The Alchemical Vessel

Bridging psyche and soma for inner work

In this edition of The Artemisian, I'll be answering a question submitted by a paid member. If you'd like to submit one of your own, consider joining the membership community. Upgrading allows you to engage further via in-depth monthly classes, access to the resource library and more¹.

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A paid member writes…

What practices can we develop so that we are not immediately overwhelmed when instinctively or intuitively open to the presence of unconscious psychic energy fields in our lives?

Allegory of Moderation by Karl von Blaas  

“Vessels both contain and separate.” — James Hillman, Alchemical Psychology

Openness to the psychological fields of the unconscious, whether intentionally sought or instinctively experienced, does not always result in a sense of overwhelm. Granted, the vast depths of the psyche are home to a multitude of elements such as archetypal frameworks that have the potential to inspire or consume, splintered aspects of our personality that we have lost touch with, symbols and images that shimmer with mystery and meaning. It is a great ocean of wonder and potential. Building a meaningful connection to the unconscious is usually constructive, generative, and supports the continued process of individuation².

Although encounters with the contents of the unconscious are unpredictable (and should be approached with care and intentionality), overwhelm tends to be indicative of a shaky or under-resourced inner foundation. In this case, when we meet with these shadowy, unknown, powerfully charged psychic factors, we are more susceptible to being flooded or consumed by the intensity. The otherness of the experience can be too much, too foreign and strange to the typical quality that consciousness has.

How then does one approach this work when overwhelm is clearly present?

A typical method is to meet these dynamics from a psychological point of view. After all, doesn’t it exist within the boundaries of our perception, in the mental-cognitive realm? A focus is then placed on shifting our emotional attitudes, entering into talk therapy, or wrangling the thought processes that surround the experience in question.

These interventions have their place, yet they lack a holistic approach, leaving out the totality of human experience, which is informed by more than the mind alone. In our rigid, modern sensibilities, we have lost touch with an attitude toward life that welcomes ambiguity and multiplicity. As an antidote, we can place ourselves into the laboratories and traditions of the ancient alchemists who viewed the nature of reality as both concrete/physical and spiritual/psychological.

The two domains complement and contain one another. To bring about redemption, the alchemist had to tend to the physical properties of the base matter, perhaps by dissolving it in an acid solution or burning it in a hot furnace. Simultaneously, they tracked the subtle qualities of the material, the feel and essence, the psychological impacts and the symbols it generated. This framing is why alchemy has become such a potent archetypal model³ for understanding and tracking the evolutions of the psyche. It does not divorce the embodied, sensate experience from the imaginal. Together, they set us up for a successful path of integrating the complexities of inner and outer reality.

Viewing this inquiry alchemically, we would follow an essential prerequisite for beginning the work: creating, selecting and utilizing a vessel. This not only established containment, it helped safely build pressure and intensity, it separated materials from one another, it allowed for nuanced operations to be performed. The alchemist became an observer, watching how combinations of actions could produce a rainbow of colors in the alembic or a cloud of fog that would rise and settle at the top. At the same time, by linking and projecting psychological meaning upon each aspect of the work, the alchemist were in the vessel too, their emotions and attitudes were being dissolved, scorched, coagulated.

Thus, the vessel becomes a metaphor for the psychosomatic preconditions and ongoing maintenance needed for inner work. Constructing it would require that we peer through both the psychic and somatic lens, finding the bridge between the two so that our window of tolerance widens and resources for the uncertain journey of transformation become more readily available.

Practices for Constructing the Alchemical Vessel

The Alchemist by David Teniers

“For what is the body? The body is merely the visibility of the soul, the psyche; and the soul is the psychological experience of the body.”

— C.G. Jung, Nietzsche’s Zarathustra: Notes of the Seminar Given in 1934–1939

How do the difficult meetings with the unconscious manifest, and what does that say about the type of vessel needed to face the process of integration?

Do you recognize it in states of emotional anxiety, depressive moods, haunting dreams, or intrusive thoughts? Does it arise in the body as insomnia, shallow breathing, dissociative states, or an impulsive physical reaction?

Symptoms may show up more prominently on one end of the spectrum vs the other, so that is a great starting place for developing and re-enforcing the container. However, an alchemical perspective would remind us that psyche and matter are nested within each other, intermingling and blurring. To keep the vessel strong and balanced, try blending practices from both sides throughout the process of inner work.

Here are some ideas to consider:

Psychological

• Dreamwork: Tracking dreams regularly reveals perspectives, insights and hidden influences that exist below the threshold of consciousness. A Jungian-depth psychological approach places such heavy emphasis on the dreamscape because it brings balance to the ego state, it points us in directions of where we may need to focus, what we are lacking, where we need correction.

  • Consider: What images or themes have been recurring in your dreams most during this time? What are the personal and archetypal associations to these images/themes? How might that speak to your current struggles or need for containment?

• Therapeutic support: A therapeutic setting provides a structured dyad (a vessel) for exploring environments of the psyche that we are unsure of or resistant to traversing alone. Whether it takes the form of traditional psychotherapy or a secure partnered engagement, this relationship helps us hold greater psychological complexity, provides a feeling of being companioned, and points us towards shadows of our personality via the mirroring and reflections of another.

  • Consider: If in therapy, what form does it take, what modality/tradition does the practitioner use, does this feel like the best fit? Try discussing the sense of overwhelm that comes up when touching into the unconscious, the emotions, thoughts, beliefs, images and physical effects you notice. How does it feel to share this with another, to explore it together, and what insights do they have that constructively challenge and re-affirms your experience?

• Imaginal play: Engaging in imaginal play involves lowering the conscious field of awareness and visualizing inner dynamics symbolically (may also appear as impressions, felt-senses, sounds, etc). Through image, we generate a container that holds depth and nuance that far surpasses thought form. The practice often has unexpected results by allowing spontaneous products of the unconscious to rise into awareness.

  • Consider: Imagine your current inner vessel for handling these dynamics. What does it look like, how does it feel, what are its qualities? Does it have any cracks, is it well-sealed? Is it oven-like, being used for distillation, or perhaps a gentle, open water bath? What do these symbolic representations mean psychologically and what is it calling you to further?

Somatic

• Breathwork: Mindfully working with the breath not only supports embodiment, it can help regulate the nervous system to promote body realignment and strengthen the physical aspects of the vessel during times of high activation. Practicing breathing techniques regularly also cultivates somatic attunement and is a great adjunct to other routine practices.

  • Consider: What is the quality of your breath when you touch into the unconscious field, does it quicken and become short, does it slow down and nearly disappear? Deep breathing from the belly, equal counts of inhale/exhale, or just noticing the breath during these times can create a meaningful somatic shift, allowing you to stay with the inner contents for longer periods of time.

• Movement practices: Consistent physical routines help build a grounded base. From hiking and running to dancing and gardening, getting into the body and into nature has a positive cumulative effect. These practices don’t have to be explicitly therapeutic. Rather, choosing an activity that is joyful and creative while still incorporating embodiment of some kind is a great way to approach this endeavor.

  • Consider: What is a sustainable physical practice that you can incorporate into life right now? In what ways can you get out into nature, step away from distractions, and immerse yourself in a greater environment that nourishes the body?

• Pendulation: A Somatic Experiencing⁴ technique that taps into the body’s innate wisdom to restore balance via rhythms of contraction and expansion. It involves gently moving attention between areas of discomfort, tension, or blocks to areas that feel open, complimentary or neutral. The swinging between both poles gradually opens the body to greater ease and capacity to integrate the physical overwhelm.

  • Consider: During high activation, where can you find somewhere in the body that feels resourced, grounded, or a compliment? See if that provides a bit of ease, a reprieve, and then move back to the area of tension, sitting with it for a bit longer. Swing between the resource and the tension, noticing how either side begins to evolve and if insights accompany the body’s developments.

The great work of the alchemist was ongoing, requiring constant adjustments and new techniques as the process evolved. The container and approach for our inner work are the same. The kind of vessel we begin with is unlikely to be the exact one we will need all through out. As our unconscious dynamics change, as we integrate and uncover areas for further development, we will need to draw upon refined or different psychological and somatic practices.

Development can be tracked by noticing if the overwhelm diminishes overtime, that we appear to have a greater tolerance for what was previously too much. Through psyche and soma, spirit and matter, we engage in alchemical transformation and set ourselves up to make meaningful strides in healing and finding a sense of wholeness.

Join the conversation

• How do you balance psychological and body-based practices in your inner work? Do you prefer one over the other?

• Have you tried any of the practices mentioned here?

• Which techniques do you utilize most often when working with the unconscious and inner dynamics?

1. Info on member benefits can be found here.

2. The psychological process of developing and differentiating the individual personality, a lifelong endeavor that never ends.

3. For more on this approach to alchemy, see my class: Introduction to Alchemical Inner Work

4. A body-oriented therapeutic modality created by Dr. Peter Levine that focuses on healing trauma and stress-related disorders through practices that regulate the nervous system.