6. Visionary Imprinting

If we are doing the Visionary expression at the imprinting level, we most likely believe that we are role models for transformational growth and that others should follow our example. We want to be recognized for our martyrdom and are frustrated when we’re not. We use our insights to show people how much we care about them and seek to be adored for our wisdom, presence and high-mindedness. We also believe that we are more connected to the sacred mysteries than anyone else we know, and that we know what is best for others better than they do. By seeing the highest potential in others, we hope that they can see the highest potential in us. Unfortunately, our attachment to doing the right thing typically polarizes others because they do not feel they have a choice in engaging us. As a result, others resist our suggestions, although they may hide that they are doing so. It is recommended that those with Visionary imprinting not take jobs where they get lost in caretaking behavior.

Level One Visionary Imprinting (Society’s Social Imprinting Process)

In Level One Visionary imprinting we believe that uncompromising self-sacrifice is a saintly endeavor. At this level we cannot accept that some selfishness is actually necessary to maintain our ability to give to others. Unfortunately, we become trapped in doing what we believe is best at the cost of our being able to continually serve others. This is particularly difficult when we have Visionary imprinting on top of a Visionary primary or secondary. It reinforces the fear that we will never actually be able to support others enough. Whenever we are imprinted we cannot accept the support of others, so, paradoxically, the more we are supportive, the less we can accept that we are supportive. This is because our Pretenses (how we try to get others to like us) are separated from who we are as creative beings. We escape this paradox by being present in our heart’s knowing and by making conscious choices to engage people in specific ways in which we know they are engaging us as much as we are engaging them. This is how we release ourselves from unconscious caretaking.

Level Two Visionary Imprinting (Keeping Others From Being Right)

Priests in Level Two imprinting are known for our attempts to be seen as special because of our unique contributions and commitments to others. We attempt to be exclusive, believing we are different because of our suffering and sacrifice. We wear our pain as a badge of honor. In this level of imprinting we separate ourselves from others believing that only we know the real truth of the situation. Sometimes this is so uncomfortable that we reverse the role. We try to put others on a pedestal so that we do not feel so elevated and above everyone else.

The unconscious purpose of this imprinting is to keep ourselves from feeling the pain and problems of others. As long as we think we know why others are having the problems they are having, and that we would never have such problems, we can remain detached and aloof. We can best neutralize this by moving from exclusive ways of relating to others to inclusive ways of connecting. This means seeing both the good and the bad within ourselves in every situation. The more we can truly feel the pain of others without displacing it, the more we can hold open a space where they can meet and grow with us.

Level Three Visionary Imprinting (Lost in Our Imprinting)

Level Three Visionary imprinting is feeling called to support others in being “good.” At this level of imprinting, we want to go beyond just being good ourselves by believing our role is to help others do the right thing despite their fears or concerns. Unfortunately, we usually do not know what is best for them, even though we think we do. At this level, we tend to discount people’s creative energies entirely in our belief that they should do what is “good” or “right.” In other words, we believe there is a common good everyone should be accountable to. Unfortunately, this belief denies creative differences.

The more we are trapped in society’s perception that everyone should conform to a certain common good, the more resistance we will experience from others because we are not taking the situation or circumstances into account in a way that honors them. In this level of imprinting, we attempt to “fix” everyone. This creates tension, anxiety, resentment and anger. These reactions confuse us because we intend to fix others for their real good, and we wonder why they cannot understand this. Actually, they are feeling not seen, valued or heard for who they are as creative beings, which reinforces their defensive wounding. We heal this level of imprinting by recognizing true creative differences and simply being with people so that they know that any comments we make are not going to be made in a negative personal way. When they know we are energetically connected to them in a way that honors them, it does not matter what we say.

Anti-Visionary Beliefs

1. “Proving our value through self-sacrifice” becomes Attacking those who are trying to fix us. We come to associate self-sacrifice as something that is covertly controlling and manipulative of others because there is always the expectation that the other person will sacrifice themselves for us in the same way. We are repelled by the very notion that sacrifice for somebody can actually be a good thing. This is because we have seen so many cases where individuals sacrificing themselves are actually denying their own creativity and not taking care of themselves. Therefore, we try to keep our boundaries strong and we tell others not to sacrifice for us if we do not request it. We heal this by recognizing that we have to be getting more out of a sacrifice than others if it is really to work for us. This means the sacrifice needs to have the potential of transforming us and our own growth more than others.


2. “Being special at helping others” becomes Embracing the ordinary and denying help. When we feel that others are attempting to help us, this connotes to us that there must be something wrong with the way we are. Therefore, we rebel against their help, believing it puts us in a subservient position. We judge the individuals doing the helping because we see that it makes them feel better and more powerful. We are then repelled by the judgments we feel and therefore seek to become ordinary and more commonplace in order to feel connected. We don’t trust anyone who is trying to help others in a way that is denying themselves. We expect them to have covert needs about being seen in a particular way. We end up wanting to escape the whole idea that we need others to be there for us. In this way, we deny the higher possibility that relationships can uplift us.


3. “Lost in our attempt at being good” becomes Embracing how bad we are. We playfully think of ourselves as “bad” to offset the way we feel pulled down and smothered in how we “should be good.” We seek out Ugly Pleasures where we are getting what we want at the cost of others as a way to offset the belief that we should be evolving and growing. We want to acknowledge that we have a choice to totally mess things up and regress, especially when there have been needs we haven’t honored. Our beliefs about being “good” and doing the “right” thing become boring and difficult to maintain, especially when we are in denial about what we really want. While we recognize that a lot of these impulses are due to past issues not long forgotten, we keep thinking that we should be better anyway. We keep thinking that there is someplace to be where we won’t have those issues arising anymore. Unfortunately, it is not likely that these choices will ever go away.