Ask a Question - or - Return to the Spiritual Warfare Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Are imagination techniques allowed in counseling sessions?	Linda	Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Question: Bro. Ignatius; My son read a book called "The Catholic Warrior" by Robert Abel. He bought it at a Charismatic conference. There are some errors in it about praying to Mary and the saints. This man thinks that because he prayed to St. Jude for something that he wanted but which turned out not to be good for him that he made St. Jude into an idol and got around what God wanted for him. He's very mixed up about praying to Our Lady too. He states "Marian devotions become unhealthy when Catholics pray directly to Mary instead of praying in communion with Mary." Another statement "....If the statue of St. Paul inspires me to fight the good fight of faith like he did, then the image is a healthy form of honor. But the second I start to pray to Paul, pouring out my heart to him, trying to acquire spiritual favors behind God's back, then it becomes a form of witchcraft." Now my son is an adult with a good solid grounding in the Catholic faith and he could see through this in a moment. In another part of the book he talks about imagination techniques where he helps a person go back into her past and visit the little girl from her childhood. If she was unloved as a child she would invite Jesus into the scene to heal the hurts of being unloved. Also as an adult she would be in the scene showing love to herself as a little girl. He also talks about going through something similar when a thought came to him when he was in front of the Blessed Sacrament about a hurt he suffered when he was a child. He goes back in thought, invites Jesus into the scene, Jesus heals him and he comforts him self as an adult in the scene. Now my question is in light of the authors views of praying to saints should I take what he says about these imagination healings seriously? Is such a thing possible to do anyway? Does the Church appove of this technique?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Linda: You are correct, I believe, to be skeptical of this person if he is teaching such things. If he, as a Catholic, cannot understand the rather simple doctrine of Communion with the Saints, and especially if he is to rebelliously teach contrary to the Church on this, then he cannot be trusted on other things. Jesus Himself said that if one cannot be trusted on small things, then he cannot be trusted with big things. As for this practice of "going back" in imagination to be healed of past wounds, I find such practice to be dangerous. Jesus can heal such wounds without such a practice. Memories can be healed without such a practice. This technique, by the way, is a popular one in New Age psychobabble. Such methods can lead to "false memories" and can also open one up to spiritual experiences not of God. The "imagination" is the level in which we can be sifted like wheat by the devil. This is one reason by role-play games such as Dungeons and Dragons is so dangerous, as is allowing ourselves to be exposed to pornography or any other improper images. The Bible tells us to guard our senses because of this reality. Since I have not read the book, and cannot afford to buy it, I cannot speak directly in review of the book or Mr. Abel in terms of the book as a whole. Nevertheless, a review by Michael Brown does reveal the problem of the man's ideas about the saints. Mr. Brown dismisses this problem and endorses the book anyway. I think Mr. Brown is wrong in doing that. From my experience whenever I find a writer who flirts with heresy (and denying the efficacy of praying to the saints is a flirtation with heresy), then where else has the person been contaminated in his thoughts? Sometimes, such contaminations can be very subtle as to easily miss them. Even if the book is useful apart from the problematic parts, it cannot be recommended to the general public as not everyone who reads it will be so discerning as to skip the problem parts. Besides, there are plenty of other books that can give similar information without the "problem parts" so why not go with an author who is in communion with the Church on all things? This, again, is a problem coming from Charismatics. I am not surprised a book like this is promoted by Charismatics many of whom often tend to lack the discernment God gave a toadstool due to their reliance upon emotion and subjective experience, and sometimes Pentecostal influence. My generic advice is to avoid any books or people who claim to be Catholic but do not stand firmly upon the Rock of the Church and her teachings. And always take a double-check to books written by or endorsed by so-called Charismatics to be sure they are thoroughly Catholic and do not stray into Pentecostalism or into what is called Sensualism - a reliance upon subjective experience and emotion over and above the faculty of reason (Sensualism can, in some cases and at its worse, lead to heresy or some other form of heterodoxy; in most cases it leads to mis-directed notions and views, misplaced devotions, and errors in orthopraxy). God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Are imagination techniques allowed in counseling sessions?

Linda

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Question:

Bro. Ignatius;

My son read a book called "The Catholic Warrior" by Robert Abel. He bought it at a Charismatic conference. There are some errors in it about praying to Mary and the saints. This man thinks that because he prayed to St. Jude for something that he wanted but which turned out not to be good for him that he made St. Jude into an idol and got around what God wanted for him. He's very mixed up about praying to Our Lady too.

He states "Marian devotions become unhealthy when Catholics pray directly to Mary instead of praying in communion with Mary." Another statement "....If the statue of St. Paul inspires me to fight the good fight of faith like he did, then the image is a healthy form of honor. But the second I start to pray to Paul, pouring out my heart to him, trying to acquire spiritual favors behind God's back, then it becomes a form of witchcraft."

Now my son is an adult with a good solid grounding in the Catholic faith and he could see through this in a moment.

In another part of the book he talks about imagination techniques where he helps a person go back into her past and visit the little girl from her childhood. If she was unloved as a child she would invite Jesus into the scene to heal the hurts of being unloved. Also as an adult she would be in the scene showing love to herself as a little girl. He also talks about going through something similar when a thought came to him when he was in front of the Blessed Sacrament about a hurt he suffered when he was a child. He goes back in thought, invites Jesus into the scene, Jesus heals him and he comforts him self as an adult in the scene.

Now my question is in light of the authors views of praying to saints should I take what he says about these imagination healings seriously? Is such a thing possible to do anyway? Does the Church appove of this technique?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Linda:

You are correct, I believe, to be skeptical of this person if he is teaching such things. If he, as a Catholic, cannot understand the rather simple doctrine of Communion with the Saints, and especially if he is to rebelliously teach contrary to the Church on this, then he cannot be trusted on other things.

Jesus Himself said that if one cannot be trusted on small things, then he cannot be trusted with big things.

As for this practice of "going back" in imagination to be healed of past wounds, I find such practice to be dangerous. Jesus can heal such wounds without such a practice. Memories can be healed without such a practice. This technique, by the way, is a popular one in New Age psychobabble. Such methods can lead to "false memories" and can also open one up to spiritual experiences not of God.

The "imagination" is the level in which we can be sifted like wheat by the devil. This is one reason by role-play games such as Dungeons and Dragons is so dangerous, as is allowing ourselves to be exposed to pornography or any other improper images. The Bible tells us to guard our senses because of this reality.

Since I have not read the book, and cannot afford to buy it, I cannot speak directly in review of the book or Mr. Abel in terms of the book as a whole. Nevertheless, a review by Michael Brown does reveal the problem of the man's ideas about the saints. Mr. Brown dismisses this problem and endorses the book anyway. I think Mr. Brown is wrong in doing that. From my experience whenever I find a writer who flirts with heresy (and denying the efficacy of praying to the saints is a flirtation with heresy), then where else has the person been contaminated in his thoughts?

Sometimes, such contaminations can be very subtle as to easily miss them. Even if the book is useful apart from the problematic parts, it cannot be recommended to the general public as not everyone who reads it will be so discerning as to skip the problem parts. Besides, there are plenty of other books that can give similar information without the "problem parts" so why not go with an author who is in communion with the Church on all things?

This, again, is a problem coming from Charismatics. I am not surprised a book like this is promoted by Charismatics many of whom often tend to lack the discernment God gave a toadstool due to their reliance upon emotion and subjective experience, and sometimes Pentecostal influence.

My generic advice is to avoid any books or people who claim to be Catholic but do not stand firmly upon the Rock of the Church and her teachings. And always take a double-check to books written by or endorsed by so-called Charismatics to be sure they are thoroughly Catholic and do not stray into Pentecostalism or into what is called Sensualism - a reliance upon subjective experience and emotion over and above the faculty of reason (Sensualism can, in some cases and at its worse, lead to heresy or some other form of heterodoxy; in most cases it leads to mis-directed notions and views, misplaced devotions, and errors in orthopraxy).

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.