Guided Meditations

 

A Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity discussion topic

Copyright 2006 by K. Ferlic,   All Rights Reserved

 
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The guided meditation is a very powerful and useful technique that can be used in a variety of ways.
A guided meditation is exactly what is says, a meditation that is guided in some way. Usually it is guided by another but we can always create a tape and guide ourselves. It is a process where our attention and awareness are guided to understand a situation or event and/or access information on the subject of the guided meditation.

All that we need to do in the guided meditation is to allow our mind and body to stay relaxed and pay attention to the images, feelings or thoughts that come to us as we travel along with the directions provided by the speaker. The guided meditation does not work with the facts of the mind as such. Rather it works with the images of the mind and energies of the universe that are perceived by our body or being and characterized by mind based on the experiences we have had. A guided meditation works with the personal symbols and imagery that swirl though our imagination bringing meaning to our life. As such we will have to be the one who ultimately interprets our symbols. Others may help, but it is our imagination and our symbolism.

The symbolism that presents itself runs deep from within our being and can cut across all aspects of our life for our entire life. Some of the symbolism will be uniquely ours. Some of the symbolism will be very common and quite universal in its meaning. However, some of what our imagination may utilize what appears to be universal symbolism but it is adapted uniquely to our use and the meaning our psyche gives it. In any case, what ever arises within the guided meditation, whether it be a thought, an image, a feeling or something else, we should not judge it or deny it. We need to let it be and let it to lead us and take us where it desires to take us.

The guide meditation process is a receptive process. We do not need to create any image or think any thought. Rather, we are invited by our imagination to receive what it has to offer. Then, after we receive what is offered, we distill the story it wishes to tell from the symbols and images that emerge from the far reaches and depth of our imagination. These images are of the now. That is they provide what we sense here and now in the moment. These images frame our life with meaning. We need to let the images freely come to us. we only need to receive them as they arrive without judgement in any way.

In working with the images, thoughts and feelings of a guided mediation there should be no judgements on what you receive. We cannot compare what we get with what someone else may get. For example, when our imagination is asked for a symbol as to where we find power we may get the image of ocean. For the same question, others may get an image of a cave with symbols painted on the walls, a forest where they can become lost in the trees, the hollow of a tree, the wind itself whispering as it moves through the trees, a book, a photo album filled with scenes and information, or any of a myriad of object that our imagination may find appropriate to relay to your consciousness what it desires to communicate. The symbolism that surfaces can be quite simple and straight forward or they can be quite complex often accompanied with emotion.

Often what the guided meditation brings for is not always easy to accept. Sometimes what the guided meditation bring forth is a part of our life that has laid buried for years. It emergence may surprise us. Some of the images may be part memory, some part fantasy. Some may confuse us. Some themes that emerge through the images and thoughts may reacquaint us with dreams, hopes and/or desire that we thought we left behind long ago.

The story and themes that emerge may be funny, slightly goofy, bizarre or they may bring tears to our eyes. Whatever come we should not judge it or censure any of it. It does not have to makes sense to our logical mind. We don’t often think of our lives in the terms used by the imagination. The imagination has its own logic and its own reasons for bringing to us the images that it does. Some may not come clear to us except over time. All that comes forth is a gift to us. It comes from, and is a reminder of, our essence. We only need to accept what comes forth for what it is, as it is.

There are two issues that arise relative to any guided meditation. One is that sometimes if we know the journey we are going to embark upon (the transcript or highlights of the guided meditation) , our conscious and/or subconscious mind will channel us in one direction or another. Unless we are able to surrender completely to the effort and step out of the thinking and judging aspects of both the conscious and subconscious mind, it is best not to know the journey we are going to take. That of course will lead us into the unknown and we may find we have fears, reservations or some other feeling about journeying into the unknown.

It needs to be understood, a guided meditation is a journey into our own mind. We cannot be harmed by what we experience, unless we choose to allow ourselves to be harmed. Even if we do not like what we experience and it may in fact be terrifying, our imagination cannot harm us unless we allow it. It is our imagination and we are ultimately in control of what we experience. It is only a part of ourselves that is talking to us that we may have avoided or repressed. That in itself is where the power of the guided meditation lies. It allows us to access parts of ourselves that we normally do not access. How we choose to act or respond to what our imagination presents is another question.

To ensure that we are in a safe and secure space at all times, before we begin our guided meditation, we can surround ourselves with the love, protection and healing energies of the universe in whatever form we wish. It can hold the image of our God or an angel, or we imagine a warm and comfortable place in nature, or we can simply see ourselves surrounded by a nurturing energy. It does not matter what we use. We can use whatever allows us to be in a safe and secure space fully at ease throughout the entire journey.

The second issue that arises is that whenever we step into a guided meditation, there is the fact that the meditation itself is a manipulation of our imagination. This is very important to understand. We are being manipulated by the guided meditation. There is nothing wrong with this if we are choosing to participate. On this point we should be free to choose or not choose to participate. If fear presents itself as an obstacle to participation, it is recommend we pull the string and find out the origins of that fear and address it.

A guided meditation is a manipulation in the sense that it is directing us to go to particular parts of our being and asking us to see and/or experience specific things. Now, because every experience we have becomes integrated and synthesized with all our other experience, we will be changed because of the experience that we have in the guided meditation even if we think we experienced nothing. Although this integration and synthesis process is true for every experience we have in our life, because we are in a guided meditation we are not in conscious control of the process. Hence our being will be shifted by where we are lead.

Two recommendations are made here. One is don’t participate in a guided meditation unless we feel that we can trust the source of the meditation itself. It is not the person leading us on the guided meditation that should be of concern, it is the script that is used to lead us. All of the guided meditations used in the Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity are designed for us to become self determined at all levels of our being and for us to take responsibility for our life at all levels. The intention behind these guided meditations are to allow us full freedom to create the experience we have and reality of our choice.

If we are willing to take full responsibility for our life, these guided meditations will assist us in our journey. If however, you wish to turn your power over to someone or something external to you and not take responsibility for your life it is recommended you do not participate in these guided meditations. They are not for you.

The second recommendation to guard against manipulation if we are unsure of the source of the script is to tell ourselves and set the intention that we will go where we need to go for the growth of our being but we will not go where we will be manipulated by the will of another in way that is harmful to our being and that we will retain at all times the freedom of our own being. This intention will then prevent us from being manipulated if we follow the advice that our intuition tells us. For example, if we are doing a guided meditation with a group and our intuition tells us to get up and leave the room, we will have to have the courage to suffer possible embarrassment to get up an leave.

The starting point for guided meditation is to set the stage as if we were going to do any meditation. We will need to become comfortable and relaxed. Additionally we can surround ourselves with the love, protection and healing energies of the universe in whatever form we wish. Set the intention that we will go where you need to go for the growth of our being but we will not go where we will be manipulated by the will of another in way that is harmful to our being and that we will retain at all times the freedom of our own being. With that preparation, we are ready to go on the guided meditation of our choice.

Guided meditation topics
Using guided meditation
Sample guided meditation format

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