Imagination in inSelf Yoga™

Imagination is not a useful tool when doing inSelf Yoga™. For that matter, Patanjali outlawed the use of imagination during yoga. He also condemned correct analysis, incorrect analysis, memory activation and sleep. Those are the five unwanted features which may occur during a meditation attempt.

Because the mind has an involuntary aspect where it may during meditation attempts, on its own, activate and operate any of the five unwanted features, it is more than a matter of will power and conscious desire.

Some spiritual practices include the use of imagination. This may be termed as visualization or creative and willful imagination. Some report positive results using that. However, it is not part of the inSelf Yoga™.

What should one do when there is a need to imagine during the practice of inSelf Yoga™? What about when one is eager for an experience which does not occur? Can one imagine it instead of waiting in desperation for it happen?

In cases when one is required to make a certain psychological action but where there is no response in the psyche as desired, the yogi should give the willpower action or command, and wait for the subtle body to complete the requested action. He should not be desperate but should exercise patience with the psyche, giving it time to complete the action.

If, however even after doing this, there is still no response in the psyche, the yogi should try again during the same or the next meditation session. There should be confidence that in time, hours, days, weeks or years, the said subtle action will be completed.

An example is the need for the coreSelf which resides at the center of the subtle head, to move to the back of the head. If one finds that when one tries to move the core, it refuses to budge even an inch, one should try again and again until it does move but one should not imagine that it moves when in fact there was no such placement.

Another example is when one does breath infusion during which one is inspired from within the psyche to make an action with the subtle body while the physical body remains in its assumed posture. If one finds that the subtle body remains mimicking the physical one and does not respond to the request to change into the inspired posture, one should simply keep the willpower command and wait for the subtle one to move. If it still does not move out of the physical posture, one should not be frustrated but should maintain the command like when holding down a spring-loaded starting switch on an automobile.

The important instruction is not to use the imagination in desperation. That energy which is usually used to reinforce a desperate feeling, should be used to keep the command in place even if there is no assumption of the subtle action.