The
emergence of C.G. Jung’s Red Book from years
of storage in a Swiss vault has re-kindled
interest in active imagination. This method
of self-exploration involves actively engaging
one’s own imagination in dialogue, through
writing, art, or the spoken word.
In this 3-hour DVD, James Hillman —noted
author, psychologist, and the first Director
of Studies at the Jung Institute in Zurich
— introduces the method and delves deeply
into the therapeutic value it offers in an
increasingly noisy and demanding world.
Hillman considers the history and theory of active imagination in Jung, its relationship to making art, and offers examples for scrutiny and discussion. He discusses the fear of inviting demons and opening wounds, and addresses the difference between the voices of inner figures and auditory hallucinations.
The major re-examination of Jung’s original
ideas and inspiration doesn’t stop there,
though. Hillman goes on to examine the role
of imagination in contemporary culture, and
whether imagination itself might need re-imagining.
Hillman’s seminar was taped December 9, 2009, in front of a sold-out audience at the Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, CA. |
