A Little Guide to Working With Dreams...
For me, dreamwork is a sacred art. It is also my principal spiritual practice. Thus, I think a lot about how I listen to, work with, and engage the energies I encounter in the dreamworld. The following essay reflects my current thinking and ideas. It is divided into nine sections. Clicking on any of the section titles will take you to that section. Please note that all work is copyrighted and may not be used without permission.
I find that talking about any aspect of Mystery, but especially about dreams and the dreamworld, is best done in dim light, with soft voices and quiet words...
Empathic Engagement vs. Exploitation & Analysis
For me, dreams are not things but living entities; ...
I have learned that one of the best ways to avoid exploiting dreams, even unintentionally, is to greet each dreamer and each dream first with a bow, as one would greet an honored guest. ...
Right Mindfulness & The Seven Miracles of Mindfulness in Dreamwork
The practice of mindfulness
is at the heart of Buddhism. It is also at the heart of much fruitful
dreamwork. ...
Being present with a dream and letting images just 'be' can be especially challenging in groups. We often feel we haven't done our part, made our contribution, if we don't say something insightful and at least half brilliant. ...
When dreams come, they are pilgrims in our land. When we return the visit, we are pilgrims in theirs.
Sometimes A Straight Line Isn't
--The Fractal Dimensions of Dreams
While many dreams are narrative, many are not. This is difficult for the Western mind to appreciate, with its love of order and linearity and perspective. ...
The archetypal world is nothing if not ambiguous, so I am wary of anyone who claims to have definitive answers about the way it works. ...
Dreamwork is not only about answering a question or gratifying an immediate need to know. Through dreams, with dreams, we can participate in the "irrational fullness of life." ...