Exploring the Heart of Active Imagination
- A 4-month (hybrid) sea journey on the art of psychonautic navigation
- facilitated by Nikolaj Knub

Dear Friends!

it’s with great pleasure that we can invite you on board for another journey of imaginal exploration…

In the realm of the soul lies hidden a mythic landscape, a vast expanse of untold stories and unexplored imaginal realities. Active imagination is the ancient art of guiding us into this uncharted realm, inviting us to engage in a profound dialogue with the mythopoetic depths of our psyche.

Framed by the visionary psychologist C.G. Jung, active imagination is a transformative practice that seeks to bridge the conscious and unconscious realms, allowing us to encounter and express the wisdom and symbolic meaning that resides in the soul.

This is both a deeply receptive and very intentional practice of engaging with the contents of our psyche, where dreams, fantasies, and unconscious images can become living dynamic experiences. Through the journey we might encounter archetypal figures and mythic creatures offering us insights, or fragmented parts of ourselves, waiting to return home with gifts of healing.

If we come to this work with sincerity and humility we have the chance of cultivating a constructive relationship with the unconscious and thus creatively transforming the way we see ourselves, how we relate with others and how we inhabit the world at large.

The course is built around Jung’s own discovery of active imagination as it comes to expression and fruition in The Red Book (Liber Novus). Each module will have an online theoretical component, which will unfold key elements from Jung’s own journey, and discuss how they relate to our lives and the culture we live in.

Each session will also have a practical component in which we will meet physically and practice how to listen to the language of the unconscious, how to engage with it, and last - but not least - how to give it form, and integrate the wisdom gained from these encounters into our daily life.

In this way the course serves as both a theoretical and experiential introduction, helping us to find our own path with active imagination and to become skilled practitioners in the ancient art of psychonautic navigation.

Course Details

Content:

Experiential exercises: Immerse yourself in guided experiential exercises designed to initiate and deepen your active imagination practice. These exercises may include visualization journeys, dialogues with inner figures, and creative expression techniques.
Live Online Lectures and Discussions: Engage in interactive lectures where the philosophy and practices of active imagination are explored. Participate in group discussions to share insights, reflections and experiences, fostering a sense of community and support.
Video Recordings: Watch the online presentation at your convenience. If you are not able to join us live for the presentations, the recordings will be made available, so you can watch them whenever you have time.
Symbolic interpretation: learn techniques for interpreting the symbols, archetypes and metaphors that emerge during active imagination. Explore different approaches to understanding and discovering meaning from your inner experiences.
Journaling and Reflection: Cultivate the art of journaling as a means of capturing and reflecting upon your active imagination encounters. Develop personal insights, track patterns and engage in creative self-reflection to deepen your understanding of the journey.
Working with the magic of sound: dive into the magic of soundscapes, and explore the profound connections between sound, healing and imagination. Build your own ritual/active imagination playlist as we move along through the course.
Integration into Daily Life: Explore practical strategies for integrating the wisdom and lessons gained from active imagination into your everyday life.
Dreamwork and active imagination: discover the interconnectedness between dreams and active imagination. Discover ways to for integrate these to beautiful practices, allowing dreams to inform and enrich your active imagination journeys
Ethical considerations: Discuss ethical considerations and potential challenges that may arise during active imagination practice. Explore ways to navigate the boundaries of this inner exploration safely and responsibly
Recommended resources and further learning: Receive a curated list of recommended books, talks and online resources to further deepen your understanding of active imagination and related practices.

Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to engage with fellow participants, ask questions, share experience and receive guidance. By the end of the course you will hopefully have developed not just a solid foundation in active imagination and acquired tools and knowledge to continue your exploration beyond the course, but also discovered a learning community of like-minded explorers based in, or around, Copenhagen.

As a supplement to the course we will also be hosting an urban retreat in the beginning September and a few Cacao Ceremonies during the fall, in which you will have the chance to deepen your practice with active imagination in a ritualistic container. (These events are not included in the course price, but you’ll get a discount if you are participating in the course)

Info, Price and Registration:

Time: Every second thursday from 19-21.30

Place: ‘Virkelig’ yoga studio at Tagensvej 85C. 2200. København N

Price: Full price: 1800 Kr. Reduced Price: 1400 kr. (for the students, unemployed or otherwise financially challenged)

Language: The course will be taught in Danish or English depending on the participants

Max number of participants: 12 persons

Registration: Contact Nikolaj at info@nikolajknub.dk or 26705189.

If you have any questions, concerns or doubts about the course you are always welcome to get in touch

About Nikolaj:

I’m a philosopher and jungian psychotherapist based in Copenhagen. Besides offering individual therapy I facilitate workshops and offer rituals with ceremonial cacao, sound-journeys and the use of active imagination. Currently I'm also working as a learning facilitator at the Synthesis Institute, where I guide and assist groups through their year-long: “Psychedelic Practitioner Training”. And finally I’m pursuing a long standing interest in eco-psychology and experimenting with ways in which to bring therapeutic practices out of the consulting room and into the wild.

Course Overview

7/9: Launching the ship:

- Introduction to Active imagination

Exploring the concept of active imagination
Unearthing the ancient and mystical roots of active imagination.
Understanding the historical loss of the symbolic world and the “spirit of the depths”