Before writing the affirmation, explore the problem you wish to overcome.

• How does this problem make you feel emotionally?
• What negative thoughts go through your mind when you think about this problem?
• Do you feel this problem in your body? If so, where?

To write an affirmation, clearly state the thought, feeling, or action that you wish to manifest.

Your affirmation should be a positive statement.

Compare:

I give up sweets.
I make healthy food choices. OR I have a healthy relationship with sweets.

I stop getting stressed out by my to-do list.
My to-do list is manageable when I tackle one item at a time.

Write your affirmation in the present tense.

Compare:

I will recognize and explore my options when I feel trapped.
I recognize and explore my options when I feel trapped.

I will be able to face this challenge with poise.
I face this challenge with poise.

Include the reward or the benefit that will come once you manifest the affirmation.

Compare:

I make healthy food choices.
I make healthy food choices and my energy soars.

My to-do list is manageable when I tackle one item at a time.
My to-do list is manageable, and I feel proud and productive when I tackle one item at a time.

I recognize and explore my options when I feel trapped.
I recognize and explore my options when I feel trapped, and I can breathe comfortably.

I face this challenge with poise.
My confidence gets stronger as I face this challenge with poise.

Keep your affirmation short and sweet so that you can memorize it.

“The myth is the public dream and the dream is the private myth.” – Joseph Campbell

The irrational narratives we call myths and dreams have fascinating parallels. Both are often characterized by awkward transitions, strange juxtapositions, and surreal and fantastic imagery. Delving into the world of myth or dreams requires suspending our rational judgment and having faith that there is something worthwhile to be gleaned.

In The Power of Myth, a series of filmed interviews for PBS that took place between 1985 and 1986, journalist Bill Moyers asked renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell how a myth is different from a dream. Campbell responded, “Oh, because a dream is a personal experience of that deep dark ground that is the support of our conscious lives, and a myth is the society’s dream. The myth is the public dream and the dream is the private myth.”

After hearing Campbell’s quotation, I thought it might be interesting to use dream work techniques to explore myths. I took a practicum with Terry Ebinger, a dream specialist and depth psychological educator (and a friend). She introduced me and other participants to an exercise that seemed well suited for exploring a myth.

During the practicum, we paired up and took turns sharing a dream with our partners. Utilizing shamanic drumming, Terry helped us go into a trance state and then guided us to enter into our partner’s dream. The dream evolved in a way that was unique to our psyche, and gave us fresh perspective, which we could then share with our partner—the original dreamer.

After the practicum, I chose the myth of Medusa as someone else’s dream that I would enter, and the myth became meaningful to me in a surprising way.

The Myth of Medusa

Medusa, you might recall, is a Gorgon—one of three monstrous sisters with snakes for hair and the power to turn onlookers to stone. Unlike her sisters, Medusa—in some versions of the myth—starts out as a beautiful maiden, who is later cursed by Minerva. The other trait that sets her apart from her sisters is her mortality. This makes her the vulnerable target of the hero, Perseus, who hunts her down and decapitates her. One version relates that, at the moment of her death, the winged-horse Pegasus sprang from her neck.

To prepare for my dream journey, I familiarized myself with all the known references to Medusa that have appeared in surviving ancient literary texts and chose the variation with which I felt the most affinity. Ovid says that Medusa is violated by the God of the Sea in Minerva’s shrine. The goddess happens upon the scene, shields her virgin eyes, and then punishes Medusa for defiling her temple. She turns her “lovely hair to loathsome snakes.” Hesiod, centuries earlier, describes a very different scene where Poseidon (Neptune) “lay” with Medusa “in a soft meadow and among spring flowers.”

Because I love Ovid’s poetry and appreciate his exploration of how crises transform us, I decided to go with his version in which Medusa is raped.

I wrote out the myth as if it were Medusa’s—in the present tense, as a first person narrative. Once the narrative was clear in my mind, I put on a shamanic drumming recording and used a shamanic journeying technique to help me get into trance: I imagined swimming into the depths of a natural pool and tunneling through the sandy bottom until I emerged into the dreamscape.

Dreaming the Medusa Myth

I find myself in Minerva’s temple. The early morning light is soft and gray, and the marble around me is cool to touch. I welcome the solitude and silence. I’m apparently there to write because I have a notepad and pen. Then Neptune enters. I’m aware that the rape scene comes next, but the thought is so horrific that, much like a lucid dreamer, I speed up the narrative, allowing Minerva to enter quickly and deliver her curse.

I can feel the snakes, heavy on my head and writhing. With their shifting weight, it’s hard to balance. Tusks protrude from wounds in my face. As the dream morphs I’m aware that people turn to stone when they look at me because they are petrified by my hideousness. I try to find solace in the company of my Gorgon sisters, but they were born monsters and don’t empathize with my fate. I become isolated. Suddenly Perseus is chasing me—even he can’t stand to look directly at me and instead uses his shield to keep track of my cloudy reflection. I am aware that I’m pregnant with Neptune’s child, which makes it hard to run. Strangely, in the split second before I die from that swift, clean stroke to my neck, I’m aware that a winged horse springs from my blood. I feel light and free. Something beautiful in my spirit has been trapped, but now it it’s free to fly.

Interpreting the Dream

There is much I can say about this mythic dream, but it’s the ending that holds the most meaning for me. Until my experiment, I had never given much thought to Pegasus’ part in the myth. Like most who are familiar with the story, I had been most intrigued by Medusa’s beautiful locks being turned into snakes. I decided to use another dream work technique to explore the significance that the winged horse had for me.

For a suitable technique, I turned to an audio lecture, The Beginner’s Guide to Dream Interpretation, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. She suggests recording a dream, making a list of all of its nouns, and writing an association for each one. She then suggests reading the dream back, replacing the nouns with the associations. I selected the noun, “horse” from my Medusa dream, and re-wrote the end of the dream by replacing the word “horse” with my personal associations:

Strangely, in that split second before I die from that swift, clean stroke to my neck, I am aware of childhood memories springing from my blood: those summer mornings in Tahoe—the sun filtering through the amber canvas of the tent, the hot chocolate and old fashioned donuts before riding lessons, the smell of hay and pine needles. I feel light and free. Something beautiful in my spirit has been trapped, but now it’s free to fly.

Estés also encourages dreamers to ask of a dream, “Where is this happening in my life right now? Or, where ought this be happening in my life right now?” Dreaming the Medusa myth leaves me with the essential questions: What is it that I need to cut off, or eradicate, in order to free my spirit? I also consulted with Terry, who suggested that I consider ways my animal nature might take flight, if only I could get “out of my head.”

I invite you to give this experiment a try with a favorite myth or fairy tale. I’d love to hear about it.

Sources:

The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyer, Chapter Two: The Journey Inward (transcript of the original filmed interview)

Theoi Greek Mythology, offers the best online, comprehensive reference guide to Greek and Roman mythology.

Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 770 ff (trans. Melville).

Hesiod, Theogony 270 ff (trans. Evelyn-White).

Terry Ebinger, dream specialist and depth psychological educator. You can get on Terry’s email list by writing to her at dreamterry@gmail.com.

The Beginner’s Guide to Dream Interpretation, audio lecture by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.

Below is the introduction to Melissa Healy’s 10/26/12 LA Times article, “Hypnosis reduces hot flash symptoms, study finds.”

Women sweltering under a plague of hot flashes might consider an old strategy to reduce their misery, says new research: harnessing the power of suggestion. Clinical hypnosis that prompted women to chill in the face of hot flashes was highly effective, says a new study, driving down both the number and the severity of episodes that women suffered and improving sleep quality and the extent to which the episodes interfered with daily life.

Read the whole article here.

Below are the opening paragraphs of  Stephanie M. Lee’s 10/23/12 sfgate.com article, “Studying how brain responds to hypnosis.” In it, she discusses the latest research Stanford University has conducted on hypnosis.

Despite what Halloween lore might have you believe, hypnosis isn’t all about swinging watches, magic spells and mind control.

It is the oldest Western conception of psychotherapy and, in mainstream medicine, it has been shown to help patients manage pain, stress and anxiety, and combat traumas and phobia. It is also associated with being used to retrieve “repressed” memories connected to mental disorders.

Now, new scientific research, bolstered by technological advances, is shedding light on the neurological nuances of the brain’s response to hypnosis. For instance, a recent study from the Stanford University School of Medicine helps explain why some people easily fall into a trance while others do not. Read the whole article here.

My husband and I have a fairly spacious living room/dining room combo, and for years we’ve had it sectioned in two. Well, recently, I did something radical. I broke with conventional wisdom that dictates that the dining table should be closest to the kitchen, and the couch in front of the TV. We never even use the TV! The whole room opened up.

There were unexpected advantages, too. Electrical sockets are now in more convenient places allowing for better lighting, and with the sliding glass doors less obstructed, our balcony garden and view of the hills have become a part of the room. Even Spike, our cockatiel, is better situated, and it’s easier to supervise him when he wants to run around on the floor.

I feel lighter and more energized in this room and am also motivated to find new projects to tackle. I can’t help but think there might be other ways I might break from convention, or move things around a bit to create change in my life. Sometimes the answers really are simple, and it’s just a matter of a little experimenting.

Are there any small changes that might make a difference in your life? The rewards might be greater than you think.

Imagery International, an association for guided imagery practitioners, is now accepting registration for their annual conference, October 5-7, 2012 in Burlingame, CA, located on the Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area. Nurses, MFTs and LCSWs can all get contact hours for attending.

I’m on the conference committee and very excited about the speakers this year:

Emmett Miller, MD: Awakening the Soul of Your Inner Leader

Patricia Bisch, MA, MFT: Transform & Reclaim Your Perfect Body Weight: Reconnecting to Your Soul Innocence with Imagery and Other Techniques

Bev Hollander, BSN, MS, HN-BC, FCN: The Therapeutic Application of Integrative Imagery for Deep Soul Connection – Bev is Imagery International’s Imagery Person of the Year, 2010

Clandis V. Payne, MA: Images of Rituals in Healing the Brokenhearted

Amrita Cottrell, Imagery and Music/Music and Imagery: A Psychoacoustic Music Exploration

Lea Bayles, M.A. – Emeritus Speaker: Sacred Body, Sacred Planet: 3 Keys to Activate Nature’s Transformational Magic for Radiant Health, Vibrant Creativity and Joyful Evolution

Click here for details: http://imageryinternational.org/annual-conference/

Melinda Beck’s, 4/9/12 Wall Street Journal article, “Medical Hypnosis: You Are Getting Very Healthy” cites a number of recent studies about hypnosis.

Host Dr. Kathy Sykes explores hypnosis with healthy skepticism, yet an open mind. She begins her journey in the audience of a hypnosis stage show (cringe, cringe). She then observes a smoking cessation session, and a group weight-loss information session. Next she interviews an expert doing a study on hypnosis and suggestion. She then interviews a doctor who successfully uses hypnosis for patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and then witnesses a dental patient getting her two front teeth extracted for implants, relying solely on hypnosis for analgesia. She then interviews an expert on hypnosis for pain management. He is conducting a study that shows a difference in the areas of the brain that light up when using hypnosis for analgesia and the placebo effect for analgesia.

She concludes, “It has been a long journey, but at the end of it, I’ve seen two powerful examples where hypnotherapy may have a place in medicine.”  Fairly early in the episode it shows her having her own hypnosis session—not for any particular goal. She enjoyed it but also admitted that she has a hard time letting go to fully experience it. At the end of the show, she schedules another session, feeling that she could be more playful about it after all she has learned—and without the cameras in tow.

I enjoyed the episode, though I couldn’t help but have a running commentary in my mind as I watched it. It shows some common techniques that I take issue with, and I also found myself desperately wanting to provide insight for some of the questions that were raised.

All in all, I recommend it for anyone curious about hypnosis.

On 10/2/11, I delivered a 90-minute presentation at Imagery International’s annual conference. My topic was Using Guided Imagery To Overcome Creative Blocks. In it, I mapped eight stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey onto the creative process. To illustrate the eight stages, I shared a tale from The Odyssey, I discussed how each stage relates to the creative process, and for each stage I shared questions for reflection, and explained one or two imagery techniques that I find helpful. I will post notes from my presentation in parts here. Click here for the series of entries.

*     *     *

Working with an image that reflects the stage of the Hero’s Journey that most speaks to you

This activity requires a large selection of images. You can pull images from magazines, or use a deck of cards that includes a variety of images, e.g., a Soul Card deck, a tarot deck, or an oracle deck.

Consider a creative project in which you are currently engaged. Choose an image that symbolically reflects which stage of the Hero’s Journey most speaks to where you are in your creative process.

After you have selected your image, respond by freewriting. You might consider the following prompts:

• Describe the image.

• What detail stands out when you first look at the image?

• What is the first word or phrase that comes to mind when you first look at the image?

• What is the core feeling you get from the image?

• This image reflects the ______________________________ stage of the Hero’s Journey because….

• This image is encouraging me to think about….

• This image is reminding me that….

• This image expresses my fear or hope that….

• If this image could speak to me, it would say….

• Does this image suggest a helpful action step?

• Write a line of poetry, between 9 and 13 syllables long, that comes from your exploration of this image. (Adapted from Terry Gilmaster Ebinger’s dream work exercise.)

On the grounds at Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, CA

On 10/2/11, I delivered a 90-minute presentation at Imagery International’s annual conference. My topic was Using Guided Imagery To Overcome Creative Blocks. In it, I mapped eight stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey onto the creative process. To illustrate the eight stages, I shared a tale from The Odyssey, I discussed how each stage relates to the creative process, and for each stage I shared questions for reflection, and explained one or two imagery techniques that I find helpful. I will post notes from my presentation in parts here. Click here for the series of entries.

*     *     *

Return and the Freedom To Live—Odysseus’ Story

It is the Phaeacian people who finally give Odysseus safe passage to Ithaca after he has lost his crew and everything he earned along the way. Together, he and his son slaughter Penelope’s suitors, and Odysseus reclaims his throne. We’re told he will live to a ripe old age and die happy.

For the artist, the Return and Freedom To Live means enjoying the gifts, integrating wisdom from the journey, freedom to embark again

When we complete a creative project, it’s natural to want to celebrate. Knowing that we will go on another creative journey, it’s worth also spending time reflecting. Here are some questions that can help you reflect on your journey.

Return and Freedom To Live: For Reflection:

• What have you learned about yourself throughout this adventure?
• Who have you become? Who did you have to be to successfully complete this journey?
• What advice do you have for your future self who might struggle with a new project?

Return and Freedom To Live—Imagery Techniques:

• Imagine meeting with your future self who will create again. Pass on to him or her the wisdom, strength, and confidence you have gained from this adventure.

• Imagine expressing gratitude to your subconscious/inner creative spirit for helping you see your project through. This can be in the form of a conversation, a ritual, or celebration. Start second sessions with this.

So these are the stages of the Hero’s Journey as they apply to the creative process. It’s important to note may not happen in this order, but you will no doubt recognize them when they appear in your creative life.

We are all heroes!

Click here for Part 10—Exercise for exploring where you are in the stages of the Hero’s Journey

Additional Resources for Overcoming Creative Blocks & Cultivating Creativity

Audio:

The Creative Fire: Myths and Stories on the Cycles of Creativity by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. “This spoken-word masterpiece guides you through the dark labyrinths of the psyche in search of la chispa—the ember that is the elemental source of all creative work. Dr. Estés teaches about the hidden aspects of creativity, including the negative complexes that prey upon creative energy. The Creative Fire includes many special insights for people who create for a living: artists, writers, teachers, and others who must depend on their creative instincts every day.”

Julia Cameron: On the Creative Life. This is a free podcast interview offered by Sounds True. Julia Cameron is the author of the classic book, The Artist’s Way (listed below).

Books:

The Psychology of Creative Writing, edited by Scott Barry Kaufman and James C. Kaufman. See Ch. 14: “Writer’s Block and Blocked Writers: Using Natural Imagery to Enhance Creativity,” by Jerome L. Singer and Michael V. Barrios

 The Creativity Book: A Year’s Worth of Inspiration and Guidance by Eric Maisel, Ph.D.

Affirmations for Artists by Eric Maisel

The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor by Gail McMeekin, L.I.C.S.W.

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

Internet:

Creativity Portal: Explore and Express Your Creativity. This site includes articles on creativity, artist interviews, project ideas, and writing prompts.

 Creativity for Life. Article categories include personal creativity, workplace creativity, and a creativity toolbox.

Renown creativity coach, Eric Maisel. Maisel’s site lists his many books for artists, writers, and creative people. It also includes links to his keynote addresses, lectures, and podcast, The Joy of Living Creatively: Tapping Your Innovation and Imagination.