In guided imagination one person acts as the storyteller or guide while participants lie down and close their eyes. After participants are led through a series of relaxation exercises to get them in the mood, 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, 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 relaxation exercises, Gordon, the story teller, described a scene with fruit trees, green grass and wild flowers. He encouraged us to enter the scene. Because I was relaxed and these scenic elements were so pleasant and non-threatening, I found it easy to act out Gordon’s suggestions. After he encouraged us to explore our surroundings on our own, I began tumbling in the grass and smelling the flowers. Then Gordon suggested we float up into the trees. I love flying in dreams so I instantly flew up in the air to smell the blossoms on the several different trees.
After a few minutes, we were asked to find “the path that wound through the trees.” When we began to follow it, it was suggested that we choose to walk, run, float, roll, tumble, or fly, whatever suited our fancy. I chose to float, and after some initial difficulty, did so successfully. At an open field, we were told to see a fire burning off to one side of the path. After settling to the ground, Gordon told us we could visualize a roaring bonfire or a burning house. Once we decided on our fire of choice, we were told to enter it. I chose to enter a burning house for my experience.
The house was a short distance off the path to my left and it was nearly burned to the ground. However, there was still debris burning around the sides and in the middle of the house. My fear of being burned grew as I approached the flames. Before stepping into them, I reminded myself that I was no longer in my physical body and that the flames couldn’t hurt my astral form. Without further thought, I entered the flames. To my surprise, they felt cool and breezy against my skin. With them lapping up and around my legs, I walked to the center of the house to stand among the tallest flames.
As I reveled in these new and wonderful sensations, a large column of flame rose up in front of me and huddled against my chest. As I studied it, an arm-like extension of flame reached out from the right side of its body and penetrated the left side of my chest. Before I could react, I felt something like a hand wrap its fingers around my heart. Then it begin to massage it gently and lovingly.
Somehow, in this alternate reality, a doorway for healing had been opened. For many years I’d sensed a growing hardness in my heart from being so angry at myself and the world for being so hard to love. As the Fire Being or Spirit continued to massage my heart, strong feelings of love and compassion were released in me. With a great sigh of relief, I completely relaxed into this experience.
Soon, Gordon spoke again and gently suggested we bring our fire experience to an end. As this suggestion slowly filtered through my mind, the Flame Spirit withdrew its fiery hand from inside my chest. Growing an additional appendage from the left side of its body, it reached up over my right shoulder and around the back of my neck. Supporting itself with its left appendage, it leaned back and appeared to look up into my face.
With the fiery hand it had used to massage my heart, it reached up toward my face and gently brushed the side of my face with the back of its hand. It seemed like an expression of love and sadness, something my mother would do. After one final hug the Fire Entity slowly let go of me and sank down, disappearing into the flames around my legs. With great sadness, I turned and left the burning house.
Retracing my steps back to the pathway, I returned to the beginning of my journey and awoke in outer reality. Over the years, I’ve relived this experience several times and always marvel at the magic and wonder of it. By interacting with this Fire Being it may have added years to my life. What do you think?
Roger Peterson (Pete), https://realtalkworld.com
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having (creating) a human experience.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“How you define yourself and the world around you, forms your intent, which, in turn, forms your reality.” – Seth
In other words, we create reality from what we believe about ourselves, and the world around us.
The secrets of the universe lie hidden in the shadows of our experience. Look for them!
Create your own Story Room with Ideas from The LifeSong Store!
