Methods of Visualization

[Plenum]

From the way Ra uses this particular word, Visualization is more an active 'impressing' quality, which is used as a sort of tuning or alignment mechanism for the consciousness of the individual.

so, developing inner concentration:

The type of meditation which may be called visualization has as its goal not that which is contained in the meditation itself. Visualization is the tool of the adept. Those who learn to hold visual images in mind are developing an inner concentrative power that can transcend boredom and discomfort.

representing the 'singleness of thought':

The key is first, silence, and secondly, singleness of thought. Thusly a visualization which can be held steady to the inward eye for several of your minutes, as you measure time, will signal the adept’s increase in singleness of thought. This singleness of thought then can be used by the positive adept to work in group ritual visualizations for the raising of positive energy, by negative adepts for the increase in personal power.

and it's use in ritual:

Each visualization, regardless of the point of the working, begins with some work within the indigo ray. As you may be aware, the ritual which you have begun is completely working within the indigo ray. This is well for it is the gateway.

/ /

That is Ra's use of this term.  Like I said, it has more of an 'active' quality in terms of it's 'assertion'.  It is like a direction or a conduction, to focus and harness.  Visualization is definitely in the inner eye, the same place where we 'witness and experience' our dreams (not with our two physical eyes).

/ /

For me, I relate to 'Visualization' in a different way.  I believe that it is still something taking place in the same 'location', that of the inner eye, but the approach is different.  Mine is more observational, and more akin to a tv/computer screen, onto which one receives or has images flash onto it.  It is less about asserting, and more about witnessing.

It is extremely close to Jung's version of 'active imagination'.

As developed by Carl Jung between 1913 and 1916, active imagination is a meditation technique wherein the contents of one's unconscious are translated into images, narrative or personified as separate entities. It can serve as a bridge between the conscious 'ego' and the unconscious and includes working with dreams and the creative self via imagination or fantasy. Jung linked active imagination with the processes of alchemy in that both strive for oneness and inter-relatedness from a set of fragmented and dissociated parts. This process ultimately resulted in the Red Book.

Key to the process of active imagination is the goal of exerting as little influence as possible on mental images as they unfold. For example, if a person were recording a spoken visualization of a scene or object from a dream, Jung's approach would ask the practitioner to observe the scene, watch for changes, and report them, rather than to consciously fill the scene with one's desired changes. One would then respond genuinely to these changes, and report any further changes in the scene. This approach is meant to ensure that the unconscious contents express themselves without overbearing influence from the conscious mind. At the same time, however, Jung was insistent that some form of participation in active imagination was essential: 'You yourself must enter into the process with your personal reactions...as if the drama being enacted before your eyes were real'.

/ /

that said, I utilize both methods.  The former, more ritualistic, I use for tuning and preparing for deliberate higher work.  The second, more to experience and explore the resulting effects.  I would use the term Visualization to encompass both; as it pertains to the same area of consciousness, and, of course, the element of inner sight is extremely pertinent to both.

And just because it's taking place in the inner eye, doesn't mean it doesn't/can't have experiencible and observable effects.  In fact, the goal of inner eye work is to have an altered flow of consciousness.

[Jade]

Hm, this turned a couple of gears for me. Because I've always been a freak in this regard, as I very rarely have passive visual stimulus when I'm meditating. The "impressing" I get is often upon my physical body, with sensations. In fact I've always been extra-sensitive to the aches and pains of others, and have literally never been able to stomach watching anything where bodies receive physical trauma. But, when I do "outward" visualization, I usually try to create images, which usually works but I still feel lame at it. I think it's likely I should probably try to focus more on feeling the movement of energy through my body and cultivating my outward impressing through my physical sensations - say, for instance, when doing a healing, focus on the health and wellness of my own body in placement of the other's distortions, and offer that vibration. Anyway, just musing about my weirdness, thanks for another thoughtful post plenum!!

[I am Shayne]

When I meditate I allow thoughts to flow, until my mind becomes clear, and i get that bliss feeling. I haven't worked on visualization yet because I've been working on acceptance and appreciation. Perhaps I can make use of visualization sometime.
I have a couple of ponderments:

So by active visualization, is one practicing conscious creation to make their visualization happen in 3D? Or is it to practice the imagination to gain wisdom through imagined experience? being that is indigo work.

And what would you say is the benefit of singleness of thought?

I ask because I like the way you guys think, having read many posts on the forum.

[Spaced]

Visualization is something I've decided to work on recently, so thanks for the timely post Plenum .

For the most part I'm like Jade in that I feel things rather than see them in my mind (clairsentience rather than clairvoyance), but I've been practicing holding an image in my mind while I meditate lately (concentration is a weak point for me that I would like to improve). There was a lot of internal debate as to what image I should focus on but I settled on the image of a rose, cause it's beautiful yet complicated. It was slow going at first but I'm making some progress, for a while I could only hold onto the image for a fraction of a second before it slipped away, but now it's lasting a few seconds before I have to redraw it in my mind's eye. I think visualization and concentration is definitely important for anyone considering the path of the adept, I feel like it might help me remember my dreams as well.

I like to do active imagination sometimes but I find it hard to get into that 'zone.' Maybe practicing visualization will make it easier.

[Stranger]

So by active visualization, is one practicing conscious creation to make their visualization happen in 3D? Or is it to practice the imagination to gain wisdom through imagined experience? being that is indigo work.

And what would you say is the benefit of singleness of thought?

I ask because I like the way you guys think, having read many posts on the forum.

Shayne, the purpose of visualization is to create.  Depending on how well-crystallized your third eye chakra is, by visualizing something and holding it steady for several minutes in your mind's eye you are basically mail-ordering it from the Universe's Amazon.com.  If the requested circumstance fits within the parameters set up by our Father the Logos and our (uncle? what's below father but still parental?) the Sun, then what you are visualizing will manifest in approximately 2-3 years.  (I'm sure they'll get second-day delivery worked out at some point, but perhaps only in the 4D version). 

As humans, we are totally convinced that things are created by cause and effect, just as we are persuaded that communication requires words.  In truth, both are very convoluted means of creating and communicating, respectively.  Many of us have had experiences of telepathy, demonstrating a far more direct form of communication.  In the same way, visualization is a far more direct means of creation.

If we visualize something the Logos preferred not to occur in our "reality", its existence will be limited to the astral plane, and will never reach physical.

The master key to unlocking all these capacities is seeing through to the Oneness of All That Is.

[I am Shayne]

Great amazon analogy. 2 day shipping haha. Father and uncle Logos and Sub-logos haha

Because we are oneness anyway, creating our world would not be any more or less "productive" than living with the experience we are already provided?
I like the sound of that: paradox conceptually solved.

[Aion]

42.12 Questioner: In the last session you said, “the self, if conscious to a great enough extent of the workings of the catalyst of fasting, and the techniques of programming, may through concentration of the will and the faculty of faith alone cause reprogramming without the analogy of fasting, diet, or other analogous body complex disciplines.” What are the techniques of programming which the higher self uses to ensure that the desired lessons are learned or attempted by the third-density self in our third-density incarnational laboratory?

Ra: I am Ra. There is but one technique for this growing or nurturing of will and faith, and that is the focusing of the attention. The attention span of those you call children is considered short. The spiritual attention span of most of your peoples is that of the child. Thus it is a matter of wishing to become able to collect one’s attention and hold it upon the desired programming.

This, when continued, strengthens the will. The entire activity can only occur when there exists faith that an outcome of this discipline is possible.

I spend a lot of time working with both images and feelings when it comes to this. I am very active and many mundane activities I even perform better when I focus on a visualization. One example is when performing music. So much more feeling comes out when I focus on the visualization that the music creates rather than focusing on the mechanical aspects of playing.

However, my main techniques are Single-Point Focus and Path Tracing.

The first is my main technique for strengthening my attention and focus, and thus my will. It is very simple obviously and that is to focus upon a single point of no magnitude, just a singular point of focus. Most people start and do this with their eyes, focusing themselves upon some object or point, but my technique is a little different, I am good at focusing my mind upon singular points and so I will simply focus where I need to. Most frequently I do this work within my own body, focusing on critical junctions in the body or where major chakras are and simply focus on those points for long periods of time.

Then I will move in to the next technique and begin to trace paths around my body, connecting organs and parts of the body together to eventually create a complete nexus of connectivity throughout. This brings me to my next point of single focus which is on the whole body. So my first point is a singular point of no magnitude, then I expand that to encompass the whole body and then focus upon the body as though within a single point, viewing it in its entirety.

Most of the time the visuals I am met with are that of organization. Light organizing itself in to geometric patterns as my body is balanced and equalized.

This is essentially a Qi Gong technique.

[Blunt Force]

If Ra speaks about visualization as a practice, moreover uses a name for it, he does not know what he is talking about (but he will). That's why beings or civilizations communicate with each other for the purpose of not knowing. Mind information in visual form is natural, you never question eyesight, but having doubt in it for no reason may more than one can handle.
And you should feel that what he says is stricly a personal opinion and experience, that just depends on what he actually allowed to do or able to do while channeling.

[I am Shayne]

If Ra speaks about visualization as a practice, moreover uses a name for it, he does not know what he is talking about (but he will). That's why beings or civilizations communicate with each other for the purpose of not knowing. Mind information in visual form is natural, you never question eyesight, but having doubt in it for no reason may more than one can handle.
And you should feel that what he says is stricly a personal opinion and experience, that just depends on what he actually allowed to do or able to do while channeling.

I believe Ra says what he says in such ways so that the channeling group can most easily understand. Or it is to preserve their free will of thought/belief. Although we see things froma different perspective than Ra, I don't think Ra would be very naive to methods of creation.

And the narrow band connection to the instrument gets interference when talking of more distorted matters. Perhaps the concept has a difficult time being accurately communicated because it is a distorted subject.

[Blunt Force]

You can also reflect that point of view /understanding on yourself because abilities are of no question.

[I am Shayne]

I'm really trying to figure out what you mean by that statement.
Are you saying that our abilities shouldn't even be a question, and that our own belief is what limits/liberates us?

I see practice is a method of convincing us that we Can achieve great things. And i think there is another factor that belief balances with to be able to "release" our abilities. I'm not sure what undistorted concept it would be though.

[anagogy]

For me, I relate to 'Visualization' in a different way.  I believe that it is still something taking place in the same 'location', that of the inner eye, but the approach is different.  Mine is more observational, and more akin to a tv/computer screen, onto which one receives or has images flash onto it.  It is less about asserting, and more about witnessing.

Yeah, indigo expression definitely has a projective/receptive continuum to it. In one sense, it can be used to "hold" a vibrational mold, which the light of consciousness pours into and "vivifies" or crystallizes an activation of vibration. In the other sense it can be used in a "sensate" mode where one can use it like an extensible sense organ of perceiving or "downloading" information. It is sort of like the difference between a lucid and regular dream. In the lucid dream you are sort of dominating the experience, and in the regular dream you are sort of just "watching" to see what happens, or sort of like on an amusement park ride designed by your subconscious mind. There is also a hybrid experience I have where I become conscious in a dream, yet still just a passive conscious observer of the contents of my inner mind (basically just going with the flow of the dream even though I know I'm dreaming). Those can be very interesting self learning experiences.

I also have found, in my personal meditative experimentation with visualization that the most powerful and vivid "visualization" comes from a subtle cooperation between the conscious and subconscious parts of our mind. By that I mean I often cannot consciously "control" or deliberately project extremely vivid images (sight/sound/touch/taste/smell) without first going into that "receptive" passive mode first. Basically, I have to become the "witness" for the first part of the meditation session and let whatever images that my subconscious wants to form appear first, and then I'm able to allow myself to become so absorbed in these (seemingly) random images to the point where they become very vivid (like dream state vivid) and then, and only then, can I begin to "mold" them deliberately (which is a very gentle and subtle process of moving my attention in this state). So it involves a cooperation between the passive and projective parts of my mind. Once the relationship is established, I can then use that energy to more or less "direct" it where I will.

[Matt1]

I feel the same way, i think active imaging is accessing the collective unconsciousness or the archetypal mind but first we must go through the personal unconsciousness of suppressed unbalanced desires. I can allow images to rise at almost anytime they seem to follow anything from daily routine through to mythology. A good way to tune into this method is to visualize something in your minds eye and allow it to go as it will, you will find the scene changes. If i imagine a cross it might then end up in a field, then perhaps next to a castle, someone picks it up, its a priest? He takes it to an underground passage. These details could be logged into a journal and meditated upon until further meaning is obtained. Its fairly similar to a practice in Qabalah called pathworking, one starts a creative visualization of a path by starting at the first sephiroth connecting it to the other sephiroth and creates an astral image of the corresponds. In this sense rather than using your own subconsciousness purely, you are using archetypal symbols to begin with. This brings the Tree and the archetypes into a direct practical experience in which the archetypes are invoked from the unconsciousness via the conscious application of symbols that have an primordial significance.

[Blunt Force]

If you noticed discussing terms and events is exactly the point for successfullness. There are ancient theories that behold visualization as a statement and talking is a bad key maybe. You won't question the child if it is growing. What do you do?

[Nicholas]

If you noticed discussing terms and events is exactly the point for successfullness. There are ancient theories that behold visualization as a statement and talking is a bad key maybe. You won't question the child if it is growing. What do you do?

Tell them not to take drugs 

[Cyclops]

For me, I relate to 'Visualization' in a different way.  I believe that it is still something taking place in the same 'location', that of the inner eye, but the approach is different.  Mine is more observational, and more akin to a tv/computer screen, onto which one receives or has images flash onto it.  It is less about asserting, and more about witnessing.

Yeah, indigo expression definitely has a projective/receptive continuum to it. In one sense, it can be used to "hold" a vibrational mold, which the light of consciousness pours into and "vivifies" or crystallizes an activation of vibration. In the other sense it can be used in a "sensate" mode where one can use it like an extensible sense organ of perceiving or "downloading" information. It is sort of like the difference between a lucid and regular dream. In the lucid dream you are sort of dominating the experience, and in the regular dream you are sort of just "watching" to see what happens, or sort of like on an amusement park ride designed by your subconscious mind. There is also a hybrid experience I have where I become conscious in a dream, yet still just a passive conscious observer of the contents of my inner mind (basically just going with the flow of the dream even though I know I'm dreaming). Those can be very interesting self learning experiences.

I also have found, in my personal meditative experimentation with visualization that the most powerful and vivid "visualization" comes from a subtle cooperation between the conscious and subconscious parts of our mind. By that I mean I often cannot consciously "control" or deliberately project extremely vivid images (sight/sound/touch/taste/smell) without first going into that "receptive" passive mode first. Basically, I have to become the "witness" for the first part of the meditation session and let whatever images that my subconscious wants to form appear first, and then I'm able to allow myself to become so absorbed in these (seemingly) random images to the point where they become very vivid (like dream state vivid) and then, and only then, can I begin to "mold" them deliberately (which is a very gentle and subtle process of moving my attention in this state). So it involves a cooperation between the passive and projective parts of my mind. Once the relationship is established, I can then use that energy to more or less "direct" it where I will.

I tried meditating recently with an intent on practicing visualization. I was actively attempting to hold a simple shape with a simple color. It was progressing normally until I experienced a moment when i think i lost consciousness for a good 10 seconds and literally saw a vision of a bear cub's face really close to my face, an experience something like Hypnagogia. Its like i lost consciousness but didn't at the same time since I was semi aware of it I caught myself right away and snapped out of it. Is this similar to what you are describing anagogy? Pretty strange thing and not sure what to make of it.

[anagogy]

I tried meditating recently with an intent on practicing visualization. I was actively attempting to hold a simple shape with a simple color. It was progressing normally until I experienced a moment when i think i lost consciousness for a good 10 seconds and literally saw a vision of a bear cub's face really close to my face, an experience something like Hypnagogia. Its like i lost consciousness but didn't at the same time since I was semi aware of it I caught myself right away and snapped out of it. Is this similar to what you are describing anagogy? Pretty strange thing and not sure what to make of it.

Yes, that is very similar to what I'm describing. If you can learn to hold onto that hypnagogic state for long periods of time it is a very cool and powerful state of consciousness. It's basically like allowing your third eye to "open", and then with a bit of practice you can stabilize it and direct the images, but at first you sort of just have to let them create themselves, and then you can very subtly take control of the images and direct them. You can use this state of consciousness to enter a lucid dream from full waking consciousness, or initiate an astral projection experience or even remote view. It's tricky to maintain your conscious awareness in this state, and it is also a great time to do affirmations and reprogram your subconscious mind.