Dream to remember, dream to forget, dream to feel better…
Dreaming after an emotional experience might help us feel better in the morning Although dreaming has been implicated in the consolidation of memories, it seems we also dream to forget. In a similar way that sleep has been shown to clean our brains of clutter, a recent study supports the notion that dreaming helps us
Trauma-Related Nightmare Type Linked to Higher Suicide Risk
Adding to the robust literature linking nightmares to suicide risk, a new study offers an important distinction for clinicians: of the 3 nightmare types identified by researchers, only trauma-related nightmares are linked to a greater risk of suicide (Youngren et al., 2024). Idiopathic and complex nightmares (comorbid with sleep and breathing problems) do not lead
Feel into the dream images to arrive at your own answers Yes, you read that correctly. So many people come to me with a dream image or story and want an immediate answer to the question: what does it mean? It’s natural to want to know this because dream images are often so strange and
Dream Program Doubles Confidence in Working with Dreams
The reviews are in! Those who just completed the year-long Embodied Experiential Dreamwork program last year said their confidence in tending dreams is now at 8 out of 10 – up from a class average of 3.7 at the start of the program. If you are considering taking this program, you may be interested in
Sleep Paralysis… curse or blessing?
A first encounter with sleep paralysis (SP) is usually terrifying. But for those who experience it often and learn to stay calm, it can be entryway to lucid dreaming and extraordinary states. Ryan Hurd, a sleep paralysis expert, has experienced hundreds of episodes himself and offers a road map for those who experience it. The
Creating Safety in Dream Groups: Ideas from Ullman
What’s the single most important factor in a successful dream group? Safety. This may be why the method of Dream Appreciation by Montague Ullman is the most popular dream group method. Every step of the way, the dreamer’s safety is considered. What maintains the dreamer’s sense of trust in the process? Confidentiality of course, and
Jungian Dreamwork and Focusing: Delving Deeper in the Experience of Dreaming
This article brings together my two favorite approaches in psychotherapy and personal growth: that of dreamwork and focusing. In my work, they are intertwined in ways that make it difficult to tease apart, so I am taking this opportunity to articulate the way they both differ and complement each other. I will highlight the work
Why Do We Dream? Maybe We Should Ask Our Bodies
Mark Blumberg, a University of Iowa researcher, has a new idea about why we dream – it’s our body mapping itself while we sleep. His research, recently featured in the New Yorker magazine, is a departure from existing theories that suggest in dreaming, we are making sense of our experiences, consolidating memories, processing emotions, possibly
Resistant to Your Dream Life? Here’s why you should push through it
Resistance to dreaming comes in many forms, and may be part of the reason we collectively forget so many of our dreams. In a dominant culture that leans toward the rational, empirical side of things, the magical, mysterious and unseen aspects of our existence can be lost or dismissed. Lost or dismissed. This seems to