Jung on how to communicate with the Daemon

[dyingatheist18]

So I've been reading a LOT of Carl jung's works recently. In 'Dreams, Memories and reflections' as well as 'the archetypes and the collective unconscious', he describes in great detail various communications he has made with his unconscious mind, which manifest themselves in all sorts of figures and scenes. Many of the experiences he describes were prophetic in nature and in my opinion, his description of the archetypes is incredibly fascinating and links in with Tony's idea of the Daemon.

In 'On the Relation of Analytical Psychology to Poetry' Jung writes :-

'The primordial image, or archetype, is a figure--be it a daemon, a human being, or a process--that constantly recurs in the course of history and appears wherever creative fantasy is freely expressed. Essentially, therefore, it is a mythological figure. . . . In each of these images there is a little piece of human psychology and human fate, a remnant of the joys and sorrows that have been repeated countless times in our ancestral history.. '

Concerning direct communication with this 'Daemon' archetype Jung came up with a method called 'active imagination', which he said he had used on himself and his patients to communicate with their subconscious (their daemon).

Copied from wikipedia:-
Active Imagination is a concept developed by Carl Jung between 1913 and 1916. It is a meditation technique wherein the contents of one's unconscious are translated into images, narrative or personified as separate entities. It can serve as a bridge between the conscious 'ego' and the unconscious and includes working with dreams and the creative self via imagination or fantasy. Jung linked Active Imagination with the processes of alchemy in that both strive for oneness and inter-relatedness from a set of fragmented and dissociated parts.

Key to the process of active imagination is the goal of exerting as little influence as possible on mental images as they unfold. For example, if a person were recording a spoken visualization of a scene or object from a dream, Jung's approach would ask the practitioner to observe the scene, watch for changes, and report them, rather than to consciously fill the scene with one's desired changes. One would then respond genuinely to these changes, and report any further changes in the scene. This approach is meant to ensure that the unconscious contents express themselves without overbearing influence from the conscious mind. At the same time, however, Jung was insistent that some form of participation in active imagination was essential: 'You yourself must enter into the process with your personal reactions...as if the drama being enacted before your eyes were real'.[1]

Of the origination of active imagination, Jung wrote:

“It was during Advent of the year 1913 – December 12, to be exact – that I resolved upon the decisive step. I was sitting at my desk once more, thinking over my fears. Then I let myself drop. Suddenly it was as though the ground literally gave way beneath my feet, and I plunged into the dark depths.” [2]

Carl Jung developed this technique as one of several that would define his distinctive contribution to the practice of psychotherapy. Active imagination is a method for visualizing unconscious issues by letting them act themselves out. Active imagination can be done by visualization (which is how Jung himself did it), which can be considered similar in technique at least to shamanic journeying. Active imagination can also be done by automatic writing, or by artistic activities such as dance, music, painting, sculpting, ceramics, crafts, etc. Jung considered indeed that 'The patient can make himself creatively independent through this method...by painting himself he gives shape to himself'.[3] Doing active imagination permits the thoughtforms of the unconscious, or inner 'self', and of the totality of the psyche, to act out whatever messages they are trying to communicate to the conscious mind.

For Jung however, this technique had the potential not only to allow communication between the conscious and unconscious aspects of the personal psyche with its various components and inter-dynamics, but also between the personal and 'collective' unconscious; and therefore was to be embarked upon with due care and attentiveness. Indeed, he warned with respect to '"active imagination"...The method is not entirely without danger, because it may carry the patient too far away from reality'.[4] The post-Jungian Michael Fordham was to go further, suggesting that 'active imagination, as a transitional phenomenon ...can be, and often is, both in adults and children put to nefarious purposes and promotes psychopathology'.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_imagination

Has anybody tried this method or done any further research into it?

[dreamintheshell]

Hi dyingatheist18

I was not aware of Junk method of active imagination.

But from what I can read above, I have done it all my life, quite often in many different forms, but mostly drawing (in my teens) but it as been years I have not draw. I am so happy you have brought that up; I will have to read about active imagination.

Recently I have pushed it much farther. I have put quite a bit of time on the images and at a profound meditating state the images became so real, I thought I was in a dream it seem so real and I was in waking state. I am very happy than this works well for me and it’s pretty strait forward. I have not tried it since (been around 3 weeks now) but I would be happy to talk about the way I use active imagination and would be curious to hear other people experience.

I cannot go there for now but I must admit, I can’t wait to go back.

Thank again for bringing that up

[dreamintheshell]

I said:

I was not aware of Junk method

I meant Jung method, of cours, sorry about that

[jobsaboba]

would it be fair to say that to merge into sub or un consiousness, one would have to let go of consiousness, or put simply lose the i, ego, some would say that the death of the ego is the key to total awareness....

jobs

[dreamintheshell]

Jobsaboba said:

ome would say that the death of the ego is the key to total awareness....

It would be fair to say that. I would add than to let go of control and letting things be and accepting them as they are in the present is a step forward to total awareness.

And to push this a bit father(and this is only an opinion)…to let go the control of past, present…and future , accepting it as it is, bring awareness to a whole new level.

[jobsaboba]

Jobsaboba said:

some would say that the death of the ego is the key to total awareness....

It would be fair to say that. I would add than to let go of control and letting things be and accepting them as they are in the present is a step forward to total awareness.

And to push this a bit father(and this is only an opinion)…to let go the control of past, present…and future , accepting it as it is, bring awareness to a whole new level.

i concur wholeheartedly

jobs

[dyingatheist18]

Dreamintheshell- I'd love to hear about your experiences and how you go about using jung's active imagination method

Jobsaboba- Interesting point.
Jung's method involves actively observing your unconscious, or rather consciously observing the effects and images presented by your unconscious without actively choosing to add to the images yourself. I'd imagine it's quite difficult to just simply observe what's going on without interfering. I'm not sure that the key is to let go of consciousness entirely, as i think that by doing so you would not be 'aware' of what was going on. For any type of 'awareness' to occur during these experiences one must still have some conscious processess active. Think of it like a dream, in order for us to be aware of our dream we must be conscious to be able to observe what is taking place in the dream, as most dreaming is akin to you (your self aware/self reflective consciousness) sitting in a cinema watching a movie (your subconscious).

Thanks for your replies

[jobsaboba]

hmmmm.. to put it another way we are all part of subconscious which is always aware of everything, while we are projecting our part of subconscious, or questioning, we are blocking the answers from coming back, the answers are always coming back instantaneously, but because our minds are thinking outwardly, we are focusing on the next question, rather than the answer that is there in front of us..... for me the answer is to slow down and ask one question at a time.... society and physical life as it has been designed makes this a very difficult thing to do however...... i like to think of it as an old 33rpm record spinning at 45rpm you can kinda make out what it is... but only when you start to slow it down it does become much easier to understand.

jobs

[Derkein]

Like dreamingintheshell i have also been using a similar technique all of my life, as have a number of folk I know.

It is immensely interesting how many different views people have of what is occurring.
Some call it spirit guides
Some call it a higher self of some description
Some call it accessing the unconcious
Some call it accessing the akashic records
Some simply consider it fantasy and day dreaming

It may be none, one, some or all of the above at different times and in different circumstances.

I always ask 'who do you think is watching/listening and choosing? and how many are involved?

[dreamintheshell]

Hi Derkein

I did not had time to descried my active imaginations experience because I am very busy with the farm but I will eventually get into it.

I guess I personally consider it as unconscious day dreaming but this is because It always been something I kept for myself, I am glad than we have the opportunity to share about those experiences and maybe we can realise that we are all talking of the same thing using different words. Just like in the other had the lack of terminology for déjà-vu made us use the same word for different things…maybe…???

You said:

I always ask 'who do you think is watching/listening and choosing? and how many are involved?

Well maybe it not a who, maybe we do not have word or perception for it, if there is an it. Maybe it is us…all life, as one… that are it.

My opinion though…it has no conscious…it has no TIME!!!