I was caregiving my father-in-law and we both needed sleep-I was laying on an air mattress next to him, he had dementia and his anxiety and pain were cycling him up. I cast a circle cocoon like structure around us and we both slept for hours peacefully.
Thank you for sharing. This reminds me of a time my brother and I were at a funeral. I was next to him and could feel the overwhelm creeping up on him. I began casting a similar cocoon like circle around us (spontaneously) and we both calmed. It all happened without any verbal exchange or acknowledgement. Such a mysterious and beautiful experience to have it happen between individuals or within a group.
Hi, I'd recommend reading the book, Liminal Dreaming: Exploring Consciousness at the Edges of Sleep by Jennifer Dumpert. It's a thorough examination of the various stages of sleep with an emphasis on hypnagogia and hypnopompia, which occur before and after deep sleep, where one can dream/ envision quickly. I've always been able to liminal dream but it's hard to remember... like snowflakes melting on contact. It becomes easier with practice. Her website is here: https://www.liminaldreaming.com/
Hi Maura, thank you for this recommendation. I'd never heard of the term liminal dreaming, it's nice to have a word for it. I will look more into this!
Thanks for this rec Maura. I’m 100 going to read this. I’m already kinda fascinated with this state of dreaming, in the way it oozes into the subconscious but also the way time gets scrambled in it. Excited.
I have begun to focus on dream work in the last two years or so. I've found that I can sometimes experience a kind of agency, not really lucid, but as if I'm more fully integrated into the dream's narrative. I call it "integrated dreaming" for that reason. I'm feeling it more, so to speak. Is this what is meant by liminal dreaming or is it just defined that way because it takes place while dozing off and waking up? Thanks in advance.
I haven't read the book yet, but based on the author's website, she specifically refers to liminal dreaming as the states between falling asleep and waking up.
"At the edges of consciousness, between waking and sleeping, there’s a swirling, free associative state of mind that is the domain of liminal dreams. As we sink into slumber, we pass through hypnagogia, the first of the two liminal dream states. In this transitional zone, memories, perceptions, and imaginings arise in a fast moving, hallucinatory, semi-conscious remix. On the other end of the night, as we wake, we experience hypnopompia, the hazy, pleasant, drift that is the other liminal dream state."
Thank you for pointing this out. I am experiencing liminal dreaming, I believe, but there is another element there. This strange kind of non-lucid lucidity. My journey continues! ;)
I think I've experienced something similar to what you mention. I've never become fully lucid in a dream, I imagine when that happens, you have more ability to shift and control the entire dreamscape?
Anyways, I've had moments of lucidity, a sense of agency. It's happened before and I've turned back time in a dream. Another time, I confronted a figure (explored in this post: https://alyssapolizzi.substack.com/p/pursuit-and-chase-dreams). It's always just been moments though, a certain action, etc.
I once was able to "materialize" (really stretching that word in this context!) a getaway car in a dream by chanting a spell I had written for specifically creating dream objects. I've banished a deity with a prayer I had written and done battle with some horrible ghosts. The ghosts were less impressed with my efforts, in one instance laughing at me, poking me, and licking my face to let me know I was wasting my time.
An oneiromancer I met on Reddit explained to me that "integrated" dreaming is where it's at. Lucidity breaks the narrative of the dream whereas integration allows you to more fully experience that narrative. This is something I have only been able to do a few times, to be clear.
Such a strange experience to have dream figures mess with you, it really does affirm to me that their are powerful, autonomous forces within the psyche.
Great point on lucid dreaming. Having a high degree of conscious awareness means we fall into the typical traps of how we think things should be, rather than being curious and open to what the psyche wants to show us, we attempt to bend it to our will.
Thanks Alyssa for this great post! I'm curious for your take on the dangers of engaging the unconscious. On the one hand I've heard people speak about surrendering to the unconscious (i.e. allowing the images and affect they bring to dissolve the ego and sense of self). For example, Bill Plotkin speaks of this when transitioning from an adolescence ego-centric stage to a eco-centric adult stage of consciousness. A kind of invitation to psychological death and trust in an eventual rebirth. On the other hand, I have heard others speak on the dangers of engaging the unconscious, of a strong ego and/or ego-Self axis being a prerequisite before engaging the depths. Others go so far to explicitly state the existence of evil as a real psychological force (e.g. Robert Moore spoke on this). For me there seems to be so much gold to be found in the unconscious, but at the same time a real and present danger. What do you think? Another related question: Do you think its advisable to recommend active imagination exercises to anyone (e.g. to dialogue with a mysterious dream figure)? Thank you.
In my opinion, engagement with the unconscious is crucial for the health and development of the psyche. Creating a safe, contained, and grounded dialectic between these layers of our psychology helps balance and facilitate integration.
There are many ways to do this. Complete surrender to the unconscious and dissolution of ego is not what I would recommend. A Jungian perspective says that we strengthen ego structures so that it can hold the tension of what the unconscious brings up. I wrote an article on this if you're curious to read more: https://alyssapolizzi.substack.com/p/finding-solid-earth
In my experience, a more gentle approach to the unconscious does not bypass psychological death/rebirth. It just titrates the experience, which is much safer and allows for incremental change and integration.
Engagement with the unconscious can be dangerous, more often when ego structures are weak or there is a predisposition to overwhelm due to trauma or other psychological issues. In general though, there are ways to interact with the unconscious that are more tempered, such as working with the images and symbols of our dreams, investigating somatic disorders that have no clear origin, tracking repeating behavioral patterns you can't seem to change, noticing emotional outbursts, etc. All of these are potential byproducts of unconscious material that is seeking further understanding, that need to be brought into conscious awareness.
It requires a high level of discernment, checking in with your current state, seeking outside support to begin the process if needed, etc. Evil may be encountered at deep archetypal levels, so the strength of ego/consciousness is key in noticing if these transpersonal elements have come into contact with us.
As for active imagination, it requires similar tools of discernment (checking in, moving forward if you are in a grounded state, etc). There's also many ways to do active imagination, choosing to paint a dream image rather than dialogue with the figure may feel more gentle. Here's my guide on the process: https://alyssapolizzi.substack.com/p/guiding-principles-for-active-imagination
This post comes at such an interesting moment for me, Alyssa. I've been in the midst of a deep cave exploration with Hekate of late and I had a bit of an invasion of what I consider chthonic entities in my office this week (ants) in the midst of it all. While, practically, it triggered my "Ew" response, it also triggered my inner knowing a bit too. A visit from the Eater of Filth is no mistake, but the invasion was a serious reminder that setting wards and having clear boundaries in the midst of working with a being as powerful and disruptive as Hekate is required. I would like to link to your piece in my writing about it today. It is a perfect correlation and your writing here details the importance of casting circles as well.
I do a daily circle cast the first thing when I get up in the morning. Quick chat with those who show up in the circle, and then tarot and morning journaling. I don't do it, however, for protection. I do it more to call in those who I work with on a regular basis. When I do not do that, my days often feel very solitary and disconnected.
Wonderful it came at the right time, feel free to link it in your writing :)
I do think the casting of the circle is particularly helpful when encountering or working with powerful archetypal forces. These carry such concentrated psychological energy that can really knock us off our feet (or worse!).
Thanks for sharing your circle practice, that's a lovely way to begin the day.
New reader here, thanks for the great entry. May I ask you Alyssa, and anyone else who's interested, what your favorite protective circle ritual is? I perform a daily Lesser Invoking and Banishing of the Pentagram ritual.
I have used ritual in dreams as well, to summon objects and once to banish a malign entity. I wouldn't call the dreams lucid, it's more like I'm more actively engaged in the dream rather than just viewing it go by. I have agency but it's not breaking the fourth wall, so to speak. My goal is to perform an Invocation and Banishing within dream space.
Hi Piers, welcome and thanks for supporting The Artemisian.
The rituals I perform tend to be very intuitive in nature, I've never worked with any specific spiritual traditions or lineages. Rather, the act of using a circle has come up spontaneously, just like in the dream state noted here.
If I'm preparing to do some journaling or meditation, I often employ a visual technique of seeing a circle being drawn around me. Sometimes I imagine a spiral going from my feet to above my head, and I move the shape very slowly, as if I am tracing the circular movements. I find this to be very grounding and provides a sense of containment.
Thanks for your insights. I'm a big believer in following one's intuitions in these matters. My practice takes it's general form from the Golden Dawn system but I tinker a lot, go with my gut so to speak. I do like using a formalized system as a base because I enjoy the theatrics of it all. I find it helpfully immersive.
Interesting! My familiarity with the Golden Dawn only extends to tarot. I've used A.E. Waite's deck since I began reading years ago.
Working within a formalized system does have its perk, in addition to theatrics, I imagine it also provides more clarity for how to begin and develop. That kind of foundation is great to establish and then elaborate upon with one's own personal styles and intuitions.
I'm so glad you wrote about this. I found myself casting physical circles around myself last year for the first time to protect myself from intense psychic invasion (which was happening in my dreams and feelings that didn't feel entirely mine). I found that sitting in a circle of flowers did make me feel so much safer to come back to myself.
Awake, prepping for a longer meditation or ritual. It takes a bit of prep but I loved it every time. And as a very airy person I sometimes need the physicality of the circle to feel it in my body.
Another astonishingly timely post. After a recent, rather harrowing encounter, I realise how I could have tempered its effect by honouring the temenos space. Lesson well and truly learned. I liked the way you could draw on family pieces in order to wear protection as well as create it. I can imagine the strength that inheres in such heirlooms.
It's really quite nice to have these pieces being worn each day. I've found myself turning to them as resource in the midst of an analysis session, when I feel emotionally overwhelmed, etc. Like an immediate connection to the inner temenos.
I was caregiving my father-in-law and we both needed sleep-I was laying on an air mattress next to him, he had dementia and his anxiety and pain were cycling him up. I cast a circle cocoon like structure around us and we both slept for hours peacefully.
Thank you for sharing. This reminds me of a time my brother and I were at a funeral. I was next to him and could feel the overwhelm creeping up on him. I began casting a similar cocoon like circle around us (spontaneously) and we both calmed. It all happened without any verbal exchange or acknowledgement. Such a mysterious and beautiful experience to have it happen between individuals or within a group.
Hi, I'd recommend reading the book, Liminal Dreaming: Exploring Consciousness at the Edges of Sleep by Jennifer Dumpert. It's a thorough examination of the various stages of sleep with an emphasis on hypnagogia and hypnopompia, which occur before and after deep sleep, where one can dream/ envision quickly. I've always been able to liminal dream but it's hard to remember... like snowflakes melting on contact. It becomes easier with practice. Her website is here: https://www.liminaldreaming.com/
Hi Maura, thank you for this recommendation. I'd never heard of the term liminal dreaming, it's nice to have a word for it. I will look more into this!
You're very welcome!
Thanks for the reference, that's a book I'd like to read.
Thanks for this rec Maura. I’m 100 going to read this. I’m already kinda fascinated with this state of dreaming, in the way it oozes into the subconscious but also the way time gets scrambled in it. Excited.
I have begun to focus on dream work in the last two years or so. I've found that I can sometimes experience a kind of agency, not really lucid, but as if I'm more fully integrated into the dream's narrative. I call it "integrated dreaming" for that reason. I'm feeling it more, so to speak. Is this what is meant by liminal dreaming or is it just defined that way because it takes place while dozing off and waking up? Thanks in advance.
I haven't read the book yet, but based on the author's website, she specifically refers to liminal dreaming as the states between falling asleep and waking up.
"At the edges of consciousness, between waking and sleeping, there’s a swirling, free associative state of mind that is the domain of liminal dreams. As we sink into slumber, we pass through hypnagogia, the first of the two liminal dream states. In this transitional zone, memories, perceptions, and imaginings arise in a fast moving, hallucinatory, semi-conscious remix. On the other end of the night, as we wake, we experience hypnopompia, the hazy, pleasant, drift that is the other liminal dream state."
Thank you for pointing this out. I am experiencing liminal dreaming, I believe, but there is another element there. This strange kind of non-lucid lucidity. My journey continues! ;)
I think I've experienced something similar to what you mention. I've never become fully lucid in a dream, I imagine when that happens, you have more ability to shift and control the entire dreamscape?
Anyways, I've had moments of lucidity, a sense of agency. It's happened before and I've turned back time in a dream. Another time, I confronted a figure (explored in this post: https://alyssapolizzi.substack.com/p/pursuit-and-chase-dreams). It's always just been moments though, a certain action, etc.
I once was able to "materialize" (really stretching that word in this context!) a getaway car in a dream by chanting a spell I had written for specifically creating dream objects. I've banished a deity with a prayer I had written and done battle with some horrible ghosts. The ghosts were less impressed with my efforts, in one instance laughing at me, poking me, and licking my face to let me know I was wasting my time.
An oneiromancer I met on Reddit explained to me that "integrated" dreaming is where it's at. Lucidity breaks the narrative of the dream whereas integration allows you to more fully experience that narrative. This is something I have only been able to do a few times, to be clear.
Such a strange experience to have dream figures mess with you, it really does affirm to me that their are powerful, autonomous forces within the psyche.
Great point on lucid dreaming. Having a high degree of conscious awareness means we fall into the typical traps of how we think things should be, rather than being curious and open to what the psyche wants to show us, we attempt to bend it to our will.
Thanks Alyssa for this great post! I'm curious for your take on the dangers of engaging the unconscious. On the one hand I've heard people speak about surrendering to the unconscious (i.e. allowing the images and affect they bring to dissolve the ego and sense of self). For example, Bill Plotkin speaks of this when transitioning from an adolescence ego-centric stage to a eco-centric adult stage of consciousness. A kind of invitation to psychological death and trust in an eventual rebirth. On the other hand, I have heard others speak on the dangers of engaging the unconscious, of a strong ego and/or ego-Self axis being a prerequisite before engaging the depths. Others go so far to explicitly state the existence of evil as a real psychological force (e.g. Robert Moore spoke on this). For me there seems to be so much gold to be found in the unconscious, but at the same time a real and present danger. What do you think? Another related question: Do you think its advisable to recommend active imagination exercises to anyone (e.g. to dialogue with a mysterious dream figure)? Thank you.
In my opinion, engagement with the unconscious is crucial for the health and development of the psyche. Creating a safe, contained, and grounded dialectic between these layers of our psychology helps balance and facilitate integration.
There are many ways to do this. Complete surrender to the unconscious and dissolution of ego is not what I would recommend. A Jungian perspective says that we strengthen ego structures so that it can hold the tension of what the unconscious brings up. I wrote an article on this if you're curious to read more: https://alyssapolizzi.substack.com/p/finding-solid-earth
In my experience, a more gentle approach to the unconscious does not bypass psychological death/rebirth. It just titrates the experience, which is much safer and allows for incremental change and integration.
Engagement with the unconscious can be dangerous, more often when ego structures are weak or there is a predisposition to overwhelm due to trauma or other psychological issues. In general though, there are ways to interact with the unconscious that are more tempered, such as working with the images and symbols of our dreams, investigating somatic disorders that have no clear origin, tracking repeating behavioral patterns you can't seem to change, noticing emotional outbursts, etc. All of these are potential byproducts of unconscious material that is seeking further understanding, that need to be brought into conscious awareness.
It requires a high level of discernment, checking in with your current state, seeking outside support to begin the process if needed, etc. Evil may be encountered at deep archetypal levels, so the strength of ego/consciousness is key in noticing if these transpersonal elements have come into contact with us.
As for active imagination, it requires similar tools of discernment (checking in, moving forward if you are in a grounded state, etc). There's also many ways to do active imagination, choosing to paint a dream image rather than dialogue with the figure may feel more gentle. Here's my guide on the process: https://alyssapolizzi.substack.com/p/guiding-principles-for-active-imagination
Thanks Alyssa for the thorough reply and the links. That's very helpful. Much appreciated! :-)
You're welcome!
This post comes at such an interesting moment for me, Alyssa. I've been in the midst of a deep cave exploration with Hekate of late and I had a bit of an invasion of what I consider chthonic entities in my office this week (ants) in the midst of it all. While, practically, it triggered my "Ew" response, it also triggered my inner knowing a bit too. A visit from the Eater of Filth is no mistake, but the invasion was a serious reminder that setting wards and having clear boundaries in the midst of working with a being as powerful and disruptive as Hekate is required. I would like to link to your piece in my writing about it today. It is a perfect correlation and your writing here details the importance of casting circles as well.
I do a daily circle cast the first thing when I get up in the morning. Quick chat with those who show up in the circle, and then tarot and morning journaling. I don't do it, however, for protection. I do it more to call in those who I work with on a regular basis. When I do not do that, my days often feel very solitary and disconnected.
Wonderful it came at the right time, feel free to link it in your writing :)
I do think the casting of the circle is particularly helpful when encountering or working with powerful archetypal forces. These carry such concentrated psychological energy that can really knock us off our feet (or worse!).
Thanks for sharing your circle practice, that's a lovely way to begin the day.
New reader here, thanks for the great entry. May I ask you Alyssa, and anyone else who's interested, what your favorite protective circle ritual is? I perform a daily Lesser Invoking and Banishing of the Pentagram ritual.
I have used ritual in dreams as well, to summon objects and once to banish a malign entity. I wouldn't call the dreams lucid, it's more like I'm more actively engaged in the dream rather than just viewing it go by. I have agency but it's not breaking the fourth wall, so to speak. My goal is to perform an Invocation and Banishing within dream space.
Hi Piers, welcome and thanks for supporting The Artemisian.
The rituals I perform tend to be very intuitive in nature, I've never worked with any specific spiritual traditions or lineages. Rather, the act of using a circle has come up spontaneously, just like in the dream state noted here.
If I'm preparing to do some journaling or meditation, I often employ a visual technique of seeing a circle being drawn around me. Sometimes I imagine a spiral going from my feet to above my head, and I move the shape very slowly, as if I am tracing the circular movements. I find this to be very grounding and provides a sense of containment.
Thanks for your insights. I'm a big believer in following one's intuitions in these matters. My practice takes it's general form from the Golden Dawn system but I tinker a lot, go with my gut so to speak. I do like using a formalized system as a base because I enjoy the theatrics of it all. I find it helpfully immersive.
Interesting! My familiarity with the Golden Dawn only extends to tarot. I've used A.E. Waite's deck since I began reading years ago.
Working within a formalized system does have its perk, in addition to theatrics, I imagine it also provides more clarity for how to begin and develop. That kind of foundation is great to establish and then elaborate upon with one's own personal styles and intuitions.
I'm so glad you wrote about this. I found myself casting physical circles around myself last year for the first time to protect myself from intense psychic invasion (which was happening in my dreams and feelings that didn't feel entirely mine). I found that sitting in a circle of flowers did make me feel so much safer to come back to myself.
Did you cast the circles in your dreams or while awake?
I love the idea of sitting in a circle of flowers. Recalls the idea of casting a circle with salt.
Awake, prepping for a longer meditation or ritual. It takes a bit of prep but I loved it every time. And as a very airy person I sometimes need the physicality of the circle to feel it in my body.
Another astonishingly timely post. After a recent, rather harrowing encounter, I realise how I could have tempered its effect by honouring the temenos space. Lesson well and truly learned. I liked the way you could draw on family pieces in order to wear protection as well as create it. I can imagine the strength that inheres in such heirlooms.
It's really quite nice to have these pieces being worn each day. I've found myself turning to them as resource in the midst of an analysis session, when I feel emotionally overwhelmed, etc. Like an immediate connection to the inner temenos.
I enjoyed reading this. Magic circles to create protective boundaries fascinate me.
Glad you enjoyed it :)