7 Aspects of the Authentic Imaginal

Source: Rob Burbea, “The Art of Perception: Re-enchanting the Cosmos”

For a practice to be truly “imaginal” rather than just “fantasy,” it must include:

1. Soulfulness and Soulmaking: It must move and deepen the psyche.

2. Depth: Both “dimensionality” and “inexhaustibility” (a mystery that cannot be put in a box).

3. Otherness and Autonomy: Granting the image its own life, roots, and independence from our control.

4. Divinity: Sensing that the roots or origins of the image are in the divine.

5. Meaningfulness: Bringing a sense of “personal meaningfulness” that impacts commitments and direction.

6. Image as Image: Recognizing the image as a metaphor and not a literal truth.

7. Beauty and Sacredness: Expanding our senses of what is beautiful and what is sacred.