Now then, who are you and where are you from?
PENTHEUS TO DIONYSUS,
EURIPIDES, THE BACCHAE
Active imagination,* a technique developed by Carl Jung some decades ago, is a wonderful way to enter into the mythic reality while still maintaining ordinary reality. In active imagination you can enter into a conversation with the different parts of yourself that live in your unconscious—in this instance, Dionysus. “In this way,” as Jung said, “we find that thoughts, feelings, and affects are alive in us which we would never have believed possible.”
The level of imagination is such an excellent place to work because it is the place of Dionysus. Dionysus, ecstasy, swings between two worlds, transcending both. The imagination is neither the conscious nor the unconscious, but rather what lies between the two. Here, on the meeting ground of imagination, the ego and the archetype can speak as equals, each learning from the other.
You may find it difficult to begin to do active imagination unless you already had some experience with it or with similar techniques. Remember, however, that it is a powerful tool; for those who are unused to it the flow of images can be startling. Therefore I would like to repeat a caution from Inner Work: Before starting active imagination be sure that there is someone available for you to call in case you become overwhelmed by the imagination.
How To Begin
Active imagination does not consist of “making things up.” You simply allow information that you already possess, but of which you have no conscious awareness, to come to the surface. Active imagination has some similarity to dreaming, in that you do not censor the flow of images; but during active imagination you are fully awake. Also, as the name implies, it is not passive fantasy. You do not watch an inner drama as you would watch a movie; rather, you become an actor in the drama. Your conscious ego actively engages in conversation with the symbolic images thrown up by your imagination.
You will need a quiet, private place where you can be alone without interruption. You cannot make a dialogue with the psychological images if the day-to-day world is constantly intruding.
Next you must decide on a method to record your dialogue. It is very important to keep a record of this inner work, because afterward it may be difficult to remember details. You may want to use a pencil and paper or, if you find it more convenient, a typewriter or word processor. You may decide to draw or paint what you find.
Now make yourself comfortable. Empty your ego-mind of expectation, and let the images flow. Do not censor them and do not be afraid.
It is important to let the images speak for themselves. After all, they come from you. You should not find yourself putting words in their mouths or directing the flow of conversation. Be interested in what they have to say. If you relax and keep an open mind, the images of your active imagination will communicate effortlessly.
If you are confused by something an image says, ask it for clarification. You will find that your unconscious mind has answers to the questions your conscious mind has been pondering, just as we often find a dream has solved a difficult problem for us overnight. When your conscious mind absorbs this knowledge from the unconscious, the relationship between the two will change. You will have set up a basis for communication that will lead you to wholeness.
A Sample Dialogue
Let’s look at an example of a dialogue in active imagination. This woman recorded her dialogue on a typewriter as it occurred. She designated Dionysus as D and herself as I:
I: [I see a golden young man sitting on a rock at the edge of a forest.] Hello, Dionysus. Why is it so difficult to find you?
D: I don’t know. I’m right here.
I: Where is that?
D: Inside you. Can’t you see me now?
I: Yes, but I’ve never talked to you before.
D: No, but only because you’ve never asked. I am always here. [He smiles.]
I: I need to know how I can bring the ecstatic quality into my life, but I don’t want it to take over. What can I do?
D: You need to get to know me better. I’m not as bad as I’m made out to be.
I: No? Tell me some good things about yourself.
D: Well, I like to paint and draw, and poetry is very important to me. [He smiles more broadly. He is very, very happy. Golden light radiates from his head.]
I: I had no idea you were so close. I see you very vividly.
D: Yes, isn’t it amazing [his tone is very dry]. We gods just go on and on as if we were always here. …
I: You have an interesting sense of humor.
D: Yes, I know. [He begins to laugh.]
I: So tell me, what can I do to express you?
D: Well, you could tell me a good joke. That would make me happy. I like to be happy above all else.
I: What else could I do?
D: You could run, jump in the air with your hands raised to the sky, twirl around, and think of me. You can yell as loudly as you can. You can feel my energy flowing through your body. You can do this at night, or during the day. Why don’t you do it right now and get back to me?
I: OK. [I get up from my typewriter and do as he instructs.]
D: That was great. How do you feel?
I: I can’t stop smiling. This is wonderful! Thanks.
D: No problem. [He looks like he knows a lot more than he’s saying.]
I: What else did you want to say?
D: You shouldn’t censor me as much as you do. I love you and I’m here to help you. I’m a very important part of your life, and when you shut me out you shut out the world. I’m sitting here at the edge of a beautiful forest. I can take you through the forest and show you its wonders, and I can lead you out again and show you the way around fear. When I am with you, you have no fear. You have fear only when you do not see me.
I: Yes. When I look at you I see that. I feel full of joy and energized.
D: You can come talk to me whenever you like. Let me know when you want to walk in the forest. I am really quite a good and gentle guide. I promise you will come out of the other end of the forest in one piece.
I: Thanks. Well, I’ve got ten minutes. Is that enough time?
D: Sure. Go ahead.
I: [We go into the forest. I see some big, white, soft flowers that seem to smile at me and say, “We’re all here in the same forest. Peace be with you. We are protecting you.” We walk on. Dionysus is smiling gently. He is very firm. He knows exactly where we are going. He holds the back of my neck gently with his hand, and I can feel his energy going up and down my spine.]
D: Look at that tree.
I: What tree?
D: Over there, the tallest tree in the forest.
I: [I look up and see a very tall tree. At the top of the tree is a monkey.] What is that?
D: That is you.
I: Why?
D: Because you can swing from branch to branch as easily as that monkey. You can jump from tree to tree and branch to branch. You can climb as quickly as you can to the top, and scamper down again without falling. You cannot get hurt. Just enjoy yourself. Be filled with joy; there is no room for fear. You can do anything, but you must first believe that you can do anything. Remember this monkey and take it with you.
I: Thanks. I certainly wasn’t expecting that.
D: No, of course not. I am the unexpected. But, as you see, I am also very familiar. Because I am you.
I: This is a lot for me to absorb.
D: OK, I know. Let’s just walk slowly out of the woods and admire the flowers.
I: [We do. I see small white flowers with shiny green leaves. They are vibrant with energy. They seem to wave good-bye and invite me back. The world here seems infused with a strong, golden, joyous feeling that vibrates through everything.] Good-bye. thanks for the walk. [We are now on the other side of the forest.]
D: That’s fine. I’ll be here whenever you like. This is where I live.
I: OK, thank you.
D: You’re welcome.
Now what has happened here? First, the woman treated the god with courtesy and was treated courteously in return. she made the first greeting and established contact. During the course of the dialogue she also treated her ego with respect—she expressed her fears, made her needs known, and set limits. At the end she thanked Dionysus and established the basis for a possible return visit.
The woman who wrote this had intuition as her superior function. She had previously worked with active imagination and was able to enter into the experience without any problems. Even so, she was surprised by a number of things that happened. She was most surprised by the feeling level of the image, the vibrant energy and joy that were a constant presence during the dialogue and which remained with her for the rest of the day. She was also surprised by the symbolic monkey, and the relation of Dionysus to fear.
Several striking mythic and spiritual motifs were involved in her active imagination. In fact, this experience contains many elements of a shamanic journey. (Shamanism, a part of many ancient cultures, is an ecstatic religion. The spiritual journey of the shaman is intended to heal the human spirit and bring wholeness. To do this the shaman learns to live in both worlds, just as Dionysus bridges both worlds.) This woman was given a ritual to perform which would put her in contact with the Dionysus quality. She was then led on a journey by an image, Dionysus, that established itself as a spirit guide. Finally, she was given an animal “ally,” the monkey. By taking on the qualities of the monkey she could learn to conquer physical fear—represented by learning to scamper up and down tall, precariously swaying trees—and experience new power. Because her inferior function is sensation, her fear is in the realm of the physical. It is interesting to note that it was precisely in the place where she had the least control that Dionysus chose to work.
Finally, the experience transformed Dionysus from an abstract concept into a real experience that she can call upon whenever she feels the need. In this way she met the archetype, established a relationship, and gained a nonrational understanding of the quality of ecstasy. Now she can consciously begin to live this quality.
To give a sterner example of active imagination, we can look at the initiation of an Eskimo shaman: The spirit world chooses a youth who is to be a shaman. He is abducted by the spirits and taken to the underworld, where many demons come to eat the flesh off his bones. Finally, he is dismembered and every bone is set apart from every other bone. After a time the spirits come and put him back together again. Great care must be used at this point, because any bone that is left out will be missing for the rest of the shaman’s life. New flesh is given to the initiate and he returns to the living world. He is then a shaman and has the power to heal any illness caused by any demon which has eaten his flesh during the initiation. He has no power over an illness caused by a demon which did not take part in his dismemberment.
Each person who engages in active imagination dialogue with Dionysus will see images and have experiences that fit the needs of his or her personality. Though each dialogue is unique to the individual, the inner lessons—which spring from the collective unconscious—are surprisingly similar. Don’t prejudge the experience. Keep an open mind and see what happens. You will certainly be surprised!