The public books discuss dreams through their comparison with journeys and their place in psychotherapy. Journeys are like dreams: experiences full of symbolic meanings, rather than literal truths. Depending on the psychotherapeutic approach, other methods may include dream interpretation.
Why compare dreams and journeys? #
“Shamanic journeys are like dreams. They are full of symbolic meanings, not literal truths.” Journeys belong to mythosMythos. Metaphorical, symbolic, felt truth: the truth of art, poetry and shamanic journeys. Shamanic reality is mythologically true, not literally true, which is why journeys are interpreted, never taken at face value. More about this, metaphorical truth, rather than logosLogos. Literal, factual, analytical truth: the truth of facts you can check. One of the two modes of truth, alongside mythos. More about this, literal truth; they are a realm of meanings, relationships and insights.
Its caution concerns treating journeys as literal truth or using them to find out facts. The comparison appears within that explanation of symbolic meaning.1
Where does dream interpretation fit in psychotherapy? #
Dream interpretation is one of the creative ways of bringing material into awareness. Usually a therapist listens for unhelpful thoughts of which the client is not conscious, and reflects them back. Once brought into awareness, these thoughts and other processes can be examined, transformed or let go of.
The methods vary with the therapeutic approach. Good psychotherapy is rarely just about talking. They may include body language and feelings, what happens in the relationship with the therapist, acting out different inner voices, imagery, drawing, movement and dream interpretation. Dream work appears here as one of several ways of exploring material which has not yet become conscious.2
