The Witness watches what transpires in the environs of your subjective landscape and is continually aware of how energy is moving or getting stuck in the river of consciousness. (I use the term “The Witness” for ease in communication, but it is not a noun. It is a verb, a process — or more to the point, a way of being.) The Witness resides in the universal intelligence that underlies all of reality. It recognizes what is true and offers knowing which has no form.

The spacious awareness of the Witness can be likened to mindfulness in Eastern forms of meditation practice. The Witness always senses the whole, notices intent, and reveals true expectations. It perceives intuitive hunches, flashes of insight, and understands metaphor. It is the Witness that recognizes the truth of the matter. The Witness, therefore, makes it evident whether we need to engage the Active or the Receptive Imagination.

The Active Imagination projects what you want as if it has already taken place. As a result, you become so thoroughly familiar with your desires that you orient toward them and act naturally in accordance with your goals. Visualizing also generates energy, which increases the likelihood that your goals will manifest. You use the Active Imagination when you know what you want — that is, when you have a vision to strive for.