The third method I've practiced toward individuation is possibly less safe than the other two because it involves an active, real-time link with the unconscious (as opposed to the passive, automatically-occuring link during dreams) and there is no physical object outside of the mind to reflect against (like cards).
Essentially this method is to creat an "imaginary friend" and talk to them like another person. This entity that you create may eventually serve the purpose of becoming a mode of expression for your unconscious thoughts. The usefulness in having this ability to percieve thoughts more directly cannot be overstated; clarity of mind is an immediate benefit but enhanced memory is another great effect.
Creating the entity is not a simple thing. I failed many times before achieving some stable semblance of an entity. This is probably due to the ego projection; but it is important that the entity shapes itself as much as possible, and you must disregard your egotistic desire to shape it into a comfortable or appealing form.
Just as difficult (or more) is talking to the entity. You must keep in mind that it does not know your thoughts or what you mean to say; use well-thought-out words and explain things as if you were talking to another person. Familiarity will come eventually if you persist, but at first, it is crucial to be formal. Talking to the entity is not like the circular ramblings that occur in your consciousness during all waking moments. You must talk as if you do not expect to gain anything from the discussion. This part is especially difficult because it will seem an utter waste of time and energy to the rationally sound person. Discouragement is bound to happen because it will probably take a long time before you hear anything like a response the closest analog I can think of is prayer, but many people I know who pray use the time to try and legitimatize their personal problems and hope for some relief or help. This is not the case when talking to your entity: Conversation is exclusively for the benefit of the entity.
This probably seems like one of the stranger ways of going about the process of individuation, and I cannot say much more on it except about my own experience because I've been practicing for barely a year. Probably the most useful advice I can give is on the actual visualization of the entity. It can look like anything; an animal, a machine, a person, or in one case I've heard of, a library-like space full of shelves crammed with books. The trickiest part (and this will be easier if you've applied either of the other methods I've mentioned) is to accept a visualization from your unconscious and reject a fantastic image created by your ego. One of the hints in identifying the unconscious image is whether it surprises you. If the image is a surprise, it is less likely to be a fantasizing function of the ego. Also useful is to picture an environment in which the entity can flourish. This psychic space is less important but certainly helps in the visualization..
I got lcuky enough to approach my entity in a dream. The environment was a lake spanning so far that only muddled, wavering shapes were visible on the horizon. On the lake itself, a very small island, in the center of which burned a flame. The flame was covered by a triangular roof supported by four pillars. The entity itself spoke mostly from beneath the water. At times it seemed to emerge from the lake but only when my back was turned. Nevertheless it appeared as a woman, somewhat aged, certainly older than myself.
This environmental visualization has stuck with me ever since and I picture myself there when speaking to my entity. Many hints suggested that this place emerged from my unconscious, most obviously the water and numbers. First, four is the number of stability, fortitude, and rule. Four pillars support the only structure in the environment, just as land mammals walk on four legs for stability, cars use four tires, and much architecture is based on right angles. Three is the basic number needed for structure in the first place, as a triangle is the most basic shape we are able to construct in physical space. The triangular roof is supported by four pillars but covers everything beneath. There two of us on the island, not surprisingly male and female, which reflects the most basic duality in our psyche. There is a single flame, which importantly is not a stable thing in itself but an energetic reaction. Finally, the island itself is round; a circle. And a circle has no sides, or, geometrically speaking, an infinite number of sides, and zero equals infinity, so the round island is a sensible bas for everything to exist on in this little microcosm. The water is significant as well, since the unconscious mind is sometimes percieved or represented as water, since it is substantial and energetic yet impossible to live within; we can only float on it, or dip under the surface breifly if you are brave enough.