What is Active Imagination?

Active imagination is a practical procedure by which one, fully conscious, enters a fantasy and interacts with the environment and figures of the unconscious.

The reason for entering a fantasy is usually a practical one; a psychological or physical symptom, a subjective conflict or the subjective aspect of an objective one, a strong emotion, etc. When one has had an experience of active imagination, it becomes crucial, if one wants to benefit from it, to try to understand the psychological meaning of the fantasy and extract an ethical goal from it. In the end, it means making a change in one’s life based on the meaning of the experience.

All these steps also have a neurological component to them. I do not know whether every psychological experience necessarily has a neurological basis, but it seems useful to think about them in such a way because it is grounding to do so. It prevents us from straying too far from what is psychologically possible and also enables the use of certain therapeutic interventions, though that is another subject. In this small lecture, I will therefore try to explain how active imagination may directly influence the functioning of the brain. We will begin with the idea of functional modules of the brain.

What is a Functional Module of the Brain?

A functional module of the brain refers to a region or network of neurons specialized for performing a specific type of computation or function. These modules are not necessarily single anatomical structures; they can be distributed across multiple areas while still operating together in order to achieve a particular cognitive, sensory, or motor task. The concept is widely used in neuroscience to describe how complex behaviours and mental processes emerge from coordinated activity in specific brain circuits.

Dreams and Functional Module Perspective

Consciousness as Functional Module

As already mentioned, these modules are not anatomical structures. The same structures can therefore be active while different modules operate, and different structures can participate while the same module remains active.

From such a perspective, one can choose almost any cognitive, sensory, or motor task and say that a particular brain module is active while it is functioning. For the purposes of this lecture, we will conceptualize certain brain modules corresponding to particular psychological functions and simply name them. It is a kind of mental shorthand used for conceptual convenience when describing relatively stable psychological functions in this way.

Perceptions, Emotions, Psychological Functions

For example, one could say that while we are looking, the seeing module is active, while hearing corresponds to the activity of the listening module. Anger would correspond to the activity of the anger module, while sadness would correspond to the activity of the sadness module. One could even say that while the brain memorizes, the memory module is active. Technically speaking, every manifestation of psychic functioning corresponds to the activity of a particular brain module. That would mean that every psychological function in the Jungian sense — thinking, intuition, sensation, and feeling — has a corresponding brain module.

Every complex has a brain module. Every instinct and archetypal image also has a brain module and corresponds to a particular psychological phenomenon. One could even say that consciousness itself has a brain module — let us call it the Consciousness module — while the unconscious also has a corresponding Unconsciousness module.

What Fires Together, Wires Together

With that in mind, I will introduce another idea from neuroscience, expressed in the saying: “What fires together, wires together.”

The idea is that while we undergo psychological experiences, and while the brain functions in a certain way to make these experiences possible, particular neurons repeatedly work together and gradually strengthen their connections. Even though brain modules consist of specific neuronal networks, all neurons remain interconnected to some extent.

Every activity of the brain therefore influences other activities — strongly, weakly, or somewhere in between. Some activities of the brain are closely associated with the Consciousness module, while others are not. We already have a psychological term for the area in which these activities, disconnected from consciousness, operate: the unconscious.

Repression as a Necessity

In neurocognitive literature one can read that the simultaneous performance of two psychological functions is governed by the allocation of limited neural processing resources. When two tasks rely on overlapping neural systems, interference occurs. When they rely on more distinct systems, parallel execution becomes more possible, though still constrained.

From Jungian psychology and clinical experience we already know something similar regarding the functioning of consciousness. It is as if certain brain modules are under pressure and therefore cannot function properly. Conflicts between the Consciousness module and another module correspond to what psychology calls neurosis. Often this other module begins functioning independently from consciousness and can even become repressive toward it. Such a module corresponds to what analytical psychology calls a complex. That is the situation in which a complex becomes so strong that consciousness itself is partially repressed.

Remembering the Dream

Let us now return to non-pathological psychology.

Every night the Consciousness module falls asleep and its activity diminishes, while unconscious modules continue functioning. They may even become more active because there is less interference between consciousness and unconscious processes. Since the brain is interconnected, activity in one module induces activity in another. Unconscious activity therefore induces activity in the Seeing module, the Hearing module, and the Memory module. In the morning we wake up and discover that certain stories are stored within memory. We call these stories dreams.

Dream as Self-Representation of Unconscious Functioning

Dreams can therefore be understood as self-representations of unconscious functioning, while the symbols appearing within them represent different brain modules and their interplay. It is almost as if every morning we are presented with an image of unconscious functioning translated into symbolic form.

Functional Module as Symbol

Each symbol in a dream may thus be understood as a representation of a particular brain module. By working with it, we create interaction between the Consciousness module and different unconscious modules. In this process we resolve actual or potential conflicts and enable the psyche to function more as a unified whole instead of a collection of conflicting tendencies. “We are legion,” familiar from possession narratives and exorcism stories, is actually an apt description of a psyche tormented by autonomous complexes — different psychological systems functioning independently and in conflict with one another.

By working on dreams and approaching them as ethical problems, we alter the functioning of consciousness itself. We change the functioning of the brain and, hopefully, the legion gradually becomes one. This corresponds to a consciousness that stands in meaningful relation to the Self — the biggest brain module of all. An ideal goal, never fully achievable, yet crucial for healthy psychic functioning.

Active Imagination

Since this lecture concerns active imagination, we should now say something more about the process itself.

In active imagination consciousness must stand its ground while at the same time remaining open to the position of the unconscious and flexible enough to find a middle ground between its own standpoint and that of the unconscious. One can easily imagine what happens to formerly opposing brain modules during such a process. Instead of two opposing tendencies, a new symbolic unity may emerge — a symbol of the Self.

Need for Existing Consciousness

Active imagination should be entered with one’s real personality. That means one should already possess a relatively developed personality structure and have one’s own opinions and standpoint toward life. A certain degree of psychological development should therefore already have taken place through life experience and, possibly, through analysis. The Consciousness module must already exist as a sufficiently stable center. Otherwise there is no stable structure capable of entering into meaningful interaction with unconscious material.

For this reason, active imagination would generally be inappropriate for a child. It could interfere with the development of consciousness itself, since a stable consciousness has not yet sufficiently formed.

The Theme of Active Imagination – Buying and Guilt

Before entering a fantasy, one should decide what to focus on. It may be a strong emotion experienced during a complex episode, an image from a dream one wishes to understand better, or even a bodily symptom such as stomach pain under stress or pain in the knee.

One recent example concerns a person who described becoming overtaken by Black Friday fever, spending too much money within a short period of time and consequently experiencing intense guilt. This disturbed him because he normally considered himself a thrifty person. He did not understand what was happening. Was he under the influence of a complex compelling him to spend money, or was the complex actually the guilt he felt afterward? He therefore decided to do active imagination on the problem.

Entering the Fantasy

To do active imagination one needs a quiet place.

Sitting down with his eyes closed, he attempted to call forth the fantasy underlying the conflict between spending and guilt. When one calls forth a fantasy, one must remain focused enough so that the fantasy does not drift into unrelated associations. At the same time, one must not become too rigid, because the fantasy also needs freedom to develop on its own and interact spontaneously with consciousness.

If one becomes too rigid, interference is imposed upon the unconscious process. If one is too unfocused, the material changes too rapidly for meaningful interaction to occur.

Neuroscience has shown that during focused attention certain neurochemical processes strengthen neuronal connections relevant to the task at hand. By focusing on the fantasy, we are therefore actively connecting the neurons of the Consciousness module with those of unconscious modules — in this case perhaps the guilt module or another constellation activated in the unconscious.

In this example, the person entered the fantasy and saw a large bear. Since it is important in active imagination to react as if the situation were real, he initially tried to run away. But the bear called him back and told him not to run, insisting that it was not dangerous. When he asked the bear why it had made him spend money on unnecessary things, the bear answered that it was preparing for hibernation and needed enough supplies for the period of passivity ahead. The active imagination ended there.

Applying Active Imagination in Conscious Life and Rewiring of the Brain

Now comes the important part: reflecting on the fantasy, drawing parallels to conscious life, and applying the insight in reality.

The resistance and guilt the person felt toward spending money corresponded psychologically to his attempt to run away from the bear. The bear calling him back corresponded to the urge to prepare, acquire, and secure what was necessary. The central question then became: should he resist the impulse entirely, or should he listen to it?

The bear, like animals in dreams generally, symbolized instinct — more specifically, the instinct to hoard, preserve resources, and prepare for future scarcity. When such an instinct functions without the moderating influence of consciousness, it may become pathological. In such a case the bear would no longer be benevolent. In this imagination, however, the bear appeared benevolent, which suggested that the instinct itself was not pathological.

By reflecting on the image, the person realized that the things he had bought were actually things he genuinely needed and had postponed purchasing for a long time because they had previously been too expensive. During Black Friday sales he managed to buy them for approximately one-third of the original price. The guilt he experienced was therefore unnecessary and reflected not reality itself, but his own complexes surrounding money.

By focusing on the symbols and dynamics emerging in active imagination, he was able to lessen the guilt and develop a more appropriate relationship toward money and spending. The conflict between practical necessity and irrational guilt gradually diminished. The money was not wasted, and the inner conflict partially resolved.

When one engages in active imagination, one must think deeply about the experience and discover what it means for one’s own life. Often this requires doing things one would rather avoid. But sustained focus on a meaningful psychological goal allows the brain gradually to reorganize itself, since focused attention strengthens the connections between consciousness and previously dissociated unconscious tendencies. The legion becomes one and the Self becomes more embodied within psychic life. The process does not promise happiness. Sometimes it promises suffering instead. But if approached correctly, it gives meaning.

Conclusion

In this small lecture I have tried to offer several hints regarding how I think about the psyche, active imagination, and the concept of functional brain modules as a way of remaining psychologically grounded.

Within such a perspective, every symbol corresponds to a particular functional brain module, while every module corresponds to a particular psychological function. Thinking in this way prevents me from becoming lost in symbols, detached from life itself.

Leaving aside the classical use of active imagination, we can also see how observing fantasy provides momentary information about unconscious dynamics. The value of such a procedure is difficult to overstate.

For example, the fantasy underlying a panic attack is often precisely what activates the fear response. Likewise, fantasies connected with countertransference reactions may provide immediate insight into unconscious dynamics operating within the analytic relationship.

A third important use concerns resistance to external psychological influence. Marketing experts, political propaganda, and increasingly artificial intelligence systems often rely upon behavioural science to activate unconscious tendencies that shape behaviour toward particular goals.

In this sense, active imagination may function almost like a psychological form of imaging. An MRI scans the body, while active imagination scans unconscious functioning — the active complexes and archetypal constellations operating at a given moment.

The essential point is that by observing, entering, and interacting with fantasy, we place ourselves in a position to discover how we ourselves should change. And if we truly change, the brain changes as well.

The possibility that a profound inner conflict could begin transforming within a relatively short period of time sounds almost like science fiction. Yet active imagination remains one of the most difficult psychological procedures to carry out seriously and honestly. For this reason, despite its power, it is not frequently used in psychotherapy. Very often analysis ends before active imagination can be meaningfully integrated into the process. But in the life of an analyst, it may become an invaluable tool for dealing with personal development, neurotic conflicts, and counter-transference issues, among many other things.