A General Theory on How Dreams Work
- Dreams are meant to balance our waking perspectives/subjectivity to give insight on another way of viewing our life situation
- Dreams ‘speak’ to us in symbols and metaphors, using stored material in the form of images from our memories that serve as associations to express unconscious conflicts/feelings/experiences
Dreams were compensatory to the conscious point of view; expressions of aspects of the individual which were neglected or unrealized… often expressions of the ‘other side’ trying to assert itself.
– Anthony Storr, The Essential Jung
The Purpose of Engaging and Exploring Dreams
- To offer a different way of looking at our life’s circumstances, giving us new perspectives, creating a more holistic viewpoint
- Gain a deeper understanding of our experiences
- Decrease anxiety and stress and increase a sense of control over one’s life
- Increase a sense of connectedness to inner resources and understanding of healing
The dream is a message from and to the dreamer about their chosen mode of being-in-the-world.
– Eric Hall, Carol Hall, Pamela Stradling and Diane Young, Guided Imagery
How to do Dream Work
- Symbol appreciation, or exploring personal and collective associations with dream imagery
- Expressive Arts – recreating the dream or symbols of the dream through drawing, painting, sculpting, collage, mandalas or movement
- Dream re-entry using guided imagery
- Engaging with various elements of the dream using Active Imagination
All dreams come in the service of health and wholeness.
– Tallulah Lyons, Dreams and Guided Imagery
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