imaginative contemplation

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Have you heard of imaginative contemplation? Also known as Ignatian contemplation, it’s a contemplative prayer practice where you use your imagination to place yourself in a scene from the Bible and use that as a basis for your prayer time. St. Ignatius developed this practice primarily for gospel passages in an effort to know Jesus better. We’ll explore the idea, and I’ll offer some passages and prompts to consider. We’ll also look at a few Old Testament passages as possibilities.

A brief overview of imaginative contemplation

Ignatian contemplation involves using your imagination to connect with God through prayer. St. Ignatius believed that God speaks not only through thoughts and memories but also through imagination. This type of prayer invites us to engage deeply with Bible stories by visualizing scenes as vividly as possible. Imagining the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, and emotions, and even placing ourselves in the story.

By immersing ourselves in the scripture, we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal meaningful insights. If you wonder about getting carried away, discern whether your imaginings are leading you closer to God or causing distraction. Trust that God will communicate with you.

Not everyone visualizes easily; some may sense or feel the story rather than picture it. Pray as you can, without forcing it. God speaks to each of us in unique ways—whether through imagination, emotions, or other forms of understanding. As you end your prayer time, you might want to journal about your insights.

How does imaginative contemplation work?

What I’m sharing is my interpretation of the process. It’s what works for me. You may want to approach imaginative contemplation differently. If you’re interested in reading about other perspectives, this website would be a great place to begin.

I like to read the passage out loud several times slowly. Then I go verse by verse and picture what is happening. I seek out something for each of the five senses; I like to list the senses in my journal and jot down ideas for each one. I also leave space to note the emotions in the passage.

Then I close my eyes and envision the entire story from start to finish, filling in details with my imagination and paying extra attention to my five senses. I typically place myself as an observer at the scene, but we can also cast ourselves as participants. Whatever seems right at the time. I rest in the passage for a few minutes, praying as I feel led. Once I’m done, I journal about anything that jumped out at me.

Here are some scripture passages that lend themselves well to engaging the senses and imagination:

The healing of the paralytic (Mark 2:1–12) – Imagine being part of the crowd or one of the friends lowering the man through the roof.

The feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1–14) – Picture the scene of the hungry crowd and the abundance of food.

The calming of the storm (Mark 4:35–41) – Visualize being in the boat during the storm and feeling peace when it calms.

Jesus’ visit to Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42) – Imagine sitting at Jesus’ feet, hearing his voice, and watching the scene unfold.

The Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1–26) – Picture the conversation between Jesus and the woman by the well in the heat of the day.

The road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35) – Imagine walking along the road and sharing a meal with the risen Christ.

The nativity (Luke 2:1–20) – Visualize the sights, sounds, and emotions of that sacred night.

Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:1–17) – Picture yourself in the room, experiencing this humble act of love.

The calling of the first disciples (Luke 5:1–11) – Imagine being in the boat with Jesus and witnessing the miraculous catch of fish.

The transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–9) – Visualize the dazzling light and the presence of Moses and Elijah.

To aid your imagination, you might consider looking up artwork related to the Bible passage. It often inspires me, and I enjoy poring over it for more details. You can also often find stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes.

How about walking through an example?

Let’s try it out with the first New Testament passage listed above, the healing of the paralytic from Mark 2:1-12. Here’s an AI-generated image of the scene:

an AI-generated image depicting Mark 2:1-12 to get us started with imaginative contemplation

It’s not exactly how I would picture it, but it helps me get in the zone. Notice the looks on people’s faces. The sunlight streaming down through the opening in the roof. After looking it over, read the passage several times slowly. Think about your five senses related to the story.

After a few days, Jesus went back to Capernaum, and people heard that he was at home. ²So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. ³Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. ⁴They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. ⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven!”

⁶Some legal experts were sitting there, muttering among themselves, ⁷“Why does he speak this way? He’s insulting God. Only the one God can forgive sins.”

⁸Jesus immediately recognized what they were discussing, and he said to them, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? ⁹Which is easier—to say to a paralyzed person, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk’? ¹⁰But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, ¹¹“Get up, take your mat, and go home.”

¹²Jesus raised him up, and right away he picked up his mat and walked out in front of everybody. They were all amazed and praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”

Mark 2:1-12

Note your senses and emotions. Perhaps something like this:

SEE–I notice the sunshine streaming down through the opening. A crowd of people. Small items cluttering the space. The landscape through the window. The man jumping up when he is healed. Faces full of wonder.
HEAR–I hear the grunts of effort as the friends lower the man through the opening. Bits of rubble hitting the floor. Jesus’ words and the man’s response of joy. The excited chatter of the crowd. The grumbling of the legal experts.
SMELL–I smell the crowd. Dust in the air. Maybe some food has been prepared.
TASTE–I can taste the dust and grit wafting around us. Perhaps we’ve broken bread together.
TOUCH–I can feel the press of people around me. Bits of rock beneath my feet. The coolness of the wall. The coarse fabric of the clothing on people nearby.
EMOTIONS–I’m sure I would be confused at first by what is happening around me. Why is someone coming through the ceiling? How must he feel? What does this scene say about his friends and their dedication? It might be scary when I sense the tension from the legal experts. I would be amazed by the healing. Jesus’ love would be overwhelming. Imagine that Jesus turns to you. What would you say to him? Is there an area of your life you’d like to share with him?

Sit with the passage for a while and relive the scene in your mind. Place yourself as a participant or an observer. See what comes to mind, and pray as you feel led. Journal about your insights.

Some options from the Old Testament:

The burning bush (Exodus 3:1–12) – Imagine the awe and wonder of Moses seeing the burning bush and hearing God speak.

Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21–31) – Visualize the walls of water and the feeling of walking through on dry ground.

The call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1–10) – Picture the quiet night in the temple as Samuel hears God’s voice for the first time.

David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:32–50) – Imagine standing in the valley, hearing the taunts, and witnessing David’s courage.

Elijah and the still small voice (1 Kings 19:9–13a) – Picture the powerful wind, earthquake, and fire, then the gentle whisper of God’s presence.

Isaiah’s commission (Isaiah 6:1–8) – Visualize the heavenly scene with seraphim and the glory of God filling the temple.

The valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1–14) – Imagine seeing the bones come to life and hearing God’s promise of restoration.

Jonah in Nineveh (Jonah 3:1–10) – Picture the bustling city and the reactions to Jonah’s message.

Ruth gleaning in the fields (Ruth 2:1–13) – Visualize the fields, the harvest workers, and Boaz’s kindness.

The vision of Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:10–17) – Imagine the dream of angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven.