Last month I had the good fortune to attend a DreamWriting workshop led by writer and Jungian analyst, Dr. Fanny Brewster, whose work focuses on supporting others in the “development of a valued, meaningful life,” and hosted by the Jung Society of Washington.
During the workshop, we had an opportunity to write about dreams that were calling to us for further examination. Participants wrote about, and shared, stories about their nightmares, recurring dreams, and dreams of hope. We held space for one another as each person The idea is that The Creative Self, an aspect of the unconscious, can provide us with wisdom and enrich our lives when we engage in creative expression.
When it was my turn, I shared that I’ve had flying dreams all of my life, and that I’d had one recently that stood out from the rest. Here is what I wrote:
Using the focused mental effort I know so well, I lifted off the ground, as I had many time before. But this time, nobody tried to stop me, I had not fits and starts, there were no obstacles in my way. I simply rose into the sky and glided over the people below me. In past dreams, one or more people would grab at my feet, trying to pull me down. I would struggle to free myself before I could rise. But the people on the ground this time, they smiled at me, cheering me on. “You did it!”
Writing down your dreams is a great way to help discern themes that are going on in your life, and uncover clues as to the things you should be paying attention to. For those of you who are not familiar with it, I highly recommend you look into Carl Jung's Red Book, and beautifully illustrated diary of his dreams recorded over many years.
And speaking of dreams, I recently learned that my friend, Sandy Hartgens, and her daughter, Leah, created a fun, informative, silly, and entertaining podcast, Non-Expert Dream Experts, which they produced from August 2020 to August 2021. In each episode, Leah recounts a dream, Sandy asks clarifying questions, then they discuss possible meanings for the dream using their non-expert opinions and drawing from outside sources.
Commentaires