Make it Conscious - Inner Work Exercises

In this exercise, you'll engage with the four main functions of the INTJ personality type through active imagination. You'll meet the Seer (introverted intuition), the Commander (extraverted thinking), the Lover (introverted feeling), and the Tactician (extraverted sensing) in symbolic form, allowing for direct dialogue with different aspects of your mind. You can do this exercise whether you are...

In this exercise, you'll engage with the four main functions of the INFP personality type through active imagination. You'll meet the Lover (introverted feeling), the Explorer (extraverted intuition), the Stalwart (introverted sensing), and the Commander (extraverted thinking) in symbolic form, allowing for direct dialogue with different aspects of your mind. You can do this exercise whether you a...

In this exercise, you'll engage with the four main functions of the INTP personality type through active imagination. You'll meet the Sage (introverted thinking), the Explorer (extraverted intuition), the Stalwart (introverted sensing), and the Caregiver (extraverted feeling) in symbolic form, allowing for direct dialogue with different aspects of your mind. You can do this exercise whether you ar...

In this exercise, you'll engage with the four main functions of the INFJ personality type through active imagination. You'll meet the Seer (introverted intuition), the Caregiver (extraverted feeling), the Sage (introverted thinking), and the Tactician (extraverted sensing) in symbolic form, allowing for direct dialogue with different aspects of your mind. This exercise uses active imagination, a t...

In any kind of inner work, working with feeling is of utmost importance. This involves first being aware of feeling and then being willing to confront the tension that it brings into your conscious awareness. This guided exercise focuses on a technique called bare attention—directing your awareness to the direct and raw experience of what you are actually experiencing. It combines traditional medi...

In this active imagination exercise, you'll perform what I call simply Core Practice - a foundational technique you can use on a regular, if not daily basis. The idea here is that this is a very basic technique without deciding ahead of time which seed you're going to work with today. Instead, you're going to be simply listening to your mind, to your body and letting it give you a steer and workin...

In this exercise, we're using a technique I call core practice. This is a basic, stripped down active imagination exercise you can use on a daily basis. The idea is that you don't need to decide ahead of time what you're going to be working with. Instead, you're going to listen and respond to your mind, because it usually has a way of telling us what needs to be worked on. It communicates with us...

In this exercise, you'll work directly with the shadow - a key concept in Jungian psychology. As James Hollis defines it, the shadow is "that which is difficult to confront in ourselves." This includes any parts of our minds that we don't like, deny, or push away - behaviours, traits, and clusters of psychic content we'd rather not face. Using a recent situation where you felt indignant or experie...

Active imagination is a cornerstone of Jungian psychology. Carl Jung himself said it was "the vital second part of any analysis." Marie-Louise von Franz said it is "the most powerful tool in Jung's psychology for achieving wholeness - far more efficient than dream interpretation alone." In this Core Practice exercise, we'll be bringing it right back to basics, working with either an image or a fee...

Welcome to Beyond the Limen , a seven-part guided introduction to the transformative Jungian practice of active imagination, brought to you by Make it Conscious. Whether you're new to this technique or have prior experience, this series is designed to guide you just below the threshold of conscious awareness, leading to the rediscovery of a timeless method of self-knowledge. Experience the pro...

Welcome to Beyond the Limen , a seven-part guided introduction to the transformative Jungian practice of active imagination, brought to you by Make it Conscious. Whether you're new to this technique or have prior experience, this series is designed to guide you just below the threshold of conscious awareness, leading to the rediscovery of a timeless method of self-knowledge. Experience the profoun...

Welcome to Beyond the Limen , a seven-part guided introduction to the transformative Jungian practice of active imagination, brought to you by Make it Conscious. Whether you're new to this technique or have prior experience, this series is designed to guide you just below the threshold of conscious awareness, leading to the rediscovery of a timeless method of self-knowledge. Experience the profoun...

Welcome to Beyond the Limen , a seven-part guided introduction to the transformative Jungian practice of active imagination, brought to you by Make it Conscious. Whether you're new to this technique or have prior experience, this series is designed to guide you just below the threshold of conscious awareness, leading to the rediscovery of a timeless method of self-knowledge. Experience the profoun...

Welcome to Beyond the Limen , a seven-part guided introduction to the transformative Jungian practice of active imagination, brought to you by Make it Conscious. Whether you're new to this technique or have prior experience, this series is designed to guide you just below the threshold of conscious awareness, leading to the rediscovery of a timeless method of self-knowledge. Experience the profoun...

<p><strong>Welcome to Beyond the Limen</strong>, a seven-part guided introduction to the transformative Jungian practice of active imagination, brought to you by Make it Conscious. Whether you're new to this technique or have prior experience, this series is designed to guide you just below the threshold of conscious awareness, leading to the rediscovery of a timeless method...

Welcome to Beyond the Limen , a seven-part guided introduction to the transformative Jungian practice of active imagination, brought to you by Make it Conscious. Whether you're new to this technique or have prior experience, this series is designed to guide you just below the threshold of conscious awareness, leading to the rediscovery of a timeless method of self-knowledge. Experience the profoun...

The Fool, as both the first and last card in the major arcana, represents the spiritual journey from inception to realisation. It hints to the reality that a path exists at all, along with an opportunity to increase in freedom and consciousness, should we so choose. As card number 22, it signifies an ending, of returning home and knowing the place for the first time, whilst the sigil of zero sugge...

The World card marks the culmination of the spiritual journey, signifying a moment of profound completion and unity. It represents the successful conclusion of all phases and cycles, where spirit has traversed through the myriad experiences of life, integrating the four modalities of consciousness: will, emotion, intellect, and sensation. This card embodies the wholeness of being that comes from h...

The Judgement card, also known as Aeon in the Thoth deck, symbolises crucial moments of clarity, awakening, and the purging of old ways. It stands for the fire of renewal, where past experiences and actions are reviewed, leading to significant insights and transformations. This card encourages us to face our truths, embrace renewal, and step into a new phase of life with a clear understanding of o...

The Sun card is a vibrant symbol of positivity, representing joy, success, and clarity. It signifies a state of illumination and invigoration, stepping into the light after darkness, celebrating newfound freedom and achievement. However, it also warns us of the potential dangers this can bring, such as grandiosity and hubris. In this active imagination exercise, we will explore these themes of The...

Working with dreams often forms a primary part of Jungian analysis and can play a pivotal role in anyone's investigation into themselves. Dreams often form a compensatory role to our conscious attitude, and can provide great insights into the nature of our minds and the direction of our lives, where we might be going off track, and where we might be having conflict with ourselves and the world...

The Ten of Cups signifies reaching a point of emotional fulfilment and stable relationships. It represents a state where efforts have led to success and satisfaction in personal connections. Highlighting periods rich in contentment within family and community life, it underlines the importance of mutual support and understanding. In this active imagination exercise, we'll explore these themes,...

The Moon card is associated with mysticism, the occult, and the oceanic expanse of the unconscious mind. Despite its name, it is actually ruled by Neptune, and is the card of Pisces. While all tarot cards relate to the mind and the unconscious in some way, The Moon in particular can be linked to the practice of active imagination and the interface with the unconscious that it facilitates. Carl Jun...

The Nine of Cups symbolises the attainment of satisfaction and the fulfilment of personal desires. It highlights the importance of acknowledging our achievements and the value of generosity. While it can suggest periods of contentment and gratitude, it also cautions against complacency and indulgence. In this active imagination exercise, we'll navigate these themes, aiming to balance our appre...

The Pisces zodiac sign, represented by the Fish, represents intuition, empathy, and the vast unconscious. This sign is distinguished by its deep emotional sensitivity, creative imagination, and a profound connection to all that is unseen. Pisceans excel in blending outer reality with the mystical, seamlessly navigating between the physical and the boundless worlds of their own making. In this acti...