[Buddha-l] guided meditation

[Curt Steinmetz]

Does anyone have any ideas about the history of the concept and practice 
of "guided meditation"? One of the most popular and successful Buddhist 
teachers in the DC area is Tara Brach, who often has 100-200 people at 
her weekly Vipassana meditation class. Guided meditation is a major 
focus of what she does, especially with this large weekly group. I only 
mention her as an example of what I am talking about.

I am especially interested in three things:

(1) Any precedent for this kind of practice in "traditional" Asian 
Buddhism.

(2) The development of this practice as it is used in the West by 
Buddhists (like Tara Brach) today.

(3) The specific role, if any, of psychotherapeutic ideas and practices 
in the use of guided meditation by Westerners. Especially I am 
interested in to what extent Jung's concept of "active imagination" may 
have played an important role.

Curt Steinmetz