Dreams and Dreamwork

This page will always grow as I gain more knowledge and information about dreams and dreamwork. Check back occasionally to see if I've updated the page! Have fun and I hope the info is useful to you.

Simply select out of the table of contents and click on it. You will be taken directly to that section of the page or you can just scroll down to each one (of course, this way might take a while!).

Dreams and Dreamwork

Dreams can be mysterious, helpful, elusive, and confusing, along with many other descriptive adjectives. However dreams may be described, they can be a powerful tool for working with the "stuff" of the inner self. Interest in dreams goes back to beginnings of humankind's civilization. Mentions of dreams show up in Egyptian and Babylonian writings and from then on, dreams constantly appear throughout history.

Back then dreams were thought of in many different ways. They were auguries, oracles, warnings, messages from the gods, spirits, and the dead, punishments (nightmares) from the gods, and much more. Today, at least in Western culture, often than not, dreams are casually ignored. Many often comment on "I had this weird dream last night" but rarely take it beyond that point, forgetting the dream. Interest in dreams is on the rise, though, and with this interest come many ways to work with and try to understand dreams.

Why work with a dream in the first place? There are many different ideas about why dreams are or aren't important. Freud and Jung and other psychologists (but not all) think that dreams are a link, a gateway into the unconscious mind, that the symbology in dreams are merely reflections of something deeper which we cannot tap into or understand consciously. If these images could be examined more closely, then a connection to messages within the unconscious could be revealed and with it, possible healing of the dreamer. Others believe that dreams are only the random firings of neurons and have no meaning at all. There are still other beliefs (usually in other cultures) that dreams are an integral part of life and should be taken very seriously as oracles or other such messages.

Working with dreams most importantly requires the interest to do so. Once the desire is there, things are made much easier. Working with dreams can be fun but it can also be uncomfortable, even frightening. Dreams delve into parts of the Self that we are often unable or unwilling to see and face. The best way to work with dreams at first might be to try out many different technique of dreamworking and finding one or maybe a few that feel like the absolute most comfortable technique(s).

I have compiled a small list of some varied dreamworking techniques. These are merely short explanations and accounts of some personal experiences with these techniques. In each method, there will be some reading suggestions listed for further research and exploration into the technique if applicable. (This section of each method and readings is still in the works).

Dream Journaling

The first thing about dream journaling that I recommend is to find a very nice journal to record your dreams into. Something special, perhaps a gift given to you or a journal book that catches your eyes and "calls" to you when you are out looking around. This journal can be lined or unlined, depending if you want to sketch any images from your dreams. Another thing I do is try to find a special pen, one that won't bleed through the pages but has a good, strong ink, and I keep this pen only for recording my dreams into my journal. If you want to be able to add in sketches, find a nice pack of colored pencils or even water color pencils or paints to accompany your journal.

When I record my dreams after waking up, I actually don't write them directly into the book. Since dreams are so elusive and I like to keep my dream journal neat and full of details, I place a pad of paper and a pen next to my bed. This way, if you wake up in the middle of the night (a light pen helps immensely in this sort of situation) or when you wake up for your day, you can immediately write down any glimmer or fragment of a dream. I write out the important parts at that time and then later, when I have free time, record the dream into the journal book with all the details I didn't scribble down before. The main points I did write down usually will trigger the dream again for me.

Much more to come for this section.

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Dream Symbols and Meanings

There are many different dream dictionaries with the meanings of dream symbols all written out for one to look up. I will present some common symbols with their meanings. There are many different meanings for the same symbol in different cultures and as I find them, I will add them in order to give a broad range of meanings for each symbol. I personally feel that symbols are not totally universal for each individual and a dream image or symbol means something different for each individual. Despite this, it does not hurt to have some idea about meanings of symbols in other cultures and in history. If a particular symbol and meaning strikes a note for a dream, then by all means use it and build off of it.

The symbols are all arranged alphabetically, simply click on the letter you want to go to or scroll down.

A

Abyss

An abyss is often seen as some sort of emptiness and meaningless. It can also stand for a need to detach from an overwhelming situation or person.

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B

Barrier

A barrier of some kind can represent some sort of obstacle in the dreamer’s waking life.

Birds

Birds can represent a variety of things.

1. Because of their nature of flight (no attachments to the ground), they can stand for freedom (psychological, physical, or both).
2. They are often viewed as messengers of the divine or the symbol of the soul or spiritual aspiration.
3. Blackbirds were considered omens of death. This also represents the shadow side of the self.

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C

Cage

A cage can represent the feeling of being closed in or cooped up. If the dreamer is within one, it could signify a desire to escape from something in the waking world.

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D

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E

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F

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G

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H

House

A house usually represents the Self of a person. The condition of the house (newly painted or falling down) is important as well.

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I

Insects

Insects can represent a sense of the dreamer being 'bugged' in real life, by a situation or person or condition.

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J

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K

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L

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M

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N

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O

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P

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Q

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R

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S

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T

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U

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V

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W

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X

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Y

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Z

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Kaplan-Williams Dream Cards

These cards are fairly interesting to work with. Kaplan-Williams came up with many different images, most based on Jungian archetypes. I find many of these images to be sort of dark and negative, but in working with the technique, I have found it somewhat useful.

Each card has a main figure in the center with many smaller images around the borders of this main figure. This main image is based on a major Jungian archetype. Each picture card is matched with a "Wisdom" card. On the Wisdom card are all the written meaning of every single image presented on a picture card. If you have a picture card with the number 84, then just find the number 84 Wisdom card.

More to come!

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Play Acting a Dream

I have found that this particular way of working a dream is not only helpful and insightful but very fun as well. It does require a group and a therapist type leader but I think it could be performed with just a group leader with good insights.

The dreamer chooses a dream to work with and tells it to the group in the first person and present tense. Then the leader lists out the parts of the dream that are to be casted by the dreamer. The dreamer may choose anyone of the group except themselves or the leader and cast them into any part they want someone to play. Each aspect of the dream should be considered for a part, even inanimate objects. It can be a couch to an animal to a person part.

After the dreamer chooses a person for all the parts in the dream, they become the director. The dreamer will direct the players into what they are supposed to do in their parts and how to follow the thread of the dream. Then the leader and the dreamer stand back and observe while the dream play starts and goes to a natural finish.

After the play has come to a halt, the leader asks each one what is felt like to be that thing, animal, or person. The dreamer can then discuss with the leader what they felt about the parts acted out. Then the players can run through it again with the dreamer adjusting anything needed or the leader can ask the dreamer to act in the part of a central/important role and run the dream play again. After this, more discussion but centered more on how the dreamer felt in the part. Other players may still contribute their feelings to the group.

One last run through is of a slightly different nature. The dreamer, still acting in the previously played role, is allowed to take the dream play in hand and change it. If something seemed unfinished in the dream, the dreamer can finish it in the play. If something in the dream seemed threatening, the dreamer may conquer it or do whatever is needed to feel safer. There is no directing at the beginning of this run and the other players should follow the previous plan but be ready to allow the dreamer to do anything without blocking or intervening. One final discussion can take place after this.

I haven't worked with a dream in this fashion but I have participated as a player in a dream. I was a snake in a cave (the cave played by someone draped over a table with me underneath the table). It was absolutely fantastic!! I had a lot of fun and it looked like the dreamer learned quite a bit from the process.

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Senoi Technique

The Senoi are a native Indian tribe. Dreams are a huge integral part of their lives. Rites of passage into adulthood basically consist of being able to actively control one's dreams. To this end, they are extensive lucid dreamers, able to control their dreams as if they were awake in them. In controlling dreams, the Senoi act on several aspects of dreams.

1. Fear or negative, frightening images:

If one should come across something that is frightening in a dream, the Senoi say that it should be faced and conquered. In conquering this thing, the dreamer can call upon any dream allies, strength, or any other help to come to the dreamer's aid.

2. Pleasure:

Pleasure should be sought out, not avoided in anyway. The Senoi teach that pleasurable dreams should be pursued and that if in the middle of such a dream, it should be taken to a conclusion.

3. Gifts:

Once faced with a central dream image or character, be it frightening or pleasurable, the dreamer should request from it a gift to bring back. A gift can be anything from the representation of an object (which can be made real (built or created) upon returning to the waking world) to a song, poem, or even the pure essence of the dream image.

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Ullman's Technique

This is another group technique but recommended for smaller groups of three to five. This is a summary of Ullman’s method.

Stage 1:

1. The dreamer tells the dream.The dreamer will tell the dream in the present tense, as if it were really happening at that moment. Other group members at this point will only listen and may take notes. They are not to try to interpret it in this phase.
2. The group members ask questions.The group members can ask questions of the dreamer to clarify points about the dream. This is entirely for clarification.

In this phase, each group member will take the dream on as their own while the dreamer now listens and may take notes. The group members should tell the dream in present tense and use first person as if it were truly their own dream. Then they will follow the steps below for the dream.

1. The group members tell feelings.The group members tell what their feelings were in the dream (still as if it were their own).
2. The group members tell about images and metaphors.Each group member tell what they thought the images and metaphors in the dream meant.

1. The dreamer tells about feelings and images.The dreamer can now talk about how s/he felt in the dream and what s/he thought certain images and metaphors meant. The dreamer should try to relate the dream to recent events in their own real life. The dreamer can take or reject any of the suggestions or observations from the other group members (in Stage 2).
2. The group members ask questions.The group members ask questions again, but this time to help the dreamer explore some of the feelings and images more deeply.

I really enjoyed working with this technique. I worked in a group of four very insightful people. It was a lot of fun to take on someone else’s dream as if it were my own. At first I thought this would bias my response because I would tell of the feelings and images in the dream through my point of view (as if it were really my dream). I actually found that this helped the dreamer in working their dream. So once I got past that small doubt that I would be responding with biases (which is mostly the point, I suspect), I found that it was a very helpful technique. I recommend it for small dream groups that want a "method" to follow until they settle into their own.

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Dream Books and Tools

Dream Links in the WWW

Dream CentralA good dream resource.

Dream links at SelfGrowth.comA huge listing of dream links on the World Wide Web.

More to come!!

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