Yikes, it’s officially June already! But before we get into The Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louise Gittleman (this month’s selection for our Cellulite Book-of-the-Month), I wanted to discuss one last thought from last month’s Cellulite BOTM, The Undervalued Self
In addition to dream analysis, Dr. Aron describes another method that can be used to probe the subconscious for help with healing. It’s called “active imagination.”
What is Active Imagination?
Active imagination is an exercise where you attempt a conversation with “the innocent” –the internal part of yourself that is hurt by trauma. Dr. Aron explains the innocent as follows:
You are born prepared for some defeats within your group but also prepared to receive security and protection from adults while you are a child and support from your peers in adulthood. When these expectations are not fulfilled, you are shocked, defeated, and often ashamed as well. What part of you is shocked? The innocent, trusting part.
The main goal of dialoging with the innocent is to bring hidden emotions into your awareness and to accept and validate those feelings.
Do It Yourself Psychology: You CAN Try This At Home
Active imagination is not a complicated exercise. All you have to do is set aside some quiet time to focus your attention inward and write out an imagined dialogue with the innocent.
Dr. Aron recommends scheduling a time in advance, at least once a week but preferably more, when you know you won’t be disturbed. If you want, you can use meditation or deep breathing to help still your mind before inviting the innocent to come and speak with you.
If the innocent doesn’t say anything in the beginning, you can ask if there is something she would like to say or do. Then wait for her to reply. Writing the dialogue in a notebook might help you stay focused throughout the exercise which could last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour.
When your mind wanders, simply return to where you left off. Dr. Aron says that a wandering mind sometimes signals an important topic is trying to come to the surface.
My Experience with Active Imagination
Dr. Aron uses active imagination to treat psychological trauma, but for the purposes of our investigation, we are interested in the emotional aspect of physical healing.
I believe psychology can be instrumental in healing the physical body because of my experience with cystic acne (see, How a Single Psychotherapy Session Cured My Cystic Acne). Not only did dream analysis tell me I was on the right track suspecting fluoride as a cause of my acne problem, but I also used the active imagination exercise throughout the healing process.
I hadn’t yet read Dr. Aron’s book, but the idea of active imagination was intuitive for me. After I realized the severity of my childhood emotions towards the dentist, I went back and had a conversation with that little girl in the dentist’s chair. I asked her what she was feeling. I listened. I tried to comfort her. In the process, I released the fear and anxiety I didn’t let myself express at the time.
Is it coincidence that healing quickly followed my conversations with the innocent? I can’t say one way or the other. What do you think?
Are you battling the blight solo? Cellulite investigating is much more fun (and effective) when you're not going at it alone. Come join the conversation in our discussion forum.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I've studied for a master's degree in Child Psychology which included learning about psychoanalysis. A lot of Freud's ideas, while controversial/disregarded in the medical arena, still have a certain potency in literature and literary theory. Your articles was interesting as I've read a couple of articles linking certain skin conditions like eczema and acne with psychological states such as unvoiced/suppressed anger, perhaps towards an adult/parent (if you're a child), or a boss etc. The idea is that the skin becomes inflamed because the conscious mind cannot or will not or is not allowed to express itself, so the anger comes out in different ways. gives a new meaning to the expression 'flare up'!
That's exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about! Did Freud write about the link between physical and mental health, or was it other writers you're referring to? Do you think they are on to something? If it's true, we would all see evidence of this on a regular basis, wouldn't we?