The secrets of the universe lie hidden in the details of our experience. Look for them! - Pete
In guided imagination one person acts as the storyteller or guide while the other participants lie down, relax, and close their eyes. Once the participants are fully relaxed, usually through a series of relaxation exercises, the storyteller constructs an imaginary scene and offers suggestions to focus, guide, and stimulate the participants’ creative abilities, just like thoughts and emotions stimulate our creative abilities in dreams. The results depend on each person’s ability to relax and get out of the way of his or her consciousness so it can flesh out the story line and allow the scene to take on a life of its own!
HEALING BY FIRE
The first Guided Imagination Exercises I participated in involved the spirits of Earth, Wind (air), Water and Fire. Our group met once a week and each week, for a month, we used one of these basic elements to build a story around. My favorite was the Fire Exercise.
After conducting a relaxation exercise, the storyteller describes a scene with trees, green grass and wild flowers. He encourages us to enter the scene. Because I am so relaxed and these scenic elements are so pleasant and non-threatening, I find it easy to fully enter into the scene. He encourages us to explore our surroundings, to tumble in the grass, smell the flowers, or float up into the trees if we want. I follow (actualize) the suggestion to float up into the trees to smell the blossoms and after several minutes, the storyteller tells us to “see the pathway that winds through the trees.” He instructs us to follow the path. We can walk, run, float, roll, tumble, or fly, whatever suits our fancy. I choose to float, and after some initial difficulty, do so quite successfully. As we approach an open field, we’re told to see a fire burning off to one side of the path. Again, several suggestions are offered to stimulate our imagination. A roaring bonfire is one suggestion and a burning house, another. Once we see our fire of choice, we’re instructed to enter it. I choose a burning house for my experience.
The house is a short distance off the path to my left. It is nearly burned to the ground but there’s still some debris burning around the sides and in the middle of the house. Walking now, my fear of being burned grows as I approach the flames. Before actually stepping into them, I remind myself that I’m not in my physical body and that the flames can’t hurt my astral form. Without further thought, I step into the flames. They feel cool and breezy against my skin as they lap up around my legs. Delighted, I walk to the center of the house to be among the tallest flames. As I revel in these wonderful new sensations, a large column of flame rises up in front of me and huddles against my chest. As I look at it, an arm-like extension of flame reaches out from the right side of its body and penetrates my left side. Before I can react, I feel something like a hand wrap around my heart and begin to knead it gently and lovingly.
Somehow, in this alternate reality, a doorway for healing has been opened. For many years I’ve sensed a growing hardness in my heart from being so angry at myself and the world for not being perfect. As the Fire Being or Spirit continues to knead my heart, strong feelings of love and compassion are released in me. With a great sigh of relief, I completely relax into the experience.
Soon, the storyteller speaks again and gently suggests we bring our fire experience to an end. As his suggestion slowly filters through my mind, the Flame Spirit withdraws its fiery hand from inside my chest. Growing an additional appendage from the left side of its body, it reaches up over my right shoulder and around the back of my neck. Supporting itself with its left appendage, it leans back and looks up into my face. With the fiery hand it had used to massage my heart, it reaches toward me and gently brushes the left side of my face with the back side of its hand, like a mother expressing love and sadness before parting. After one final hug, it slowly lets go of me and sinks down into the flames still burning around my legs. With great sadness, I turn and walk out of the burning house and back up the pathway. As I retrace my steps to the beginning of this journey and waking reality, I mentally relive my experience with the Fire Being and marvel at the magic and wonder of it all. It was a profound, maybe even a life-saving healing experience for me!
Pete, http://realtalkworld.com
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
We create our own reality from what we choose to believe about ourselves, and the world around us.
If we do not CONSCIOUSLY choose our own beliefs, we UNCONSCIOUSLY absorb them from our surroundings.
If we are accountable (responsible) for our actions, how can we afford NOT to question our beliefs?
How you define yourself, and the world around you, forms your intent, which, in turn, forms your reality. – Seth
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