Bridging Realms: Active Imagination and Buddhist Meditation in Dialogue.
This workshop will foster a rich dialogue between the principles of active imagination, a cornerstone in analytical psychology, and Buddhist meditations, renowned for their spiritual depth and contributions to current waves of mindfulness-based interventions. We will navigate the nuances of these practices, seeking common ground, and uncovering potential synergies.
We will cover the contents below:
1. Foundations of Active Imagination and Buddhist Meditation
· Examine the historical and theoretical underpinnings of active imagination in analytical psychology.
· Delve into the roots and two major forms of Buddhist meditation, concentration meditation (Samatha) and insight meditation (Vipassana).
2. Comparative Analysis of Active Imagination vs. Buddhist Meditation
· Discuss Jung's model of the psyche and the prerequisites, stages, and goals of active imagination.
· Investigate Buddhist meditation's prerequisites, stages, and goals, drawing parallels and distinctions.
· Engage participants in sharing their thoughts and experiences related to active imagination practices.
3. Reassessing Perceptions: “Passive” Imagination in Buddhist Meditation
· Challenge preconceptions surrounding the perceived passivity of Buddhist meditation.
· Examine how characteristics of mindfulness-based interventions align with Jungian practices.
· Encourage participants to reflect on their own meditation experiences and consider how these experiences may influence the integration of their unconscious contents.
4. Integration and Application: Towards a Unified Model
· Review findings from recent meditation studies, encompassing insights from the field of neuroscience.
· Propose an integrated model, drawing on the stages of active imagination, to incorporate components of Buddhist meditation into the practice of active imagination.
· Facilitate a mindfulness practice within an active imagination exercise to promote embodied experiences.
Participate in this workshop to cultivate a nuanced understanding of both active imagination and Buddhist meditation. Our facilitation will empower participants to explore the potential integration of these practices, providing valuable perspectives on how they can augment psychotherapeutic and individuation processes.
Bio
Dr. Wen-Yu Cheng is a licensed psychologist, Jungian analyst, and neuropsychologist with practice licenses in Arizona, Washington, and PSYPACT. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Wright Institute in California, completing a predoctoral internship at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ. Dr. Cheng studied analytical psychology as an international scholar and fellow at the C. G. Jung Institute of San Francisco, subsequently obtaining certification as a Jungian analyst from the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP).
His professional focus lies in bilingual (English and Mandarin) neuropsychological assessment, neurorehabilitation, and psychotherapy for individuals facing neurological and psychiatric conditions. Additionally, Dr. Cheng offers clinical services and facilitates seminars on mindfulness-based interventions, multiculturalism, and analytical psychology. His interest lies in exploring the integration of Jungian psychology, Buddhist perspectives, mindfulness-based interventions, and neuropsychology.
Dr. Cheng maintains membership in professional organizations such as IAAP, Taiwan Society for Analytical Psychology (TSAP), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Asian Neuropsychological Association (ANA).