What is going on at the periphery of your life that you should be paying attention to?
Jung encouraged his patients to set aside part of the day for what came to be known as ‘active imagination’. This is a state of reverie, in which judgment is suspended, but consciousness is preserved. The subject is required to note what phantasies occur to him, and then to let these phantasies pursue their own path without conscious intervention. In this way, the subject may be able to rediscover hidden parts of himself as well portray the psychological journey on which he is embarking.
- Anthony Storr, Solitude: A Return To The Self
(Jung concluded that) men became neurotic at the mid-point of life because, in some sense, they had been false to themselves, and had strayed too far from the path which Nature intended them to follow. By scrupulous attention to the inner voice of the psyche, which manifested itself in dreams, phantasies, and other derivatives of the unconscious, the lost soul could rediscover its proper path, as Jung himself succeeded in doing. The attitude or `set' required of the patient is really a religious one, although belief in a personal God or adherence to a recognized religious creed is not part of the undertaking.
- Anthony Storr, Solitude: A Return To The Self
Much of the value of journaling lies in its ability to access the messages your inner world wants to offer. Your inner world is shy, reticent and powerful. It wants to help, but it first asks for respect.
Approach it with reverence, with humility. Ask it for guidance. Don’t tell it want you want it to say. Give it space to speak. Listen carefully. If it feels welcome, if it feels it has something to offer over the cacophony of our lives, it says its piece. Sometimes it offers messages in the form of vague images or colors whose meaning may not be readily apparent.
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Journaling questions to explore:
Sit in silence. Close your eyes. Take five long, slow, deep breaths, exhaling slowly and completely. Empty your mind. Feel the emptiness. Sit with that for a while. Sink into a deep, relaxed, peaceful, comfortable place.
Imagine the outer boundaries of your life as a circle or oval. The shape can be smooth or irregular. It doesn’t really matter. What is going on at those limits? Does any person you know and respect, or have read about in books or seen in films and videos come up? Does a guide manifest in your imagination?
Ask that person if he or she has anything they want to tell you. Ask them if there is anything you should be paying more attention to.
Where’s the juice of your life, the big risks and opportunities, in that periphery? Where are the sensitive nerves? What are the scary parts of your periphery? Do any themes or ideas present themselves more than once?
Is there an area of that circle that is beckoning you? Is there an area of that circle that your energy wants to flow toward? Wants to explore and master?
Write down the messages you receive even if they lack meaning. Over time, after multiple journaling meditations, patterns will emerge and the messages will gain coherence.
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Feel free to forward to someone who may be interested.
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