Invisible Guests: The Development of Imaginal Dialogue

Abstract

There is practical value in reconceptualizing the psyche as containing many subpersonalities rather than continuing the present psychological tradition of viewing the mind as a relatively monolithic structure. The concept of self is being written about in so many ways that it may be more an obstacle than a heuristic idea in its role as an organizing idea in dynamic psychology. Dr. Watkins presents a scholarly, well-reasoned, persuasive, and clearly written theoretical challenge to the prevailing theories that treat imaginal dialogues as primitive, regressive, or merely derivative. She argues for actively cultivating the mental capacity for receptivity to the imagination to the extent that the characters we encounter are granted enough autonomy to serve as a source of creativity and healing. The author notes