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Hey Chris, this is great. Excellent effort. The seed seems to imply duality, which then also shows up in you vs. the daemonic figure. Some might call this a shadow figure but I think the way you describe might be more precise in this situation, as a demonic version of yourself. It’s like an excessive or power-driven version of certain qualities you already hold consciously. All qualities have both light and dark aspects after all. Does that resonate with you, or would you say it was more an ‘opposite’ to how you like to show up? The seed here seems to represent the duality of light and dangerous manifestations of a single energy, rather than opposite qualities per se. Often it’s not only our opposites that arouse fear, but the very power and danger contained within our primary conscious stance. Which, in a curious turn, to wield constructively we need to reconcile with the shadow or opposite, since that is the thing left behind. Going back to the dream briefly. The horse leaving the herd to stand beside you seems symbolic of the drive for freedom, of breaking free of the expectations of others. It’s very possible this comes from the same place. But the power driven themes of the AI experience point to a resistance to some aspect, likely to the very devilish drive you need in order to attain true freedom. The key here is not to submit to it per se, but to reconcile with it and wield it consciously. In doing so it can retain its practicality but shake off its ‘demonic’ configuration. It sounds like nonetheless the outcome was a productive one. The tree has many symbolic connotations but for one it is a feminine symbol, of earth’s natural bounty and generosity. In the tarot The Devil is associated with the element of earth which is in itself, technically, feminine. I still wonder where this feminine aspect fits in to the overall dynamic. This figure is certainly having some very stern words with you that would not look out of place in Jung’s Red Book. He is still under it all trying to move the relationship to a place of collaboration, rather than either of you having dominion over each other or anyone. That might be the thing to continue working on. Can you deepen a relationship with this part of you to the point of neither resisting its power nor trying to overcome it?

@ I have been known to have perfectly honed drive in some areas of my life which has led to success (eg musical ability, work, reading Jungian and other psychology books, becoming sober and substance free and getting physically fit again in the last year and half) but lack courage in others - most painfully, in romantic endeavours where I can experience fear of expressing my feelings and appropriately using my masculine energies; particularly in times of conflict resulting in undesired outcomes (ie being the patient “nice guy” then suddenly becoming angry and verbally sharp tongued), so this demon is not a total stranger to me at all in my conscious life and I see the message being conveyed as one of utilising these energies appropriately such as having clear boundaries and a clear vision of my own needs to begin with. The need to harness this side of me is a large driver for my inner work. Based on Robert Moore’s lectures and “King, Warrior Magician, Lover” Co written with Douglas Gillette, I have in a practical way tried to harness this masculine energy by taking up Archery in an overwhelmingly male (ex military men for example) dominated club and weight training in efforts to harness a more disciplined and useful form of the “Warrior” archetype. Synchronously, I found an old chestnut in my house this morning that my ex and I had collected, hidden behind a picture on a window sill, it has indeed become slightly pitted and has a seam up the middle! I could hardly believe it as the relevance of the connection between the seed and the demonic figure - the playing out of those behaviours within that relationship was unbelievably painful to my own best interests and desires, through a failure to harness and to wield those more honourable warrior archetype energies. As for the dream I had intended to focus on, I had it a couple of months ago but it has stuck as it was a beautiful dream full of feelings of love. The start of the dream was like a forest park, there were small yappy dogs with owners who were all women but not very pleasant people. I walked over a very small narrow stone foot bridge that was only about three foot long and entered into a kind of clearing covered in leaves where there were no dogs and no people, totally silent, it seemed like they had all vanished. Suddenly a large herd of brown horses stampeded past me and I observed with awe their muscles and power. As I was standing there, one of the horses left the herd and calmly came over to me. It had a strongly feminine energy and I knew it had chosen me, I was rubbing its forehead and it almost seemed to be smiling back at me. Even as I dreamt I felt it was a representation of pure, unconditional love and as if the horse contained the soul of something like what James Hollis might call the Magical Other. Is this maybe some container for my Anima or a projection of desire for love in this way?

Thanks for asking the question Frederick! And great job for persevering... the best advice is to keep going. And secondly to relax all expectations. In truth the unconscious comes to life on its own, we just need to set the conditions and make space for it. Even if images are not forthcoming there is always something to learn from the experience. Rest assured your imagination is there and fertile ground, it just needs a bit of space and time. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend checking out the Beyond the Limen series which is a seven part playlist designed to ground you in the practice. I am sure that if you complete the series you will make progress. You can check out Beyond the Limen here: th-cam.com/play/PLeuFwuWK5O2OvmSpHOqOPlcOQJUnHcZZa.html&si=gbNWfoRfIfAFgfy_ Feel free to ask any more questions as you go or share your experiences 🌟🔥

Thank you Laura!

Sure :)

Hey Abbas, you might like to check out the MiC Philosophy course as well. I'll be sharing more on these ideas in and outside of the KYP ;)

You raise an interesting challenge.

​@@makeitconsciousI have enough difficulties in life, and no desire for any challanges.

Lol, I wasn't sure what the dog reference was to until I went back and re-watched. I actually cannot say if that was my notebook squeaking or a an actual dog outside (plausible!). That's interesting to know you were born March 12th. That would make you a Numerological Type Ten/One in the Taroscopic / divination system I use. Making a mental note not to mess with you. Would be good to take a look at your Tarot Birth Chart. I wouldn't say the two ages are the same per se but the same themes play out on all scales. Even within the Age of Aquarius all symbols are still at play. The transition is also gradual and there is no universally agreed upon crossover date. But it's fair to say the transition is well underway. They are the defining features and trends of our world today. I agree with you that the amount of resistance to the unknown in our world, and the insistence on doing things 'the way they are done,' is simply untenable and is breaking apart before our eyes. The idea of a third type of consciousness is intriguing. Are you talking about God, spirit, or something along those lines? Thanks Sleepy Lee and glad you liked the video 😄🌟🔥....🐟🐟

@@makeitconscious I'm going to eventually order one (birth chart) off your website. I'm just waiting for a time in the next few weeks for it to calm down. So are 10/1's tyrants? lol As far as the third consciousness... It would take quite a bit for me to explain my thoughts on it. So, no dog? Dang. Maybe you have a ghost dog? 🤣

Sounds good... some 'Ones' certainly are tyrants. Like all types they are capable of great good and great evil, in their own kind of way... Maybe I do have a ghost dog and just didn't realise it until now. I would not be surprised with the number of strays around here. Perhaps I should check under the floorboards... 😬😩

Great... thinking to do a 'what Jung said about the shadow' next week.

Thank you and you're welcome... glad to know it resonates.

You're welcome Amber! Can't promise it will always be timely though hah.

@ I enjoy some bad timing now and then, to keep things spicy. I wonder who decides what’s on time anyway 🤔

Thank you sir! Good to know these dives into Jung's work are appreciated.

You're very welcome!

Hey, you're very welcome! It's always encouraging to hear of when these exercises help open up a meaningful connection and integration. Thank you for your willingness and dedication to go deep. Thank you also for the recommendation. I agree with the idea that there is a kind of collective 'dark night of the soul' that needs to occur. It's seemingly only just getting started.

Great work... a clear connection with some important material here. The faceless dark figure seems to represent the shadow, but the encounter was a respectful one, reflecting responsibility, intention and a willingness to engage. You also honoured its autonomy and freedom by simply waiting after it fled. It affirmed your decision by returning with a symbolic gift. The yellow light also hints at freedom, sun, consciousness, which are themes of this particular exercise. I have also experienced a wooden box containing a key in active imagination. I mention it in the course How to Talk to Yourself. Clearly a key 'unlocks' something. I feel this gift is symbolic of what you have unlocked through having this experience - an aspect of what had to be left behind. It would be interesting to see how this experience alters your character and experiences going forward. Excellent! 🌟🔥

That's precocious hah 😅. I'm not sure my mind could have handled let alone understood it at 18. It is certainly a valuable read for modern therapists and coaches.

Great work... a few thoughts that come up. Reversed symbols can sometimes simply mean the reverse of what they would mean upright, or a blockage in a particular area. A heart ordinarily might imply life, love or emotion. Often the latter. The suit of hearts in a deck of cards relates to emotion and feeling, corresponding to cups in a tarot deck. Emotion and feeling play a primary role in one's ability to make healthy choices or not. Addictive habits such as smoking often form as a way to negate certain feelings, and continued as a way to relieve the tension, becoming a part of the self-concept. Artichokes are often associated with lungs and can symbolise lungs. In part because they contain compounds believed to help respiratory health. Being made of glass could imply a kind of fragility. The blue light could hint at the throat area (throat chakra associated with blue) or tenuously something to do with wisdom or learning. My best guess is this is clearly expressing your relationship with smoking i.e. the potential consequences of continuing vs. the breath of life. In short, there's a part of you that wants to smoke and a part that doesn't. These parts are vying for control but each could learn more about itself by reconciling with the other. There are a number of exercises I can recommend for now, in addition to the BtL series. Transforming the Addiction - th-cam.com/video/VYRYf_TZXO8/w-d-xo.html Ace of Cups - th-cam.com/video/HES8LzxPaQI/w-d-xo.html Emotional Integration Meditation - th-cam.com/video/61SE-FBlxOY/w-d-xo.html Facing the Feeling - th-cam.com/video/oohHqPdqgnQ/w-d-xo.html Use the last two once you have an identified feeling associated with quitting. What comes up when you attempt to quit? Well done for sticking with these exercises. They are just one part of a full approach to reconciling with the self, but a potentially powerful part. Each time you engage with the unconscious mind successfully as you did here, you are taking another step towards reconciling with it. It is very much a gradual (and never ending) process. But every interaction makes a difference. Strength to you and feel free to keep sharing your experiences 🌟🔥

That's awesome to hear. Great work... glad the exercise helped you open up that connection. You certainly deserve credit though for your dedication and willingness 😉. I was just thinking about whether to release some more shadow-focused guided exercises. So your comment came at an interesting moment 😉. Thank you for the comment and feel free to keep sharing your experiences as you go 🌟🔥

Great work for opening up a connection. Sounds like it was successful. The fear is suggesting that this was definitely a representation of the shadow. Even if the communication was not very active, no experience or effort in active imagination is wasted. The shadow's particular appearance in a suit and hat could point to the quality of 'flavour' of the material. It's hard to say without a deeper discussion but certainly worth enquiring into. His motionless and uncommunicative stance seems to be reflecting a resistance on both sides to it fully opening up, but this is to be expected and still good progress. I recommend continuing to tease out an interaction with this aspect in active imagination and daily life. I'm sure it will be fruitful. You could also try The Shadow Room exercise for more insight into the nature of the material as well as complete some of the work of integration: The Shadow Room - th-cam.com/video/sTh776BUbZk/w-d-xo.html Thank you for your comment and feel free to keep sharing your experiences 🌟🔥

Hey Chris, good work completing the exercise, especially since the environment presented extra challenges. I tend to think there is no insignificant experience when it comes to developing self knowledge. The neighbours arguing probably has some meaning relating to your own shadow dynamic and relationship with the unconscious. Your account of the experience is rich and seems to flow smoothly with a great coherence. Churches often symbolise the Self, and the reference to four windows are the “quaternity” or the four modalities of consciousness of will, emotion, intellect and sensation. Christian symbolism itself draws on universal symbolism that has existed for far longer. It seems your mind used the Christian flavour as the most immediate corollary to represent some deeper material. It’s interesting that one of the windows seems a bit unclear when you looked through it and that there was a second church outside. I think this is alluding to the shadow work process and alchemy, that by confronting the least developed function you can realise the whole self, an ingredient hinted at here by an outer, smaller church. The sage seems very down to earth, smoking and named John, but also naturally a bit other-worldly. I’d be tempted to take his advice at face value. Except for when he says you should consult him or the Hierophant for spiritual guidance. This too seems to reflect a kind of grandiosity now apparently external. It seems more symbolic than literal. It will no doubt be helpful to consult the sage but is by no means mandatory nor a permanent fixture. Remembering that the sage is fundamentally a part of you too and, whatever you do with the sage’s advice, it can only be on your authority ultimately. His guidance about not pursuing knowledge for knowledge’s sake is particularly astute. After all, how can “you” “know” what “you” “need to know”? But that said any pursuit will lead to self knowledge in the end. Which reminds me of the arguing neighbours. How would you say the arguing impinged upon your own mind? Don’t feel you have to leave an answer to that here, although you can if you like. But there’s surely something significant in it. Great work… sounds like your efforts in active imagination are really serving to deepen your relationship with the unconscious 🌟🔥

Thank you! Glad you liked the video :)

Haha, I see what you did there.

Which part doesn't make sense to you?

Great work! The daddy energy is a part of you as well ;)

@ I can’t believe it took me this long to connect the dots of what I was actually doing all these months with these exercises… but I had a lot going on internally so I forgive myself. It was actually meeting the hermit, talking with him, and seeing him as someone who used to be a self-rejector that I had a “Wait a minute” moment. Things happen when they do as they do I suppose, the ever-unfolding rose.

I think you have every reason to forgive yourself for that. It's the only way we can ever transcend our conflicts - pursuing something consciously without knowing from the offset what the ultimate lesson needs to be. Perhaps by pursuing one idea of self-love you encountered a part that was left behind and arrived at a higher understanding of self-love, which includes the ability to 'self-reject', be a hermit and transform. Nice one 😀🌟🔥

Hey, great work. Another rich connection with the unconscious material. Blue was often worn by adepts in ancient times, indicating knowledge. The old man is certainly a Sage figure, also with magician and trickster-ish energies. The shadow and trickster are often closely related for obvious reasons. I can also very much relate to wanting to ask the question - "what is my shadow?" It's important to understand your shadow as well as to face it, feel it and interact with it. Getting precise about the shadow can be very valuable and lead to more meaningful interaction with it. Your experience, of both conscious and unconscious aspects, clearly suggests an invitation and willingness to engage the shadow. There's an overt theme of opening up to nature / the unknown. The instruction to breath or to walk, whichever way implies this duality. Both breathing and walking involve an oscillation, in/out, right/left, eros/thanatos. Engaging the shadow means filling in the other side of the equation of who you are. As is often the way, the real lesson is obscure and unexpected. But a clue possibly comes at the end in your question of what to do. What is it like not knowing what to do? What would it be like to have no one around to give you a meaningful answer? Great effort and a real leap into the unknown. Keep diving in and it will inevitably become clearer and clearer over time...

Nice work Christopher, sounds like a good introduction to the series. Your connection to the imagination is clear and will serve well as you dig further. All the objects in this experience relate to you in some way and your relationship with the unconscious mind. Hard to say necessarily what it means at this stage, but themes of foreigns lands, ancient hidden realms and rustic elements seem to have a particular significance for you. The moon is a symbol of the unconscious and the 'other.' And between you and me, the moon was also an inspiration for this exercise in particular, so it's interesting that it should appear for you like it did also for @Samsara-14. Good stuff... keep going, and I'd love to hear how your experiences develop 🌟🔥

Yes, I agree, there is a natural tendency to avoid pain. But there is also a psychological tendency to seek pain out, including in some cases touching hot stoves believe it or not, and not only literally.

Hey Christopher, it's all good! No doubt what you've been focused on in the meantime will feed back into your inner work as well. Inner work is outer work and vice versa ;). But if there's resistance this is naturally a useful sign of where the growth is. There's also a case for simply letting it unfold. Great to hear the know exercises have been so impactful and great job beginning the Beyond the Limen series. Interested to hear how that goes for you. Inner Work by RJ is a top read for AI practice. He lays out Jung's concepts clearly while still capturing many of the subtle but key principles. Jung himself didn't write much on the 'how to' of active imagination and RJ and others have contributed valuable work in developing Jung's ideas and sharing the practice. Enjoy the Beyond the Limen series! I see you just left a comment on Part 1... 🌟🔥

You're very welcome! Glad it's of use...

Well done for digging deep. This is a richly symbolic account and it sounds like you successfully connected with the unconscious content. It seems to carry characteristics of the Self archetype. In any case it contains some strong clues as to where to focus next. The opposing arms, one up one down, is clearly referring to the limen itself between known and unknown, your position as the conscious stance amid the wider unconscious. The left arm being raised is interesting since the left side is more typically associated with the unconscious, but then the fact it is pointing up to the moon and receiving something makes sense. Your greeting to her at the end opened up the possibility of an exchange, which she seemed to feel marked by the tear on the right side. The right side here seems to relate to the earth, the mundane and 'real.' Overall I think this is inviting you to continue interacting and opening up both to an emotional energy exchange as well as the unconscious in general. Great work! The rest of the series is now live and could be an option if you wanted to keep exploring this part of you. Feel free to keep sharing your experiences and I'd be interested to hear how this develops 🌟🔥

I think this is almost nail on the head. Here's a quote from the essay where he discusses this question: "There is nothing mysterious or metaphysical about the term “transcendent function.” It means a psychological function comparable in its way to a mathematical function of the same name, which is a function of real and imaginary numbers. The psychological “transcendent function” arises from the union of conscious and unconscious contents." So yes, the transcendent function "transcends" pairs of opposites in the psyche, rational vs. irrational and conscious vs. unconscious. He is referring to a function of mind itself rather than "the transcendent" in a mystical sense, although you could question what's the difference ultimately.