomanifesttheconcreteformsoftheworld,divinitycreatedarangeof
intermediatebeings,theangeliccocreatorsoftheuniverse.[1]:11Accordingtophilosophersofthis
tradition,thetrainedimaginationcanaccessa"nonspatialfabric"whichmediatesbetweenthe
empirical/sensoryandthecognititional/spiritualrealms.[2]
ThroughAverroes,mainstreamIslamicphilosophylostitsrelationshiptotheactiveimagination.The
SufimovementinPersia,asexemplifiedbyIbnArabi,continuedtoexplorecontemplativeapproachesto
theimaginalrealm.[1]

HenryCorbin
HenryCorbinconsideredimaginalcognitiontobea"purelyspiritualfacultyindependentofthephysical
organismandthussurvivingit".[3]Islamicphilosophyingeneral,andAvicennaandCorbininparticular,
distinguishsharplybetweenthetrueimaginationsthatstemfromtheimaginalrealm,andpersonal
fantasies,whichhaveanunrealcharacter,andare"imaginary"inthecommonsenseofthisword.Corbin
termedtheimaginationwhichtranscendedfantasyimaginatiovera.
Corbinsuggestedthatbydevelopingourimaginalperception,wecangobeyondmeresymbolic
representationsofarchetypestothepointwhere"newsensesperceivedirectlytheorderof
[supersensible]reality".[4]:81Toaccomplishthispassagefromsymboltorealityrequiresa

"transmutationofthebeingandofthespirit"[5]Corbindescribestheimaginalrealmas"apreciseorder
ofreality,correspondingtoaprecisemodeofperception,"the"cognitiveImagination"(p.1).[6]He
consideredtheimaginalrealmtobeidenticalwiththerealmofangelsdescribedinmanyreligions,
whichmanifestsnotonlythroughimaginationsbutalsoinpeoplesvocationanddestiny.[4]:96
Corbin(1964)suggeststhatitisbydevelopingthisfacultyofcognitiveimaginationthatwecan
overcomethe"divorcebetweenthinkingandbeing"[6]:4
Morerecently,theimaginalconceptwasfurtherdevelopedinCommunicationSciencesdomain.Samuel
Mateus(2013)suggestedacloselinkbetweenimaginary,societyandpublicity.Thepublicimaginal
wasnamedafterthedynamic,symbolicandcomplexsetofdiverseandheterogeneousimaginariesthat
permeatesocieties.[7]

Europeantradition
ThetheosophyofpostRenaissanceEuropeembracedimaginalcognition.FromJakobBhmeto
Swedenborg,activeimaginationplayedalargeroleintheosophicalworks.Inthistradition,theactive
imaginationservesasan"organofthesoul,thankstowhichhumanitycanestablishacognitiveand
visionaryrelationshipwithanintermediateworld"[8]
Coleridgedistinguishedimagination,expressesrealitiesofanimaginalrealmtranscendinganypersonal
existence,and"fancy",orfantasy,whichexpressesthecreativityoftheartisticsoul.Forhim,
"imaginationistheconditionforcognitiveparticipationinasacramentaluniverse".[9]
C.S.Lewisconsideredthat"reasonistheorganoftruth,butimaginationistheorganofmeaning."[10]

CarlGustavJung
AsdevelopedbyCarlJungbetween1913and1916,activeimaginationisameditationtechnique
whereinthecontentsofone'sunconsciousaretranslatedintoimages,narrativeorpersonifiedasseparate
entities.Itcanserveasabridgebetweentheconscious'ego'andtheunconsciousandincludesworking
withdreamsandthecreativeselfviaimaginationorfantasy.Junglinkedactiveimaginationwiththe
processesofalchemyinthatbothstriveforonenessandinterrelatednessfromasetoffragmentedand
dissociatedparts.ThisprocessultimatelyresultedintheRedBook.
Keytotheprocessofactiveimaginationisthegoalofexertingaslittleinfluenceaspossibleonmental
imagesastheyunfold.Forexample,ifapersonwererecordingaspokenvisualizationofasceneor
objectfromadream,Jung'sapproachwouldaskthepractitionertoobservethescene,watchforchanges,
andreportthem,ratherthantoconsciouslyfillthescenewithone'sdesiredchanges.Onewouldthen
respondgenuinelytothesechanges,andreportanyfurtherchangesinthescene.Thisapproachismeant
toensurethattheunconsciouscontentsexpressthemselveswithoutoverbearinginfluencefromthe
consciousmind.Atthesametime,however,Jungwasinsistentthatsomeformofparticipationinactive
imaginationwasessential:'Youyourselfmustenterintotheprocesswithyourpersonalreactions...asif
thedramabeingenactedbeforeyoureyeswerereal'.[11]
Oftheoriginationofactiveimagination,Jungwrote:

"ItwasduringAdventoftheyear1913December12,tobeexactthatIresolvedupon
thedecisivestep.Iwassittingatmydeskoncemore,thinkingovermyfears.ThenIlet
myselfdrop.Suddenlyitwasasthoughthegroundliterallygavewaybeneathmyfeet,andI
plungedintothedarkdepths."[12]
Furtherexplainingitsorigination,Jungdescribeshisconclusionthatactiveimaginationspawnsfromthe
desiresandfantasiesoftheunconsciousmind,whichultimatelywanttobecomeconscious.Butonce
theyarerealizedbytheindividual,dreamsmaybecome"weakerandlessfrequent"whereastheymay
havebeenquitevividandrecurringbeforehand.[13]
CarlJungdevelopedthistechniqueasoneofseveralthatwoulddefinehisdistinctivecontributiontothe
practiceofpsychotherapy.Activeimaginationisamethodforvisualizingunconsciousissuesbyletting
themactthemselvesout.Activeimaginationcanbedonebyvisualization(whichishowJunghimself
didit),whichcanbeconsideredsimilarintechniqueatleasttoshamanicjourneying.Activeimagination
canalsobedonebyautomaticwriting,orbyartisticactivitiessuchasdance,music,painting,sculpting,
ceramics,crafts,etc.Jungconsideredindeedthat'Thepatientcanmakehimselfcreativelyindependent
throughthismethod...bypaintinghimselfhegivesshapetohimself'.[14]Doingactiveimagination
permitsthethoughtformsoftheunconscious,orinner'self',andofthetotalityofthepsyche,toactout
whatevermessagestheyaretryingtocommunicatetotheconsciousmind.
ForJunghowever,thistechniquehadthepotentialnotonlytoallowcommunicationbetweenthe
consciousandunconsciousaspectsofthepersonalpsychewithitsvariouscomponentsandinter
dynamics,butalsobetweenthepersonaland'collective'unconsciousandthereforewastobeembarked
uponwithduecareandattentiveness.Indeed,hewarnedwithrespectto'"activeimagination"...The
methodisnotentirelywithoutdanger,becauseitmaycarrythepatienttoofarawayfromreality'.[15]The
postJungianMichaelFordhamwastogofurther,suggestingthat'activeimagination,asatransitional
phenomenon...canbe,andoftenis,bothinadultsandchildrenputtonefariouspurposesandpromotes
psychopathology.Thisprobablytakesplacewhenthemother'simpingementshavedistortedthe'cultural'
elementsinmaturationandthereforeitbecomesnecessarytoanalysechildhoodandinfancyifthe
distortionistobeshownup.'[16]
Inpartialanswertothiscritique,JamesHillmanandSonuShamdasanidiscussatlengththedangersof
viewingactiveimaginationsolelyasanexpressionofpersonalcontent,andproposethatthetechniqueis
mosteasilymisunderstoodandmisdirectedwhenappliedtothestrictlybiographical,andneverusedto
bridgethepersonalwiththewiderhumanheritageofthelivingandthedead.Instead,theysuggest,
activeimaginationinJung'susagewasanexpositionoftheunvoicedinfluencesofthecollective
unconscious,sheddingtheterminologyofpsychologytoworkdirectlythroughmythicimages:
SS:...Inreflectingonhimself,hedoesnotcomeacrossatrockbottomhisownpersonal
biography,butit'sanattempttouncoverthequintessentiallyhuman.Thesedialoguesare
notdialogueswithhispast,asyou'reindicating[...]Butwiththeweightofhumanhistory.
[...]Andthistaskofdiscriminationiswhathespenttherestofhislifeengagedin.Yes,in
somesensewhathappenedtohimwaswhollyparticularbut,intheothersense,itwas
universallyhumanandthatgenerateshisprojectofthecomparativestudyofthe
individuationprocess.[17]

Activeimaginationremovesorhighlightstraitsandcharacteristicsthatareoftenalsopresentindream,
andwithoutabroaderperspective,thepersonworkingwithactiveimaginationmaystarttoseethemas
theirowntraits.[18]ThusinthiscontinuingefforttostresstheimportanceofwhatMaslowwouldcome
tocallthetranspersonal,muchofJung'slaterworkwasconceivedasacomparativehistoricalstudyof
theactiveimaginationandtheindividuationprocessinvariousculturesandepochs,conceivedasa
normativepatternofhumandevelopmentandthebasisofageneralscientificpsychology.

RudolfSteiner
RudolfSteinersuggestedcultivatingimaginativeconsciousnessthroughmeditativecontemplationsof
texts,objects,orimages.Theresultingimaginalcognitionhebelievedtobeaninitialsteponapath
leadingfromrationalconsciousnesstowardeverdeeperspiritualexperience.[19]:302311
ThestepsfollowingImaginationhetermedInspirationandIntuition.InInspiration,ameditantclears
awayallpersonalcontent,includingeventheconsciouslychosencontentofasymbolicform,while
maintainingtheactivityofimaginationitself,andthusbecomesabletoperceivetheimaginalrealmfrom
whichthisactivityitselfstems.Inthenextstep,Intuition,themeditantleveragestheconnectiontothe
imaginalorangelicrealmestablishedviathecognitiveimagination,whilereleasingtheimagesmediated
viathisconnection.Byceasingtheactivityofimaginativeconsciousnesswhileallowingones
awarenesstoremainincontactwiththearchetypalrealm,thepossibilityopensupforanawareness
deeperthantheimaginaltobeconveyedtotheopensoulbythemediatingagentsofthisrealm.[20]

Roleinscientificandmathematicaldiscovery
Hadamard(1954)[21]andChtelet(1991)[22]suggestthatimaginationandconceptualexperimentplay
centralrolesinmathematicalcreativity.Importantscientificdiscoverieshavebeenmadethrough
imaginativecognition,suchasKekulsfamousdiscoveryofthecarbonringstructureofbenzene
throughadreamofasnakeeatingitstail.OtherexamplesincludeArchimedes,inhisbathtub,imagining
thathisbodyisnothingbutagourdofwater,andEinsteinimagininghimselftobeaphotononahorizon
ofvelocities.

Seealso
Anthroposophy
Dreaminterpretation
Thoughtforms
Autosuggestion

Furtherreading
Hannah,Barbara.EncounterswiththeSoul:ActiveImaginationasDevelopedbyC.G.Jung.Santa
Monica:Sigo,1981.
Johnson,RobertA.InnerWork(1986)Harper&Row
Jung,Carl.JungonActiveImagination(1997)PrincetonU.ISBN0691015767
MIranda,Punita(2013)
(http://www.academia.edu/10761999/C.G._Jungs_Active_Imagination_Alternative_Personalities_
and_Altered_States_of_Consciousness)'C.G.Jung'sActiveImagination:AlternativePersonalities
andAlteredStatesofConsciousness,JaarboekC.G.JungVerenigingNederland.Nr.29(2013),
3658.

References
1. Corbin,H.(1981).CreativeimaginationintheSufismofIbnArabi.PrincetonUnivPr.
2. InayatKhan,Z.(1994).Preface,ThemanoflightinIranianSufism.OmegaPublications.,p.iii.
3. Corbin,H.(1989).Towardsachartoftheimaginal.InSpiritualbodyandcelestialEarth:FromMazdeanIran
toShi'iteIran(5thed.).Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress.
4. Corbin,H.(1994).ThemanoflightinIranianSufism.OmegaPublications.
5. NajmKobra,quotedinCorbin(1994),p.80.
6. Corbin,H.(1964)."MundusImaginalisor,theimaginaryandtheimaginal"
(http://hermetic.com/bey/mundus_imaginalis.htm),CahiersinternationauxdesymbolismeVol.6,pp.326
7. Mateus,Samuel(2013),ThePublicImaginalprolegomenatoacommunicationalapproachofimaginary,
Comunicao,MdiaeConsumo,Vol.10,n29,pp.3150
https://www.academia.edu/5864487/The_Public_Imaginal_
_prolegomena_to_a_communicational_approach_to_Imaginary
8. Fairvre,quotedinHanegraaff,W.J.(1998).NewAgereligionandWesternculture:Esotericisminthemirror
ofsecularthought.StateUniversityofNewYorkPress.,pp.3989
9. Gregory,A.P.R.(2003).Coleridgeandtheconservativeimagination.MercerUniversityPress.p.59
10. Lewis,C.S.(1979).Selectedliteraryessays.p.265
11. Jung,quotedinAnthonyStevens,Jung(Oxford1994)p.109
12. Jung,Carl.Memories,Dreams,Reflections(1961)RandomHouseISBN0877735549
13. DAVIDSON,D.(1966),TransferenceasaFormofActiveImagination
(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.14655922.1966.00135.x/abstract?globalMessage=0).Journalof
AnalyticalPsychology,11:135146.doi:10.1111/j.14655922.1966.00135.x
(https://dx.doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.14655922.1966.00135.x)
14. Jung,quotedinStevens,Jungp.109
15. C.G.Jung,TheArchetypesandtheCollectiveUnconscious(London1996)p.49
16. MichaelFordham,Jungianpsychotherapy(Avon1978)p.149
17. Hillman,JamesandShamdasani,Sonu.LamentoftheDead:PsychologyafterJung'sRedBook.(2013)W.
W.Norton&CompanyISBN9780393088946(p.18)
18. "ActiveImagination".TheWashingtonSocietyforJungianPsychology.Retrieved10/02/2011.Checkdate
valuesin:|accessdate=(help)
19. Steiner,R.(1972).Anoutlineofoccultscience.AnthroposophicPress.
20. Steiner,R.(2001).Thehumanformandcosmicactivity.InGuardianangels:connectingwithourspiritual
guidesandhelpers(pp.2542).RudolfSteinerPress.pp.2930
21. JacquesHadamard(1954),ThePsychologyofInventionintheMathematicalField
22. GillesChtelet(1991),FiguringSpace:Philosophy,MathematicsandPhysics

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