In I AWAKE, the imaginal field is the lived space of images, sensations, memories and associations you enter during an imaginal experience.
Think of an imagined conversation. There may be words, a sense of the other person, tension in your throat and an urge to explain. Even without a vivid picture, several things are happening together.
Field names that whole experience, not a physical energy field being measured around you.
What happens between you and the image?
During a guided practice, you might encounter a guarded figure. You notice the distance, your wish to approach and the irritation of having to wait.
Those details can make a familiar issue more specific. "I resist help" becomes an encounter in which you can explore what approaching, receiving or setting a limit feels like.
The I AWAKE books give the experience guidance. They don’t require every image to have a fixed meaning or every encounter to end with a clear answer.
Imaginal explains the broader term. The Circle introduces the guided encounter used across the books. Henry Corbin provides historical context without making his philosophical account identical to this practical use.
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s entry on imagination explores how imagining differs from believing and perceiving. It offers another perspective on why an inner experience can be significant without being a report of an outside event.