Recurrent Dreams: What are they trying to tell us?
My main recurrent dream is of falling or diving from a precipitous height down a very steep cliff or slope. I wonder if it reflects all those years in university when I was competing for the diving team and spent hours each day falling fast and with a variable level of control. From a symbolic
Experiential dreamwork program doubles student confidence in exploring dreams
I am always trying to improve my programs, so I asked my most recent cohort how their comfort level and ways of working with dreams have changed over the past year as a result of participating in my Embodied Experiential Dreamwork program. It is so gratifying to hear how many deepened and freed up their
Nightmares and the nervous system: a new approach to treatment based on polyvagal theory
At long last, my article that takes Porges’ polyvagal theory and the nervous system into account when considering the causes and treatment of nightmares, has been accepted for publication in the APA journal Dreaming. Although it could be many months before it is actually published, I am happy to share some of the main ideas
Potential dangers (and benefits) of herbs that help you dream
Clinical herbalist Sky Richarde says she is often asked about plants that can bolster your dream life by giving you more vivid or lucid dreams. However, few people are aware of the potential dangers of taking an herb without knowing about things like side effects and possible interactions with other medications. “A lot of people
The dream text is not so sacred: Dreams as doorways to possibility
“A dream is alive.” Eugene Gendlin wrote this in his book, Let Your Body Interpret Your Dreams to describe the ongoing, in-process nature of dreams and how much potential they possess because of this. He said dreams are ‘unfinished’ and therefore they represent a huge possibility space. Rather than dismiss what may at first feel
Dream Emotion: A key to unlock their meaning and purpose
By Dr. Leslie Ellis Emotion is key to understanding and working with dreams. Many theories of dreaming suggest that emotion is what generates dreams, and that one of the reasons for dreaming is to process feelings. Dream researcher Ernest Hartmann famously called dreams ‘picture-metaphors’ for the dreamer’s most prominent emotion. For example, he found that
What Can You Do About Your Nightmares? Ideas from a trauma expert
There is a lot you can do, and some compelling reasons why you should take action to quell your nightmares, especially if you suffer from post-traumatic stress injury Tom is awakened with a start by the sound of his own screams. Several nights a week in his dreams, he revisits the burning building, and hears
Dreaming in Times of Collective Crisis: A nocturnal perspective on Ukraine
Recently I dreamt I was standing on a rocky, mountainous ridge, the stone an iron colour, like dust mixed with blood. I am looking for a way down, and all the options seem treacherous. Suddenly, the ground begins to split under my feet, a massive slice of it neatly dropping away. It feels as if
Nightmares and the Nervous System: A new way to understand and treat nightmares
In the world of trauma therapy, a paradigm shift has been taking place over the past decade or so, a marked shift toward embodied and somatic approaches to the understanding and healing of trauma. The polyvagal theory by Dr. Stephen Porges has led clinicians to consider that much of what was previously viewed as pathological