Muni's Play-
Samādhi and the Energy Body: Images may arise directly from the texture of the energy body (e.g., seeing light or fire) or when emerging slightly from deep concentration into a softer, more diffused state.
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Emptiness Practices: Using the insight that time, space, and self are empty. This rendering of the world as “insubstantial” creates a void where images can vividly manifest.
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Emotional Upset: Instead of pushing away difficult emotions (like the “inner critic” or vague sadness), let the emotion “constellate” or take the form of an image. Trust the soul-intelligence of what arises.
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Deliberate Elicitation: Consciously calling up a figure—a deity (Kuan Yin, Jesus), a past dream figure, a memory, or an inspiring person (John Coltrane, Etty Hillesum).
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Imaginal Places: Using a “container” in the imagination to receive images, such as walking down a stairwell, entering a forest clearing, or crossing a bridge.
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Catching Daydreams: Noticing when a common daydream suddenly feels “pregnant” or “soulful.” You can then turn that daydream into a formal meditation by bringing focused attention to its resonance.
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Opening the Eyes: Seeing the world itself as an image. The world perception becomes imbued with mythos and soul, rather than the image being a separate “inner” object.