by Jeremy Taylor
The 6 Most Basic Hints for Dream Work
1. All dreams speak a universal language and come in the service of health and wholeness.
There is no such thing as a “bad dream” — only dreams that sometimes take a dramatically negative form in order to grab our attention.
2. Only the dreamer can say with any certainty what meanings his or her dream may have.
This certainty usually comes in the form of a wordless “aha!” of recognition. This “aha” is a function of memory, and is the only reliable touchstone of dream work.
3. There is no such thing as a dream with only one meaning.
All dreams and dream images are “over-determined” and have multiple meanings and layers of significance.
4. No dreams come just to tell you what you consciously already know.
All dreams break new ground and invite you to new understandings and insights.
5. When talking to others about their dreams, use the frame: “If it were my dream…”
Keep commentary in the first person as much as possible. Even relatively challenging and confrontive comments can be made so the dreamer may actually hear and internalize them. It also can become a profound psycho-spiritual discipline — “walking a mile in your neighbor’s moccasins.”
6. All dream group participants should agree at the outset to maintain anonymity in all discussions of dream work.
In the absence of any specific request for confidentiality, group members should be free to discuss their experiences openly outside the group, provided no other dreamer is identifiable in their stories. However, whenever any group member requests confidentiality, all members should agree to be bound automatically by such a request.
© Jeremy Taylor 2005 • Unlimited reproduction with proper attribution is encouraged • www.jeremytaylor.com
A Whole Heart 