Topic: Active Imagination

Nicoll’s private sexual practices are analyzed as a form of "masturbatory mysticism" possibly influenced by Jung’s technique of active imagination. His marriage to a former psychiatric patient was characterized by a shared spiritual vision rather than physical intimacy, as both partners reportedly harbored a revulsion toward conventional sex. This internal conflict between high spiritual aspirations and private sexual habits defined much of Nicoll's hidden psychological life.

Gordon White discusses Carl Jung as the 20th century's "best wizard," specifically referencing his descent into the "Red Book" and the practice of active imagination. They address the pitfalls of cultural appropriation, where Westerners attempt to adopt indigenous identities like "Cherokee medicine woman" without proper context. White suggests that Jungian psychology provides a non-problematic Western gateway into recognizing the universe as alive.