Abstract Index Conference Index

ABSTRACT

1. TYPE OF PRESENTATION: Workshop 2 hours preferred (1 ½ possible)

2. TITLE: "Working with your Dream Impasses"

3. AUTHOR: Bob Hoss, MS.
e-mail: rjhoss@us.ibm.com

Affiliation: Board Chair ASD

Biographical Description:
Chair of the Board of the Association for the Study of Dreams, and former Secretary. Formerly instructor of Dream Psychology at Richland College and President of the Texas Parapsychology Association. Has been investigating dreams since 1974. Trained in Gestalt technique among other dreamwork disciplines. Presenter at 8 ASD Conferences and invited speaker by such organizations as HARA, the American Holistic Nurses Association, Eastfield College, and the Association for Humanistic Psychology.

4. SUMMARY OF THE WORKSHOP:

This workshop is for professionals and anyone interested in personal dreamwork. The approach is based on a unique combination of Gestalt and Jungian theory, for working with dream imagery (including archetypal form, color and numbers). Focus will be on recognizing and working with personal impasse imagery, and personal "myth", that which inhibits the dreamer from progressing in the dream as well as in waking life. A handout will be provided.

5. LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Three learning objectives are:
1) Experience and learn some simple yet powerful techniques for working with dream imagery including "collective" imagery such as pattern, number and color;
2) Understand how to recognize probable impasse imagery in the dream (that which holds back your progress in the dream) and apply the techniques to working with that imagery;
3) Look for the analogies with decisions we make, that hold back our progress in waking life, and learn to use the dream to work with these.

Three Evaluation Questions:
1) How does the "language" of the dreaming brain differ from that of waking consciousness and how does this help you understand the dream?
2) What is meant by the terms impasse and personal myth?
3) How does one recognize potential impasse imagery in a dream?

ABSTRACT

Working with the Impasse

This workshop is for professionals as well as those interested in personal dreamwork. It will present an approach to dreamwork based on a unique combination of Gestalt technique and Jungian theory, plus some interesting findings that suggest a "language" for the dreaming brain. Participants will experience some helpful techniques for working with the imagery (including color and numbers) in their dreams. Focus will be on recognizing and working with impasse imagery and the personal "myth", that which inhibits the dreamer from progressing in the dream as well as in waking life. We will learn to "open the dream" and then "close the dream" by examining our some of our decisions and then we will "complete" the dream, a metaphor for transforming the personal "myth".

The Dreamwork:

The dreamwork begins with understanding the metaphor "language" of the dreaming brain, which is then augmented with a role-play technique derived from Gestalt dreamwork. The imagery work is further enhanced by observing the collective elements of the dream image, such as shape, number and archetypal pattern as described by Jung. An introduction to working with Color imagery is provided, which was developed based on a psychological color testing tool as well as research findings on the human response to color. Work is done on recognition of possible impasse imagery and the imagery work performed on these. The dream story, derived from the imagery work, is compared to the life story and decisions about oneself revealed and examined.

The participants begin by recalling a short dream that was particularly important. We then begin "opening the dream" by asking the participant to write down the objective or goal of the dreamer in the dream (or of the character that the dreamer identified with). They are then requested to look for the imagery or situation in the dream which stood in the way of their dream character progressing in its path or to the objective (the potential impasse image). The dreamer then places themselves back in the dream story, and speaks to the selected impasse image, telling it what they feel and what they want the impasse to do ("get out of the way" for example). Relating the feelings to a waking life situation at this point reveals possible connections.

We then work with understanding that imagery and what is within it. A series of approaches for imagery work are used at this point, mostly so that the participants experience the different techniques, but also to take the dreamer more gradually into the image. First the color is investigated using a Color Questionnaire. The dreamer identifies the statement read the other workshop members that best describes their feelings about a life situation at the time of the dream. The waking life situation is again reflected on. The dreamer then moves further into the dream image using a simple role-play technique. The dreamer "becomes" the impasse image and lets it speak, answering some specific questions: "I am ..", "I do ..", "I feel ..", "I like ..", "I don't like ..", and "I desire .. ". At this point the impasse image then answers the former statement of the dreamer. [Note that only a simple degree of dialog is used as necessary to gain the understanding of the dream, and that the more in-depth dialog approach that would continue with Gestalt work is avoided for this workshop].

The dreamer then moves out of the impasse image and back into the room where the group then feeds back the dialog to the dreamer. The dreamer is asked to recall a waking life situation when they had a similar dialog within their head or wanted to have a similar dialog with someone. Again the waking life story and dream story are compared and reflected on.

The "dream closure" process then begins with the dreamer returning to the associated life situation and describing their feelings at the time. They then are asked to recall what decisions they made about themselves in that specific situation and whether they consider these healthy decisions or ones that hold them back. The "myth" is defined at this point.

The dreamer is then brought back into the dream at the point at which they felt the interference of the impasse. They then make up a new ending to the dream that permits them to move past the impasse. The dreamer is asked how this new ending might be a metaphor for a new decision about self, a decision which might change the personal waking life "myth" that contributed to the impasse.

1)active credentials:
Presently Chair fo the Board, Association for the Study of Dreams;
workshop presenter at annual ASD conferences; personally sponsored
workshops and classes in dreamworking
Past-= President Texas Parapsychology Association; instructor of Dream
Psycology Richland College; reserch board of Texas Society for Psychical
Research

2) specific training in dream work or dream studies; studied under various
professionals principally Jungian, Gestalt, and Humanistic, but most
notable Gestalt Therapy training from Dr. H Gadol president of the Gestalt
Institute in Dallas;

3) the nature of experience conducting dream workshops: presented similar
workshops at the last 8 ASD conferences; instructed dream psychology
courses for 6 years at Richland; conduct periodic dreamworking workshops
and private classes since 1972 using a combination of Gestalt and Jungian
principles;

4) orientation, style, or name of methods or techniques to be utilized =
combination of Gestalt and Jungian plus a "dream language" technique I
developed from studying the results of brain hemesphere research.

5) a detailed description of the activities in which attendees will be
encouraged to participate during the proposed workshop (short version here,
more detail in original proposal);

The dreamwork begins with understanding the metaphor "language" of the
dreaming brain, which is then augmented with a role-play technique derived
from Gestalt dreamwork. The imagery work is further enhanced by observing
the collective elements of the dream image, such as shape, number and
archetypal pattern as described by Jung. Work is done on recognition of
possible impasse imagery and the imagery work performed on these. The dream
story, derived from the imagery work, is compared to the life story and
decisions about oneself revealed and examined. All participants are lead
through the dreamwork togather so they may work on their own dreams using
the techniques. They begin by recalling a short dream that was particularly
important. We then begin "opening the dream" by asking the participant to
write down the objective or goal of the dreamer in the dream (or of the
character that the dreamer identified with). They are then requested to
look for the imagery or situation in the dream which stood in the way of
their dream character progressing in its path or to the objective (the
potential impasse image). The dreamer then places themselves back in the
dream story, and speaks to the selected impasse image, telling it what they
feel and what they want the impasse to do ("get out of the way" for
example). Relating the feelings to a waking life situation at this point
reveals possible connections. We then work with understanding that imagery
and what is within it. A series of approaches for imagery work and
comparison to life situations are used at this point, mostly so that the
participants experience the different techniques, but also to take the
dreamer more gradually into the image.