Imaginative Contemplation
Praying with our imagination
Imaginative contemplation is the process of imagining ourselves in a Gospel scene, taking up a character, being with Jesus and being aware of what’s going on, and how we are feeling. When we pray with our imagination, we come into real intimacy with Jesus as we seek to place ourselves as fully as we can within a story from the Gospels.
We may have been told that we have no imagination or think we don’t, yet we use imagination whenever we remember experiences from the past or engage in day-dreaming about possible future events. Most of us can do this readily in our own way, especially if we just do it rather than think about doing it.
That same imagination can be a very powerful tool for prayer. It’s a gift from God to be used for encounter. What is important is being involved in what is being imagined, experiencing it rather than being an observer of yourself.
St Ignatius placed great importance on imaginative contemplation because he wanted each one of us to meet Jesus and develop a unique and personal relationship with him. I watch Jesus’s face. I listen to the way he speaks. I notice how people respond to him. These details bring me to know Jesus as more than a name or a historical figure in a book. He is a living person that each person encounters in prayer so that “We have come to know him ourselves…” (John 4:42)
Further Resources
A guided imaginative contemplation by Louise Burrows (ISC Geneva community member)
Printable Sheet on Imaginative Contemplation
Workshop on Imaginative Contemplation (YouTube)
Workshop on Imaginative Contemplation - Story of Blind Bartimaeus - sound file.
Some examples are available on the Pray As You Go website
Step-by-Step Imaginative Contemplation
The following steps might help you to pray imaginatively:
• Read through the selected bible passage slowly twice beforehand so that you familiarise yourself with the narrative.
• Enter into prayer – with an act of the presence of God and asking for the Spirit to guide your prayer. You may also find it helpful to spend a few minutes with a breathing or stilling exercise to help you enter the prayer.
• Imagine the place where the narrative is set. Use all your senses - what you can see, hear, touch, smell, taste - to enter into the scene. Take time to do this. Don’t hurry.
• Become aware of the different people involved in the scene. Then enter the scene, maybe as a disciple or one of the crowd or just finding yourself there as you are.
• Allow the scene to unfold. Be involved in what happens and let yourself engage with Jesus and/or the others around you as seems natural to you in the moment ... it may or may not exactly follow the scripture.
• If you find you get distracted and your attention has wandered, just gently bring yourself back to the scene.
• At some point, have a conversation with Jesus about whatever is uppermost on your heart in the moment, listening for his response.
• End the prayer quite deliberately, don’t just fade out! Review your prayer.
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