Active Imagination: Engaging with Your Unconscious Mind

Jung wrote in The Red Book: “I lived into the depths, and the depths began to speak.”

That’s active imagination in one sentence. You go in. And something talks back.

Jung developed this technique between 1913 and 1916, during what was arguably the most psychologically turbulent period of his life. He wasn’t theorizing. He was surviving. And what he found was a way to have a direct, conscious dialogue with the unconscious—to let its contents translate into images, narratives, and figures that the waking mind can engage with.

Here’s how it works in practice. You start by quieting the conscious mind. Not emptying it—just calming the noise. Then you let an image arise. A dream fragment. A feeling that won’t let go. A spontaneous fantasy. You don’t chase it. You let it come to you.

Once it’s there, you engage with it. Not by analyzing it from a safe distance, but by entering it. You might write down what you see. Paint it. Sculpt it. Let it express itself in whatever medium feels right. The goal is to give form to something that was previously formless without altering it to fit your expectations.

Then comes the part that makes this different from daydreaming: you interact with it. You ask questions. You challenge the inner figures. You make decisions within the fantasy. You stay conscious and engaged while the unconscious reveals itself.

The final step—and this is crucial—is bringing what you’ve discovered back into your life. Active imagination isn’t an escape from reality. It’s a way of making reality richer, more honest, more complete. The insights you gain mean nothing if they stay in the imagination.

A word of caution: this work goes deep. If your ego isn’t stable, if you’re in a fragile state, active imagination can be overwhelming. The unconscious doesn’t always show you pleasant things. Having a coach or therapist alongside you isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. The unconscious deserves respect, and respect means approaching it prepared.

But when you do? When you sit down, go in, and let the depths speak? What comes back can change the way you understand yourself entirely.