Click here to listen to this imagery
or read it to yourself and/or others:
Sometimes we get confused about who we really are. We think that we are our job or the role we play in life. Maybe you’ve recognized several things that have been interfering in your relationships. Take this opportunity to explore other areas.
Get into a comfortable position… (therapist note: induction + deepener here)
Imagery –
Imagine in front of you there is a large clear plastic bag.
As you look at the bag notice many things about it, especially the clarity with which you can see through the bag to the inside. You can see very clearly what is in this bag.
One thing you notice right away is the color inside of the bag, a beautiful purple swirling color, slowly moving around in the bag, almost iridescent.
Just for a moment watch the purple light swirling slowly inside the bag.
There are some things that you can place in the bag, if you like. Some things about yourself, your thoughts your ideas, your difficulties, your hopes…
Begin by putting into the bag – your name – and everything it means about you…
…what it says about you… how it feels to have this name…
Notice it just swirling in the purple light.
Place in the bag – your clothes – your favorite outfit – your entire wardrobe…
Place in the bag – your hairstyle… and your makeup… notice what it says about you, what kind of statement it makes, what it means about you.
Watch it all slowly swirling in the bag… notice those things that are important to you…
Put in the bag – your furniture…. your entire house… everything in it.
Notice all of those things you own, swirling in the purple mist
Now in the bag put – your car… what it says about you… what you are trying to tell people about yourself…
Now put your phone in the bag… all of your possessions in the bag…
put your job in the bag… and all those ideas that you are what you do…
put in the bag – your mind… and with it that little voice in the back of your mind that is always telling you what to think and what to do…
put your personality in the bag…
your dreams…
your nightmares…
place in the bag your beliefs… all of your beliefs about money… men… women…sex… your sex organs… beliefs about your weight… your complexion…
beliefs about race… God… religion… politics…
place in the bag all of the ideas and fears you have about death and loneliness…
put your mother in the bag… and all of your ideas and thoughts about her…
put your father in the bag….
In the bag now place you sisters, brothers, grandparents, husband or wife, children, friends…
put in the bag anyone you have every hurt…
Put all of your complaints in the bag… anything you have ever complained about…
All your judgments… in the bag…
Those people and things you felt were good – bad – right – wrong
put in the bag – your need to always be right… your opinions, opinions about what you have and have not accomplished… opinions about failure… reputation… things you’re guilty of… laws you broke… arguments you had…
put in the bag – all the agreements you didn’t keep…
all the relationships you left…
all the relationships that left you…
put in the bag… opinions others have about you…
opinions your parents had about what they wanted you to be…
what your friends wanted you to be…
what your boss wanted you to be…
put in the bag… what your enemies think of you…
your characteristics, habits, addictions… your resistance… put it all in the bag, and just watch it all swirling and moving…. all those things that are you…. that define you….
put in the bag your need to be argumentative… or revengeful….
your need to be alone….
your desire to not tell the truth…
your desire to not confront others…
put in the bag… your refusal to let other people teach you…
your reluctance to empower other people…
In the bag put all of your fears… your need to justify what you do wrong…
the reasons for why you are what you are…
Put all of your current problems IN THE BAG…
all of those things about you… swirling in the bag in the purple misty light…
Now, look around and put anything you might have forgotten in the bag… anything about you… put it all in there… everything that is you is in the bag…
Now put your clothes you are wearing in the bag…
put your naked body in the bag…
see everything that is you… in the bag, all swirling around in the bag, with the purple light… <nice long pause here, and get dramatic>
But… you are NOT in the bag…
You are who is looking at the bag…
You created everything in that bag to help you experience yourself…
You can keep or discard ANYTHING in the bag…
It is YOUR CHOICE… It is YOUR choice… It is not you… you are not who is in the bag… you are not the THINGS in the bag.
YOU ARE WHO IS LOOKING AT THE BAG.
<nice pause here>
now you can keep whatever you choose, it is your choice…
In a moment you are going to give the bag a big kick… you are going to send that bag into the universe… far away from here… and let it go…
Ready?… now when I count to three… give it a big kick… so hard that is goes flying far into the outer reaches of the universe… ready?… one… two… three…. <snap your fingers> and watch it go, farther and farther away… so far that is gets really small, now becoming a tiny speck in the distance, so small now that it is totally gone… just gone…