Weird dream

N

Nico

Guest
I'm engaging a lot with active imagination lately, I'm not sure is entirely good and might have been attached. I've made several sexual dreams and get aroused by women in the street, it seems linked to the valerian take to further unstress myself. Then this weird dream I try to translate from early remembering I've made in french :

In a stone paved road under arch in a medieval city, a man with a helping breather device start to do yoga upon a stairway. I think to myself I could have helped him learn how to breath properly before he gets his breathing problems. Then he disappear and I witness an Old woman sweeping the stairway and somewhat activating a water fall onto the street. I lie on the other side of the street seeing a snake under water, I start to get him out of the water mindlessly nagging him. It starts trying to inject his poison for defense, I attempt and succeed to lock him down in a desire to improve my skill in not being bitten. The snake metamorphosis in a cat who try to get away from my fist. And the dream end.

So it seems I feed somewhat my teenage mind who takes risk mindlessly and hold on to his childish pleasures. My active imagination was to clear and redefines my values, exploring sexuality and my fears. But it seems to be stuck in this moment as my body is shaking and I trouble to sleep well.
Does I stop active imagination for a while ? It's also my way to think and feel about higher concept and it takes most of my time during the day.
Thank you for reading.
 
What exactly do you mean by active imagination? Active imagination is a good thing to engage in, but it really depends on the context of what you're using it for. If you're using it for sexual thoughts and fantasies on a regular basis then it's probably not a good idea.

Nico said:
My active imagination was to clear and redefines my values, exploring sexuality and my fears. But it seems to be stuck in this moment as my body is shaking and I trouble to sleep well.
Does I stop active imagination for a while ? It's also my way to think and feel about higher concept and it takes most of my time during the day.
Thank you for reading.

It doesn't sound like you're engaging in active imagination, but instead indulging in fantasy.
 
What I called Active Imagination, is to remember previous experiences about a particular topic (e.g. sexuality) and see if I can feel or understand something which sound more "true" to me.

I think I need to clarify space in my days and reserve time in focusing on the exercice. I have to make the difference between "seeing the bigger picture" and indulging in fantasy.

Thank you Turgon.
 
Hi Nico,

Please try to be careful with that, though. Here's a short article on active imagination from the Jungian perspective. I've done some similar things with a therapist when interpreting dreams that have been very vivid and stacked with symbolism, but it's a powerful process that needs proper guidance. Also, this interview on SOTT with Dr. Karadaras, he talked a bit about active imagination. Digital 'pharmakeia': Glow kids, screen addiction, gaming and the hijacking of children's brains

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/active-imagination said:
Active imagination is a process in Jungian psychology used to bridge the gap between the conscious and unconscious minds.

What is Active Imagination?
Jungian psychology places a heavy emphasis on dream interpretation and the contents of the unconscious mind. During the process of active imagination, Jungian analysts encourage clients to translate the contents of dreams without adding any analysis from the conscious mind. For example, a woman who had a dream about her father might be encouraged to write down all of the contents of the dream without filling in any gaps, explaining any incongruities or offering any analysis. The goal of this process is to understand the workings of the unconscious mind.

Carl Jung argued that dreams and other unconscious images can be particularly vivid when these images attempt to make their way to the unconscious mind. Through the process of active imagination, these images may become less vivid and allow the contents of the unconscious mind to healthily integrate with the conscious mind. Jung cautioned that the process of active imagination had to be done carefully because it could cause a disconnect with reality.

Active imagination is intended to bring about a state of hypnagogia. This is the state in between sleep and wakefulness, where people may be partially aware that they are dreaming. Jung argued that active imagination can be achieved naturally during intense states of relaxation such as when listening to a story or drifting off to sleep.

Active Imagination in Contemporary Psychology
In contemporary psychology, the term active imagination is most commonly associated with a tendency to have a very creative and present imagination rather than with the Jungian process. However, dream analysts may still use the process of active imagination to help people understand the meaning of their dreams, resolve hidden interpersonal conflicts, and work past pressures placed on the conscious ego by the unconscious mind.
 
Hi Turgon,
I plan to see a Jungian psychologist, I've read Women who run with the wolves from Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés in which she warns that a story, though a therapeuthic one, is just a story, and one have to be aware to not been caught by it. She employ a formula to remember it : Il était une fois et une fois il n'etait pas (once upon a time and once not upon a time, if I'm correct).

Active Imagination in Contemporary Psychology
In contemporary psychology, the term active imagination is most commonly associated with a tendency to have a very creative and present imagination rather than with the Jungian process.

I think it's what I meant when I was talking about Active Imagination. I really like to train in this area, it really feel like my mind is sharpening. I hope not having been to deep with ignorance, and be very cautious in dealing with "deep stuffs", attempting to find a good Jungian psychologist.

For example, a woman who had a dream about her father might be encouraged to write down all of the contents of the dream without filling in any gaps, explaining any incongruities or offering any analysis.

It's seems the danger is "selection and substitution" as mentioned by Łobaczewski.

Thank you.

Edit : correction and addings.
 
Back
Top Bottom