Week Four: Visio Divina

One of the many contemplative practices  designed to awaken the imagination is Visio Divina, literally "Sacred Seeing".  An essential aspect of Medieval life was the monastic  balance between word and image. The Medieval psalters (prayerbooks) are usually equally devoted to text and illumination. The monks or nuns in the scriptorum would painstakingly produce symbols and images made from magnificent stones (like lapis lazuli) and gold in borders that would highlight the meaning of the words.  Some of the most exquisite  artistic treasures from the Middle Ages are manuscripts like The Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels created in Benedictine monasteries in the the Celtic Isles. Click here to see images of  the Lindisfarne Gospels (C. 700 CE)  which are held  in the British Library.

Book of Kells

Lindisfarne Gospels

​We know from modern neuropsychology that images activate the right hemisphere of the brain while reading text activates the left hemisphere. Engaging in the act of creating visual responses to the words brings the brain into equilibrium and wholeness, which  corresponds to a balanced sense of emotional equilibrium. 

Hildegard's Prayerbook

HIldegard's own visionary experience parallels the process that the great Swiss psychologist Carl Jung  described as "active imagination". Both Jung and Hildegard experienced visions and vivid dreams in their  midlife awakening. Each one wrote out a simple sketch of their visions, then copied it out in exquisite calligraphy  accompanied by exquisite illuminations. From vision to writing to image- and then to a process of working with the image to yield further understanding. ​

There are three ways to explore the spiritual tool:

1) Copy passages of a text  (scripture, quotes or poetry) and illuminate it yourself- find a way to highlight the words that most call to your heart and then create an image that holds the meaning of the text

For further reading and study:


Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen, Matthew Fox
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