Contents. Introduction What will you need to become a dreamworker? How I became a dreamworker Theory Method Recognition of common dream motifs

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Contents. Introduction What will you need to become a dreamworker? How I became a dreamworker Theory Method Recognition of common dream motifs"

Marvin Mosley
5 years ago
Views:

1 Contents Introduction What will you need to become a dreamworker? How I became a dreamworker Theory Method Recognition of common dream motifs Part One: Dreamworking Theory Chapter 1: Why We Should Pay Attention to Our Dreams The inner guide Why is it important to know what is going on in our unconscious mind? Why is dreamwork a good way of relating to the unconscious mind? The benefit of ongoing dreamwork Evidence for the effectiveness of dreamwork Chapter 2: Where Do Dreams Come From? Do dreams arise from inside us or outside us? The dreammaker The dream ego The good side of weakened ego control in dreams anything can happen! The dreammaker is responsive to being responded to Characteristics of the dreammaker Chapter 3: The Language of Dreams Do you speak dreamish? The use of figures to play parts Tip write down 2-3 associations for each key figure in the dream

2 The use of metaphor The use of feelings and emotions The use of exaggeration and heightened urgency The use of figures of speech, idioms, puns, and wordplay Spot the figure of speech quiz Chapter summary Answers to quiz Chapter 4: Why Do People Shy Away From Doing Dreamwork? Negative and paradoxical attitudes towards dreams Negative perceptions about dreams and how to counter them Difficulty recognizing metaphor Fear of causing harm Do the contents of the unconscious want to be exposed? Feeling lost within the dreamscape Resistance to acknowledging the uncomfortable truths that dreams offer Chapter 5: The Goals of Dreamwork The first goal connecting the dream to your life The double resonance test The second goal responding to the dream Ethical considerations in dreamwork Informed consent Chapter 6: Choosing a Good Dream to Work With Tip First figure out what the dream is asking for within the dream scenario itself, then translate this insight into waking life Qualities of a good working dream Coherence

3 Poorly remembered dreams and long rambling dreams Tip if you can t handle the whole dream work with one part of it Picking out the odd part of a dream Tip-a quick checklist for selecting a good dream to work on Chapter 7: Fixed Meanings in Dreams What to do when the dreamer is attached to a single fixed meaning Tip include and expand Chapter 8: What Do Our Dreams Want? Three advantages of considering what the dream wants What if it is not clear what the dream is asking for? Re-enter and explore Find a response within the dreamscape, then translate this to waking life Chapter 9: Overview of the Method Part Two: A Method of Dreamworking A flow chart of the method in action Tip in dreamwork keep your questions clear, short, and simple Ask questions appropriate for the step of the method you are working at Suggested questions and phrases for dream facilitation Clarification questions Tip keep SEFA in mind (Setting-Events-Feelings-Associations) Orienting questions Connecting questions Responding questions Tip keep a list of good questions at your fingertips What if the facilitator sees a connection but the dreamer can t see it?

4 Tip what to do when you feel lost Chapter 10: Catching the Dream Techniques for opening and stimulating the dream channel Remembering the dream on waking Tip don t judge your dream while you re still half asleep Tip give yourself some shoreline time Tip watch out for water dreams Tip jot down or draw one thing from the dream (capture a cue) Anchoring the dream Tip find out what you need to do to anchor your dreams and do it Recording the dream Naming the dream cultivate these 6 habits to improve your dream recall Chapter 11: Clarifying the Dream Phrases and questions to use for clarification Tip while you clarify stay on the alert for orientation What if the dreamer cannot make any personal associations? Chapter 12: Getting Oriented What have you made of it so far? Orienting by asking: what does the dream want? Dreamwork in the helping and healing professions Orienting through recognizing a universal dream motif Tip an old dream may still be relevant and can be revisited Orienting through inner and outer Tip ask the inner outer question for each key dream figure Tip some people resist the inner, some resist the outer

5 Internalized figures where inner meets outer Orienting through Be the Part Tip you can be any aspect of your dream What if you are not able to identify with the part? How do we know which part to be? Orienting through good thing/bad thing Tip you do not need to know the answer to get the orientation Orienting through dynamic/stuck Tip notice which comes first, the dynamic part or the stuck part Repetitiveness in dreams Tip ask yourself: is there any value in this dream repeating itself? Orienting through the body How might a problem with your body appear in a dream? Physical, functional, or figurative? Some suggestions for working with dreams through the body Chapter 13: Connecting the Dream to Your Life The difference between orienting and connecting How do we know if the connection is true or accurate Tip when working on your own dream emotional charge is the most reliable sign that you have made a good connection Connecting through highlight and ask Tip keep it short and stay close to the dreamer s own words Connecting through feeling tones Tip good note-taking or a good memory is needed Connecting through spotting a figure of speech

6 Chapter 14: Responding to the Dream Dialogue between ego and dreammaker Dream-based homework Pre-connection responses Post-connection responses Remember the IRA (Imaginal-Ritual-Actual) Different types of dreams call for different types of responses Your imagination is your most powerful tool The essential steps of an imaginal response Responding by resolving to make a change Responding by doing a ritual Responding by creating something Responding by finding a way out of a negative situation Responding by working with a symbol that appeared in the dream Part Three: Common Dream Motifs How to Recognize Them and Work With Them Chapter 15: Overview of Dream Motifs Many dreams contain more than one motif The 14 motif groups Why motif recognition is so helpful in dreamwork Tip when a dreamwork session bogs down and loses energy it is usually because the central motif has not been recognized Chapter 16: Shadow Motifs Psychodynamics of the shadow motif Distinctive features of a shadow motif Dreamworking suggestions for a shadow motif

7 Chapter 17: Ego Check Motifs Psychodynamics of the ego check motif Distinctive features of an ego check motif Dreamworking suggestions for an ego check motif Chapter 18: Brain Field Motifs Psychodynamics of the brain field motif Distinctive features of a brain field motif Dreamworking suggestions for a brain field motif Chapter 19: Personal Spirit Motifs Psychodynamics of the personal spirit motif Distinctive features of a personal spirit motif Dreamworking suggestions for a personal spirit motif Chapter 20: Family Field Motifs Psychodynamics of the family field motif Distinctive features of a family field motif Dreamworking suggestions for a family field motif Chapter 21: Relationship Field Motifs Psychodynamics of the relationship field motif Distinctive features of a relationship field motif Dreamworking suggestions for a relationship field motif

8 Chapter 22: Introject Motifs Psychodynamics of the introject motif Distinctive features of an introject motif Dreamworking suggestions for an introject motif Chapter 23: Self-discovery Motifs Psychodynamics of the self-discovery motif Distinctive features of a self-discovery motif Dreamworking suggestions for a self-discovery motif Chapter 24: Rebirth Motifs Psychodynamics of the rebirth motif Distinctive features of a rebirth motif Dreamworking suggestions for a rebirth motif Chapter 25: Inspiring Contact Motifs Psychodynamics of the inspiring contact motif Distinctive features of an inspiring contact motif Dreamworking suggestions for an inspiring contact motif Chapter 26: Positive Feedback Motifs Psychodynamics of the positive feedback motif Distinctive features of a positive feedback motif Dreamworking suggestions for a positive feedback motif

9 Chapter 27: Rogue Part Motifs Psychodynamics of the rogue part motif Distinctive features of a rogue part motif Dreamworking suggestions for a rogue part motif Chapter 28: Dreambody Motifs Flying motifs Psychodynamics of the dreambody motif Having trouble with your flying? Falling and crashing motifs Amazing ability motifs Distinctive features of dreambody motifs Chapter 29: Somatic Motifs Surrounding environment motifs Full bladder motifs Hunger and thirst motifs Illness motifs Paralysis motifs Falling and starting motifs Chapter 30: Erotic dreams Psychodynamics of sexual and erotic dreams Erotic dreams featuring your own partner Erotic dreams with guilty awareness of your own partner Dreams of attraction to a person who is not attractive (in waking life) Dreams of attraction to old partners Dreamworking suggestions for erotic dreams

10 Chapter 31: Frightening dreams and nightmares Guidelines to help you distinguish between frightening dream figures The big bad 8 When can we do our own dreamwork and when should we seek help? A Final Word About Dreamwork Appendix 1: Useful phrases and questions for each stage of dream facilitation Appendix 2: Distinctive features of common dream motifs Glossary Recommended resources Bibliography Index

DREAMER S GUIDEBOOK. Tallulah Lyons, M.Ed.

DREAMER S GUIDEBOOK. Tallulah Lyons, M.Ed. DREAMER S GUIDEBOOK Tallulah Lyons, M.Ed. Dream work is intentional dialogue between the conscious part of ourselves and the multiple unconscious aspects of our inner world. As we work with our dreams,