Mental Landscape Visualisation

[suk]

I was reading about this exercise online, where the author talked about a technique where you create an alternate landscape in your mind, a sort of 'safe haven' for you to travel to in meditation/trance. It's supposed to help with visualisation as well as enabling images to surface from the unconscious mind. I tried it today and it was interesting...

But does anyone know what it's called, and where I can read more about it? I only came up with astral projecting in my searches, which is interesting, but clearly not the same thing. (Or is it?)

 

[DDwarks]

Could it be this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1873483988/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[WolfyJames]

When I was in my wiccan coven, my High Priestess called that "astral temple". You may have better luck searching with that term. In my case it's a small house that has a garden with trees and a pond.

 

[suk]

Astral temple sounds right, thank you for that!

DDwarks, that book looks interesting in a scary way... Really sciencey! Have you read it? It's not quite what I was looking for though.

 

[DDwarks]

Astral temple sounds right, thank you for that!

DDwarks, that book looks interesting in a scary way... Really sciencey! Have you read it? It's not quite what I was looking for though.

Lol! Not sciencey at all I promise you.
It's very simply creating an inner world. You can use that inner world.
You can have anything you want in it from a gym to a spa via a temple or dragon flying centre!
To give you an example, if you've put a healing centre of some sort in there, you could imagine someone needing healing being healed by you or your own inner world shaman or even angels.
It's your world, you decide what's there or not.
Even enemies or bad dreams can be dealt with in your inner world. You could lock them up in your inner world prison to be dealt with with whatever entity to deal with them in anyway you want.
It's meditation/ visualisation/ imagination work. You can journey from it via portals to any world you want, if that's what you want.
I do have the book yes and it's quite an easy read. The cover of it never looked very professional to me but the content is actually quite interesting and amusing.
I say amusing because you could even have sex with whoever you want in your inner world and do some dragon's back riding if you fancy it!

 

[decan]

Interesting.
It looks like a little bit what tibetan buddhists name the "pure view"; well I am not a specialist at all there, and have just some notions.
The "pure view" -as much as I understand it- is to live in a pure Buddha land (a kind of buddhist paradise) here and now.
Practioners experiment their everyday routine as something very different, the Buddha is there, what they drink is nectar (not merely water) and so on.

When it's something that people experiment constantly I am wondering if this isn't a bit dangerous, except maybe for people very very grounded. It could be a denial with real consequences...
But in a meditation to be able to connect with an inner world where there are no pressures or problems is probably very pleasant and regenerating!
I should try!!

 

[decan]

When I was in my wiccan coven, my High Priestess called that "astral temple". You may have better luck searching with that term. In my case it's a small house that has a garden with trees and a pond.

Hi WolfyJames,
Did you decide this, I mean the kind of imaginary temple you would like or is this something revealed to your mind in some way?

 

[Tanga]

Ahh yes - the "inner sanctum" or "astral temple" - which you then take yourself off into for numerous purposes (path working) - some peaceful meditation, to converse with your guides or the dead, to commune with your Deity, to explore the astral plane, to work magick (healing or otherwise), etc...


As mentioned - it's a meditative practice to visualise such a place.
And it's not scary at all - as it's all of your own making.


I have one, a tall tower (7 levels because 7 is a significant number for me, as well as reflecting "cycles of 7" and the Western 7 major chakras in relation to life growth. Plus there's always gold at the end of the rainbow - right? )
with a whole surrounding landscape complete with various creatures in it.
And - I ride a giant Lammergeier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_vulture
(not a dragon ).
Plus I'm often kitted out in magnificent battle dress - with a life-size version of my favourite Athame (ritual dagger) as my short-sword.
I am Wiccan.

When I was still "in the closet" (as a Wiccan) - I used to do my rituals "in my head", creating my sacred space in a favourite section of my parent's back garden.
And from this, my whole "astral temple" and landscape grew over time, as I was introduced to the idea through various meditation groups and books.
(Physically - I would lock myself in the bathroom whilst doing this, and soak - the one place I wouldn't be disturbed).

Hi WolfyJames,
Did you decide this, I mean the kind of imaginary temple you would like or is this something revealed to your mind in some way?

It's a mixture of making the scenery up yourself and seeing what spontaneously arises whilst you walk around in it.
I know nothing of the Buddist "pure view" - but I suspect it's not the same... That sounds more like an exercise in appreciating the amazingness of reality - to better cultivate a state of loving kindness...

 

[decan]

Okay, thanks Tanga!
I will try to do that this evening and will see what spontaneously will arise!
I hope it won't be a strange scottish manor that will make me feel anxious!

I know nothing of the Buddist "pure view" - but I suspect it's not the same... That sounds more like an exercise in appreciating the amazingness of reality - to better cultivate a state of loving kindness...

Yes, it's very possible...

 

[Tanga]

Okay, thanks Tanga!
I will try to do that this evening and will see what spontaneously will arise!
I hope it won't be a strange scottish manor that will make me feel anxious!

The whole point is - if you don't like the Scottish manor - change it into a place in which you feel amazingly safe and do like! Lol.
Your astral temple is up to YOU.

Most of the landscape around mine is a combination of my favourite places from my homeland... my parent's backyard which was always an amazing wildlife sanctuary for me;
the hills at the north foot of Mt. Kenya - a wonderfully green and peacefully whimsical place (I climbed it once. The hills were called "Simba Kuja" = "The lion comes");
the sea at my favourite Malindi coast resort (the chocolate mousse at that nearby restaurant was Divine!), etc.
My tower looks like a Gothic gingerbread cathedral and the lock that opens the front double doors (made of carved ebony wood) - is in the shape of the tattoo on my right arm - which is the centre of the Mandala I painted in contemplation of my Patron Deity some years ago...

You get my drift?



(for example, if you liked The Lord of The Rings movie - you could decide your sanctuary is going to look like one of those wonderful Elven cities...)