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Imaginalia Research is a private research institute that explores the complex psychology of the unconscious mind, which is the source of our imagination and the domain of the polycentric psyche. Our work at Imaginalia Research encompasses two broad areas: imaginal research and research about the imaginal.
What we do
Research about the imaginal domain
Imaginalia Research examines the territories and processes of the unconscious psyche, including those areas of the mind we can access deliberately — through techniques like active imagination — and those that come upon us less voluntarily, like dreaming. Among our special interests are examining the figures of the inner world — our polycentric psyche — through an understanding of complex psychology, and the ethical issues raised by imaginal practice.
Imaginal research
Imaginalia uses imaginal tools to study a wide variety of phenomena, ranging from mental health to physical illness, literature to music, religion to commerce. At its essence, such research establishes the imaginal as a legitimate means of creating or discovering knowledge.
Active imagination
One of our primary tools is called active imagination, a technique for bringing unconscious insights to consciousness.
Imaginal ethics
In active imagination, as well as dreams, we move through imaginal landscapes, and meet the sometimes vulnerable complexes of our inner worlds. Because of this, we also emphasize the practice of imaginal ethics.
Complex psychology
Our particular emphasis is complex psychology, a theory that considers the personal complex to be a primary structural unit of psyche. Complexes, also known as subpersonalities and parts, appear in healthy psyches, as well as those with diagnoses such as dissociative identity disorder, previously known as multiple personality.
Subpersonalities
Imaginalia posits that multiplicity — the plurality — of psyche is normative. That means, each of us has parts — and we can choose to interact with these subpersonalities creatively and ethically. Complex psychology sees our subpersonalities as valuable aspects of our psychological experience, and our quality of life expands when we discover them, acknowledge them and welcome them home.
Power of the unconscious
Our work is rooted in the ideas of depth psychology — the psychology of the unconscious psyche — and is influenced by theorists and clinicians such as Carl Jung, James Hillman, and John Rowan. Each of these thinkers embraced the territories of the archetypal and the unconscious. Each understood that, while we may all have personal and collective trauma, the mysteries of the unconscious, and the work of individuation, transcends ‘what has happened to us’ in favor of ‘what we can ultimately become.’
Power of imagination
In addition to the research available in these pages, we also offer audio lectures and soundscapes for imaginal work, as well as a section of resources to develop your own practices of active imagination, dreamwork, and even art-making. Artists, writers and musicians will find much that speaks to them here, as all creative work draws deep from the well of both the imagination and the unconscious. And for those who seek to further their personal well-being, we offer tools in our ‘portals’ section.
Power of inspiration
We are glad you are here. Whether you come celebrating plural pride — or you are a Jungian, with the goal to expand your active imagination practice — or you simply want to get a better understanding of concepts like archetype and synchronicity, we hope you will find something here to inspire you.
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