Abstract Index Conference Index

ABSTRACT

1. TYPE OF PRESENTATION. Workshop, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

2. TITLE OF PRESENTATION. Dream Themes: A New Approach to Individual and Group Dream Work.

Robert P. Gongloff, M.A.
email: robertgongloff@aol.com

.Biographical description: Robert P. Gongloff, M.A., is a dream steward with the Black Mountain Wellness Center, Black Mountain, NC, and member of the ASD board of directors. He provides individual dream counseling, and conducts dream groups, workshops, and weekend retreats. He has also hosted two ASD international dream conferences.

4. SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION.

Working with dream themes provides insight toward determining the basic meanings of dreams. Participants will develop an understanding and appreciation for the basic underlying personal themes of their dreams. They will be shown how to determine themes using dreams provided by the instructor and their own personal dreams.

5. LEARNING OBJECTIVES.
A) Three learning objectives of the presentation:
(1) Understanding of what themes, specifically dream themes, are.
(2) Knowledge of how to determine the themes of one's own dreams.
(3) Knowledge of how to identify and work with recurring themes.
B) Three evaluation questions which participants should be able to answer after attending the presentation:
(1) What is a dream theme?
(2) What are the basic steps in determining the theme of a dream?
(3) What are some advantages to studying dreams by recurring themes rather than just analyzing individual dreams?

ABSTRACT
DREAM THEMES: A NEW APPROACH TO INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP DREAM WORK

The need for working with themes.
In my research, I note that very little literature exists on dream themes and how to work with them in the dream work process. Most self-help books on dream interpretation have the dreamer dwell on the symbolism in the dream. This workshop will fill a great void that exists in personal and group dream work, and my intent is that it will be a valuable resource for attendees.
Through my personal work with dream themes over the past two or three years, I have found that intensive work on determining dream themes helps dreamers to gain a better understanding of the personal meaning of the dream¾what is important for the dreamer at this time. This is both true when working alone, but also in the group sharing experiences of my dream groups: "If it were my theme."

What are themes, specifically, dream themes?
Themes reflect major issues going on in one's life, but also may be expressions of personal characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors. Motifs are defined as recurring themes, subjects, or ideas. Theme statements may be any one of these. But they may also be stated as the universal common themes or motifs reflecting one's connection with the collective.

How to determine the themes of one's own dreams.
I have found in working with dream groups on the dream work technique developed by Savary, Berne, and Williams called TTAQ (Title, Theme, Affect, Question) [Dream and Spiritual Growth, Louis M. Savary, Patricia H. Berne, Strephon Kaplan Williams, 1984] that determining the theme of the dream was the most difficult step for the group members to tackle. In fact, they found it easier to determine the theme after first identifying the title, affect, and question.
To facilitate the process, I have developed a process of determining the theme of a dream, including some dos and don'ts to make the job a bit easier. Following are some of the key points in this process:
Where is the major energy in the dream? This may be where the main theme can be developed.
What is really happening in the dream?
What am I doing in the dream?
What is the thing I'm doing this with or to?
Avoid using the words in the dream.
Avoid symbolism, simile, or metaphor.
Focus on definitions, not synonyms. For instance, the car is transporting, driving, in control, etc. You need to know what the car does, what it is doing in the dream.
There may be several themes in the dream. But it is important to see the relationship between the themes (how does one influence or shade the other?); go on the assumption there is a common theme.
The theme can be the emotion that dominates the dream, such as frustration or anger.
Perhaps not all dreams have a theme¾you may need to let go and not get too concerned or rigid about it.

How to identify and work with recurring themes.
First, it is important to keep journal and to track your dreams over time. The very idea of "theme" suggests working on dreams in sequence over time, versus trying to analyze all the details of a single dream. This gives a broader scope and reflects the dynamic process of life: where am I now and where am I going, where am I in the life process, not just what is the present issue.
A basic theme may appear in a sequence of dreams; further examination of these dreams can reveal a more pertinent overall theme that becomes the issue the dreams are attempting to bring to the dreamer's consciousness. For instance, a member of one of my dream groups told of a series of "playing" dreams; it was the theme of playing that drew them together; through examination of these as a collection, the dreamer was able to get to the common theme, which proved to be a valuable life lesson. It can be argued that recurring symbols could also have led the dreamer to the same result, but I feel concentration on the themes brought the dreamer to the core of the issue by a more direct route.
Essentially, the process is much like looking at the multiple themes that may appear in a single dream and assuming there is a common thread, a common theme that unites them.
I have found that dream themes may change over time; what is important now might not be so important at a later date. Therefore, what the dreamer stated as the dominant theme of a dream experienced last year, might be entirely different today. Examining themes over a long period of time will help to determine if this is true on occasion for the dreamer.

Are there collective, universal themes?
Many researchers have proposed that there are universal themes that are dreamt by all dreamers, regardless of their culture. Patricia Garfield, for one, is presently engaged in extensive work on this subject. I am presently involved in work in progress on developing a model of universal dream themes and may be ready to present some of my findings in the workshop.

10. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR ALL WORKSHOP PROPOSALS:

1) Active credentials: As stated in my attached resume, I hold a Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling from Wayne State University in Michigan. I've been on the board of directors of ASD since 1993; I served as membership chair and manager of the database; I am currently chair of the Conference Advisory Committee. I hosted two ASD international dream conferences, one in Asheville in 1997 and the other in Washington, DC, in 2000. I also co-hosted a joint Sancta Sophia Seminary/ASD dream conference in 1998. I currently lead two open dream groups in North Carolina, one in Asheville and the other in Charlotte. I am listed in the Dream Network Journal as contact person on dreams within North Carolina. I have written articles on dreams, and am presently working on a book about dream themes.

2) Specific training in dream work or dream studies: I am presently a student in the two-year intensive Dream Leadership Training program offered by the Haden Institute. I have had extensive training in many approaches to dream work for over ten years at the ASD conferences and through other institutions by the leaders in the field, such as Robert Bosnak, Erik Craig, Gayle Delaney, Robert Moss, Jeremy Taylor, and Montague Ullman.

3) Nature of experience conducting dream workshops: As stated in my attached resume, I developed and conducted dream groups, workshops, and weekend retreats with the DC Area Dream Community and the Northern Virginia chapter of the Association for Research and Enlightenment. Recently, I developed a series of four workshops on dreams, which I first presented in Asheville, NC, in 1999, then repeated in Charlotte, NC, in 2000.

4) Orientation, style, or name of methods or techniques to be utilized: The workshop will consist of an initial oral presentation on what themes are, how they can be used in individual work and group work, and how they can be applied to study one's personal issues through journal study of recurring themes. This will be followed by class participation, described in the next paragraph.

5) Detailed description of the activities in which attendees will be encouraged to participate during the proposed workshop: The attendees will be asked to write down their suggested themes using dreams I will offer and dreams they bring in. They will be asked to discuss these in groups and with the overall group.

6) I have read and accept the ASD dream work ethical statement and will respect the confidentiality of participants in the workshop. The first topic in my general dream workshops has been ethics, emphasizing non-intrusiveness and respect for the dreamer's dignity and integrity, and I present each attendee with a copy of the ASD ethical statement.