I've put this in it's own thread as it's proven to be an incredibly useful technique for me in the past and is worth outlining in a bit more detail. Basically it involves mapping your own experience and looking at things like self-image, how you believe yourself to be perceived by others and how you would like to be. The way I approached it seems closer to contemplation than meditation, it's just dispassionately observing what you believe yourself to be. It's likely to be more useful to beginners than advanced practitioners so, again, if I'm way off the mark with this then
please correct me so that I can refine my own understanding.
Ego Mapping - A Groundplan For The Assault On The Identity.This can be a really fun and revealing process.
- Perceived strengths and weaknesses
- Fears
- Ego supporting fantasies
- Desires and dreams
- Turning points in your life
- Successes and failures
- Embarrassments, fuck ups, perceived mistakes and traumas
Other useful exercises include:
- Write an account of yourself as you are.
- Write an account of how you would like to be.
- Write an account of how you think others see you.
- Write your own obituary.
This exercise is inspired by Phil Hine's technique as discussed in "Prime Chaos", applied to AF practice rather than creating a magickal self.
Useful? Pointless? A travesty?!
Enjoy.