Working with Dreams in a Group

Groups are a rich source of support and information for the dreamworker. While individual dream work is rewarding and necessary to the growth of a person's understanding of dreams, they can overlook or be bewildered by certain aspects of their dreams. These are the natural limitations of each person's blindspots, or over-involvement with the dream itself. The blindspots are those beliefs and values that are held as unchangeable or simply the lack of alternative ideas. The over-involvement with the dream occurs when the emotional reaction to the dream or the dream images is still fresh enough that the necessary perspective one needs for some of the dreamwork can be missing. Other people can usually avoid these because they are not direct connected to the dream material. They approach the dream with fresh eyes and ears and enough difference in life experiences that they can provide the necessary distance to increase the perspective.

Unfortunately, the very thing that makes them valuable to you, as the dreamer, limits their usefulness. Others have their own set of life experiences, beliefs, values, and emotional responses to situations and can lose sight of the fact that the dream is not theirs. They can project their own beliefs and reactions onto the material from another's dream and forget to check in with the dreamer to determine if what they are saying is helpful or confusing. For that reason it is recommended that the members of a dream group not offer their interpretations of what the dream means. Rather they can form their responses into questions for the dreamer to answer or ponder.

The members of a dream group can be helpful by remembering the questions they ask themselves as they work on their own dreams. Often this is hard to separate out from the answers, since the mind can work very quickly, but it is important to do so. There are several types of responses that can be useful to a dreamer.

• Listen attentively to the dream.
  
• Note any facial expressions or body movements that may provide some information.
  
• Statements or questions that draw out any immediate feelings or comments about the dream. Often the group members will percieve an emotion lying underneath the surface and they can gently show that they notice it.
  
• Questions that help the dreamer reframe a situation in the dream.
  
• Questions that ask for clarification of actions, symbols, characters although this must be done for the dreamer's clarification - not the group member's need to know something that may or may not be relevant. Or perhaps the group member will remember a symbol from a previous dream and can help the dreamer with that association.
  
• Always check in with the dreamer to make sure they are still interested in continuing to work within the group. A dreamer can become overwhelmed with advice and associations from other group members.
  
• Allow enough silence for the dreamer to process.
  
• Share ideas of what may be a useful method of further developing the dream. Some of these include dialoguing with a character, doing research on a symbol, any number of individual dreamwork techniques. (At one point I used Webster's dictionary for help with a symbol and it was very successful.)
  

• What is not helpful is having too many questions aimed at the dreamer, so that they spend their time on dredging up answers, rather than exploring how an answer fits into the dream itself.
  
• Don't tell other members their dreams are obvious or silly. Don't tell them what their dream means, as if you know. If dreams really come in the service of health and wholeness then who are you to say?

   

It is useful to create a special atmosphere for the group dreamwork. Sometimes merely the sharing of a quiet and private space is enough. Other people find a simple ceremony that aides in focusing inward helps, such as lighting a candle or a brief meditation to clear out the day's burdens. It is helpful to remember that each dream can be considered a butterfly that is very delicate and needs the greatest of care. That way emotional and mental space can be created for the dreamwork that allows a freshness for each dream that is offered.

Trust is important for the group atmosphere. Each member needs to feel that she/he is valuable and safe within the group. Discussing issues of confidentiality is a good way to start the process of developing trust.

During dreamwork the dreamer may find it useful to write down important ideas, associations and suggested tasks, as they are easily forgotten. Sometimes just the work within the group is enough to effect an understanding of the dream. Other times it is necessary to continue the dreamwork at home and that is when writing the dreamwork information can be useful.

A dreamwork group is interested in the results of work on a specific dream. Sharing the results of that work is beneficial for both the dreamer and the others in the group. The group can get insight into the dynamics of the dreamer as well as into what works and what doesn't in terms of dreamwork within the group.

• Arrival
  
• Opening : clearing and centering
  
• Checkin : Find out how each member is feeling, whether they've had any dreams to share, what dreamwork they've done since the last meeting. This can set up a sense of what is needed for that session's agenda. The amount of time needed by a member changes as the life situation and dreams do.
  
• Dreamwork review : Have a time to share the dreamwork that has been done. This can be a simple review, or it can be more detailed and require some work in the group or suggestions for more work at home.
  
• New dream sharing : This is the time that groups will usually do the bulk of the dreamwork. Dreams will be shared and dreamwork of different kinds will be done. Between each dreamer allow a few moments to release that person's issues and dreams to clear the way for the ones to come.
  
• Closure : Prepare to leave the group and re-enter the normal flow of each member's day.
  

Williams, Strephon Kaplan. The Jungian Senoi Dreamwork Manual (pages 243-256).

Koch-Sheras, Phyllis R., Hollier, E. Ann, and Jones, Brooke. Dream on: A Dream Interpretation and Exploration Guide for Women . (pg. 74-81).

Ullman, Montague and Zimmerman, Nan. Working with Dreams . (pg. 203-264).

Taylor, Jeremy. A handbook for Dreamwork (a small collection of tips for groups and a bibliography) or Dreamwork .

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