A powerful way of using music is as a part of a fantasy journey

FANTASY JOURNEYS OR GUIDED IMAGERY

This technique is somewhat similar to Jung’s "Active imagination.
It is a very powerful tool, with experiences and symbols that can be dealt with in the same way as dream-experiences can.
To make a fantasy-journey effective, the receiver must be in the right mood, a relaxed, open state, without too much head stuff going on.
This can be achieved by the right timing of the exercise, by playing adequate music (and sometimes by not playing any music!).

 

A certain level of tiredness can also be beneficial, The tiredness can be a natural result of the days work, or it can be created by say Bioenergetics exercises, running or the like.
Before the actual fantasy - journey, make a deep relaxation Yoganidra, either using tension - relaxation or breath.

What a fantasy journey is

The actual fantasy - journey is a sketchy story, told slowly, with long pauses when appropriate.
When Appropriate- is the fine art of this method!

The story is very sketchy, with lots of space for the receivers to fill in with their own experiences.

The theme of the story must be positive or neutral, never negative,

remember how vulnerable the receiver is in this relaxed state!
The story can be build over some of the archetypes, as for example
a flower (the rose bush), the wise man, the mountain and so on.

It is a good idea to work with relaxation before the actual fantasy journey is commenced



 

A YOGANIDRA, USING THE BREATH (1)
Lie down comfortably, loosen any tightening clothing. Check your body posture, lie straight but relaxed.
Now, become aware of your breathing: How deep is it? How is its rhythm? Allow your mind to be with the breathing. If you can, make the breathing deeper and slower deeper and slower.
Now imagine that when you breathe in, you fill your left leg with vitality and well being; When you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your right leg with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your abdomen with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in you fill your whole stomach area with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your whole chest with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your left hand, wrist and arm with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your right hand, wrist and arm with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your neck with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your throat with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill the back of your head with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your face with vitality and well being, when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill the left side of your head with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill the right side of your head with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill the top of your head with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
When you breathe in, you fill your whole body with vitality and well being; when you breathe out, you breathe out any impurities.
Repeat the "whole body" segment for a couple of minutes. Take care you synchronize your instruction with the natural rhythm of the client or group.


 

A YOGANIDRA USING TENSION-RELAXATION
Lie down comfortably, loosen belts, ties etc, stretch.
Take a couple of deep breath and forget about your breathing and
With your mind, go to: [body part] . - tens, relax, tens relax

the toes on your left foot.
Tens relax. - tens, relax, tens relax
the whole left foot
left ankle
left calf
left thigh
left buttock
Left lower abdomen
left side of stomach
left chest
left upper arm
left lower arm
left wrist
left hand
fingers on left hand
left side of neck
left side of jaw
left chin and temple
lop of head
right chin and temple
right side of jaw
whole face and head
right side of neck
the whole neck
right upper arm
right lower arm
right wrist
right hand
fingers on right hand
right side of chest
the whole chest
right side of stomach
the whole stomach
right lower back
right buttocks
the whole abdomen
right thigh
left calf
left ankle
the whole left foot
the toes on your left foot.
Your whole body

 

The Meadow:
Music suggestions:
Beethoven Symphony #6, 2nd movement,By the Brook

As the music begins, transport yourself to a beautiful meadow. It is your favorite time of year. Let the music, like a gentle breeze, take you all around the meadow and help you notice important details - the color of the flowers, the moisture of the earth, the rough texture of the bark of a tree, the pattern of its branches.
Let the music evoke your feelings as you enjoy this scene. Perhaps it will bring back images and feelings that are important and satisfying to you.
Dwell on these images which the music shows you and discover the meaning which they have for you.
Don’t force or strain in any way. Let the music suggest what to do and what to think or feel. When you feel that your experience is complete, simply count three-to-one, open your eyes, and you are back in your ordinary surroundings

Helen L. bonny, Music & Your Mind p.55

Tips on how to understand fantasy journeys:

A fantasy journey is almost like a dream, dream interpretation methods can easily be applied.

Methods:
1.Translation of symbols
2.Dialogue with symbols
3.Integration with energy


1.Translation of symbols

This of course is a vast area, and beyond the subject of this course, so here just a very few ideas:

The green colour, the healthiness of plants:
The green colour is fundamentally an opening towards the light, the Sun (the photosynthesis).
It is through the green vibration, that the higher part of the aura enters into the lower system. Therefore the green colour is also related to the heart center, where the Self enters into the physical orientated, normal ego-consciousness.
Human growth tends towards self unfoldment, towards the Self, essentially. This growth is mirrored in the condi­tion of the plants. Sick, clipped or withering plants tell about prohibited growth and poor conditions for a contact with the Self.
Sprouting plants, a profusion of foliation and big, healthy trees shows the personality’s growth energy towards the Self.

 

People, animals:
Look at them as mirrors of aspects of yourself, how healthy or unhealthy are these aspects


 

Tips on how to understand fantasy journeys:
Methods: Dialogue with symbols

By this we mean technique that is called The hot chair, refined by Fritz Perls. To train this requires many hours, even if the idea is simple:

Sit on a chair, imagine an aspect of what you want to understand sitting in front of you on another chair (regardless of this other being a stone, a plant, a human being etc). Talk to it, tell it what you feel, in the present tense!
At an appropriate time you change roles, place yourself in the other chair, and now, being the stone, plant, human being you spoke to before, you answer the former you, sitting in the empty chair.
This dialogue, with you shifting roles at relevant times, goes on, until you have integrated the meaning of the experience.
This is difficult to do without a professionally trained helper.

Tips on how to understand fantasy journeys:

Methods: Integration with energy:

This method is meditative in its essence,
a way of doing this is the healing field:

Imagine a light approximately 30 cm above your head (the Identity Point). Let the light shine over and through you, providing you with guidance, protection and energy.

After 3 minutes, imagine that the light now goes to your heart, and there is projected out in front of you so you build up a powerful field of light at a short distance from you.

When you feel the intensity is strong enough, you place the symbol you want to work with out there in the energy.

With the symbol out there, your task now is to keep the energy flow going from ID through your heart to the energy field, and to watch what goes on out there. Do not interfere with your mind, just watch.



 

Fantasy journeys:
Your Guardian Angel 1.
Edited from Kate Rheeders Quabalah a beginners guide p. 55

Musical suggestions:
David Hykes: Hearing Solar Winds
Brummel
Gregorian Chant
Palestrina: Ave Maria
Rudra Veena
Klaus Wiese: Klangshallen
Sit or lie in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Allow your breathing to fall into a rhythm without any force. Be aware of your thoughts, feelings and body without hanging on to any of them. Just allow them to come and then let them go.

1. Now imagine yourself walking towards your very own sanctuary, that place where you feel completely safe and secure, the most beautiful place in the world for you. Feel the grass under your feet; smell the flowers around you; hear the wind blowing through the trees; feel the sun shine on your face. Spend some time in your inner sanctuary and explore a little.
2. When you are ready, look around until you find somewhere to sit under a tree. You may sit on the ground or a bench of any shape, any color and made from anything you wish. Walk towards the bench, sit or lie down and make yourself comfortable. Allow all the elements of nature around you to continue at their own pace and rhythm and become part of them. Just simply be.
3. Now become aware of a benign presence behind you. This presence is your Guardian Angel. You may see, feel, hear, smell or simply sense your Guardian Angel. Whichever way you experience the presence, this is the way it is meant to be for you. Allow this presence to enfold you and notice the incredible love within it.
4. When you are ready you may wish to turn around and look at your Angel. Your Angel may be a man, woman, child, animal, only a color, smell, light; anything that feels right for you. Do not judge the image of your Guardian Angel, but instead accept it with all its love care and wisdom.
5. Explore by communicating with your Guardian Angel. Ask his/hers/its advice about something that is important for you at this stage in your life. Your conversation may be verbal or non-verbal. Ask your Angel for his/hers/its name. This name is your secret. Never reveal it to anyone: save it for when you need to call on your Guardian Angel.
6. Whatever Guardian Angel communicates to you should always be of a positive nature and be an expansion and extension of your life.
7. When you are ready, leave your Guardian Angel and bring your consciousness back to this room, and allow your body to feel the surface on which you are sitting or lying. When you are ready, open your eyes and either draw a picture or write a few sentences about your experience.
8. It is important that you ground yourself, i.e. use the energy of this experience in order to use the information gained to expand the way you live your everyday life.


 

The Mountain
Edited from Helen Bonny: Music and your mind p 55, and own notes

Musical suggestions:
Debussy, Nocturnes, Siren’s
Amar Nath: Veda: Rain Melody

As the music begins, you are in a peaceful meadow. You find a narrow path leading gently upward. Follow this path. Walk along it. Let it take you further and further, higher and higher. Maybe even without any strain or fatigue on your part, the music carries you along. Breathing deeply of the pure air, climb higher and higher. Savor the scent of the trees; feel the peaceful solitude; hear the birds and other sounds of nature.
You feel a growing sense of expectancy. This feeling intensifies as you approach the top of the mountain.
You realize that the reason for the growing expectancy is a beautiful radiance that seems to come either from a spot in the area, or from a person you discover sitting under some vegetation near the mountaintop.
Go over to him, bow, and ask him questions about what is important for you and the next steps in your unfoldment.
Listen to the answers, they may be verbal or non-verbal, they may be via a gift you are given - in what way do you get the answer?

When you feel your experience on the mountain top is complete, return along the pathway to the meadow where you began. While you walk back, absorb and digest your experiences, so that you are ready to bring them with you into the rest of your life.
Open your eyes and return to your ordinary consciousness.

 

Who are you
Edited from our own course notes

Music suggestions:
The ocean
Tambura
Rudra Veena

I would like you to prepare to lie still for some time.
Make yourself comfortable.
Go through your body, see if a particular area calls on you.
Let your awareness go wherever you feel attracted. See what attracted you, stay objective, remain a witness.
In this way make sure you are in a good contact with your whole body.
Now consider who you are
Let your thoughts wander freely,
Who are you?
You are not your job or your roles
It is up to you if you want them
You are not your body, your feelings, your goals, your thoughts, they change all the time
Who are you?
Keep asking yourself.

When you feel your experience is complete, gradually come back to your body and return to this room.. Absorb and digest your experiences, so that you are ready to bring them with you into the rest of your life.
Open your eyes and return to your ordinary consciousness.

 

The Mirror
Edited from our own course notes

Music suggestions:
Ocean waves
The brook
Klaus Wiese: Uranus

You are in a dark room. You can’t see anything yet, but you know that in front of you is a big special mirror.
Say a prayer so that you make sure you are in the right mood for what this mirror can show you.
The room where you are, becomes lighter,
gradually you can see the mirror,
soon you can se yourself reflected in the mirror.
What you see in the mirror is maybe different from what you normally see reflected in a mirror,
maybe it is not different.
Know that whatever you see is all right, what you are ready for.

The image of yourself in the mirror, how is it?
what do you see?
How is your face, your body, your posture, your eyes?
Do you see aura?
What is the message in this reflection of you?
Imagine that the picture can speak to you and you can speak to the picture.
What does the image tell
What do you answer?
Continue the dialogue for a little while.

You will soon have to leave the mirror, make sure you have heard - and said what you need.
You must leave now, gradually come back to the feeling of your body lying on the floor, the gravity, the outer noises,
gradually open your eyes and sit up.