Reddit reviews Jung on Active Imagination

Active imagination was the term Jung applied to a method of approaching the unconscious towards engaging in its contents; emotion, dreams and personified images (archetypes), using imagination creatively in response by which a conscious integration process is undertaken thus affecting healing. It is based on what he identified as a function of the psyche he called the 'transcendent function', both a function and a process that brings together opposing and unconscious aspects of ones psyche into a more harmonious and balanced relationship towards a realisation of wholeness (or Self, in a Jungian sense).

>The tendencies of the conscious and the unconscious are the two factors that together make up the transcendent function. It is called “transcendent” because it makes the transition from one attitude to another organically possible.

“The Transcendent Function,” CW 8, par. 145.

>Once the unconscious content has been given form and the meaning of the formulation is understood, the question arises as to how the ego will relate to this position, and how the ego and the unconscious are to come to terms. This is the second and more important stage of the procedure, the bringing together of opposites for the production of a third: the transcendent function. At this stage it is no longer the unconscious that takes the lead, but the ego.

ibid., par. 181.

Means employed to actively engage in this process, entering and being attendant to unconscious imaginative products as they arise, can involve writing, drawing, painting, performance with ones body, clay or sand work, and so on.

The method involves holding and focusing in a particular state, a mood, an emotion or image, and actively, consciously, engaging it, asking questions, drawing it out in some manner, entertaining it imaginatively, towards extending its content, to develop a more consciously grasped relationship to whatever it is and represents; that is to make the unconscious conscious, and thus affect integration.

There's a book called Jung on Active Imagination by Joan Chodorow, that gathers together Jungs separate writings on the subject, and another that contextualises and expands it in relation to the concept of The Transcendent Function. These might be helpful towards further clarification?

The following is from the introduction in Chodorow's book:

>Active imagination has two parts or stages: First, letting the unconscious come up; and, second, coming to terms with the unconscious. As I understand Jung, it is a natural process that may go on over many years. Sometimes it takes a long time to assimilate the material. Jung spent the last fifty years of his life coming to terms with the emotions and fantasies that at first overwhelmed him..

p10

>In his discussion of the first step, Jung speaks of the need for systematic exercises to eliminate critical attention and produce a vacuum in consciousness. This part of the experience is familiar to many psychological approaches and forms of meditation. It involves a suspension of our rational, critical facilities in order to give free rein to fantasy..

ibid.

>There are many ways to approach active imagination. At first, the unconscious takes the lead while the conscious ego serves as a kind of attentive inner witness and perhaps scribe or recorder. The task is to gain access to the contents of the unconscious.

>In the second part of active imagination, consciousness takes the lead. As the affects and images of the unconscious flow into awareness, the ego enters actively into the experience. This part might begin with a spontaneous string of insights; the larger task of evaluation and integration remains. insight must be converted into an ethical obligation - to live it in life.

ibid.

Further, elsewhere in the introduction (it's a really good introduction, summarising what this method is about), it mentions proposed subdivisions of the process developed by Jungian Authors. Marie-Louise Von Franz for example proposed; 1) Empty the 'mad mind' of the ego; 2) Let an unconscious fantasy image arise; 3) Give it some form of expression; and 4) Ethical confrontation; "Later on she adds: apply it to ordinary life." There are a number of other variations from other authors described, more or less covering the same ground and process: The task and approach remains that of bringing unconscious content into consciousness to be confronted and integrated.

There is a caveat to this though:

>The major danger of the method involves being overwhelmed by the powerful affects, impulses and images of the unconscious. It should be attempted only by psychologically mature individuals who are capable of withstanding a powerful confrontation with the unconscious. A well-developed ego standpoint is needed so that the conscious and unconsciousness may encounter each other as equals..

ibid.

There's more to it that could be elaborated on, but that's the gist of it, as far as I understand it and work with presently.

We really need to make a sticky thread for this topic as it comes up almost weekly. Also, further reading on this topic that is useful includes the following,

Jung on Active Imagination edited by Joan Chodorow
https://www.amazon.com/Jung-Active-Imagination-C-G/dp/0691015767/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RQMWTAA2HM0C&keywords=jung+on+active+imagination&qid=1562245928&s=gateway&sprefix=jung+on+active+im%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1

Robert Johnson - Inner Work
https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Work-Dreams-Imagination-Personal/dp/0062504312/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=robert+johnson+inner+work&qid=1562245758&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Barbara Hannah - Encounters with the Soul
https://www.amazon.com/Encounters-Soul-Active-Imagination-Developed/dp/1630513504/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=hannah+active+imagination&qid=1562246007&s=gateway&sr=8-4

https://www.carl-jung.net/active_imagination.html

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

Active imagination is a technique for letting go of the judgments. Focusing on the emotion that you are feeling and putting it into artistic form (image). For example, you could pick up a pen and start writing first thing that pops into your head when you are focused on this emotion. Or you could draw something. Or you could put it into a dance. This achieves two things. By giving expression to the emotion that troubles you, its hold on you is lessened. Also, you can go back and analyze your end product - a drawing or a writing and it will contain the hints of where your emotion is coming from. You can then consciously confront the uncovered content and find resolution.

If you interested, there's no better authority on the technique than its advocate Carl Jung:

https://www.amazon.com/Jung-Active-Imagination-C-G/dp/0691015767/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495658525&sr=8-1&keywords=carl+jung+on+active+imagination

Jung worked with his shadow using a process called Active Imagination. It can be difficult to find legit information online about it, so I’d recommend reading this book: Jung on Active Imagination .

Essentially, he actively pursued imagined conversations with a personified version of his shadow. This helped him both understand and integrate the parts of him that were devious and ignored. Of course, I’m simplifying a very complex process, but if you’re really interested in pursuing shadow work, I would recommend checking out this process.