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There is a world the imagination has always known, as real as clay — where laboratory and cathedral, studio and commons, are one.
This mundus imaginalis — this Vast Earth — belongs to everyone. We look after it together.
When we learn to look after the imaginal world, we learn to look after the Earth.
[ About ]■
For millennia, humanity's spiritual insights and cultural breakthroughs emerged through engagement with the imaginal world. Modern culture has forgotten this dimension—reducing imagination to fantasy.
At Contemplative Labs, we translate wisdom traditions into lived contemplative practice. Drawing on lineages of Islamic mysticism (Ibn 'Arabi, Corbin, Izutsu) and depth psychology (Jung, von Franz, Raff), we offer practice-based training in developing the imaginative faculty.
Through practices like Ally Work, alongside scholarly research and dialogue, we restore a conscious relationship with the imaginal realm—the dimension of humanity's deepest encounters with meaning, creativity, and the sacred.
[ OFFERINGS ]Featured Events
Virtual • Ongoing
Format: Individual and Small Group
Online Ally Work Sessions
Ally work is a contemplative practice of active imagination developed by Dr. Jeffrey Raff in the lineage of Carl Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz – drawing on alchemical, Sophianic, and Sufi sources. Raff names the ally as one's “divine partner.”
Raff, author of Jung and the Alchemical Imagination, grounds his understanding in the Sufism of Ibn 'Arabi as elaborated by William Chittick and Henry Corbin. Raff writes, "An ally is a divine being, a face of God that is unique to each human being."
At Contemplative Labs, ally work is our core practice. We offer group sessions online, in-person workshops, and individual consultations. Dr. Raff has offered his encouragement in our efforts to share and develop ally work.
London and Oxford • Four times yearly
In-person • Limited capacity
Quarterly In-Person Gatherings
Contemplative Labs hosts regular in-person gatherings in intimate venues in London and Oxford, and by invitation in the UK and Europe. These contemplative gatherings explore the nature of consciousness, the imaginal, and the practice of ally work through both theory and guided practice.
These gatherings offer the particular quality of shared silence and presence that emerges when people practice together in the same room. The gatherings are intentionally small, allowing for genuine exchange alongside the practice. They are open to newcomers and experienced practitioners alike.
Dates and locations are announced through our mailing list. If you would like to be notified of upcoming gatherings, please sign up below. See the calendar page for a full list of upcoming events.
Woolf Institute, Cambridge • June 8, 2026
Co-organized with MIAS
Ibn ‘Arabi Summer Seminar:
This one-day seminar explores the theme of Time, Faith and Gathering through the lens of Ibn 'Arabi's metaphysics. Three short presentations will be followed by commentary by Pablo Beneito and open discussion. The seminar will be transmitted live with Zoom.
Presenters are Luke Wilkinson (Ian Karten Scholar at the Woolf Institute), Sahar ElAsad (Cambridge University), and Barnaby Willett (Garrison Institute Fellow). Expert commentary by Pablo Beneito (University of Mercia, Spain). Hina Khalid, PhD (Woolf Institute/Cambridge University) will be Chair.
The event is organized the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society and will run from 9:30am-5:00pm GMT. Online registration details are forthcoming. Pricing: £20 for the General Public, £15 for Members of MIAS, Free for Students.
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[ insights ]"He who does not know the status of imagination has no knowledge whatsoever."
Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240)