Friday, January 8, 2016

A Toast to Dreaming 2016


I first found Robert Moss’s work in 1997. Jim and I were vacationing on wild and rocky Monhegan Island.  I took many solitary walks along the rustic paths crisscrossing the island where no cars are allowed, drinking in all the changing majesty of that place.  On some walks, I took my Walkman with me (imagine!) and listened to my first of his works, Robert’s audiobook, “Dream Gates”.  I had some wonderful tiger dreams on that island, and a new treasure trove of insights to use in my dream play.

After that, I began reading Robert’s books, taking workshops with him and happily partnering with him and my husband, Jim, to add video to his teaching outreach, (now in download formats at psycheproductions.net.)

Although I’d been teaching dreamwork for many years, I knew Active Dreaming was IT for me.  In my teacher trainings with Robert and so many amazing, gifted dreamers that are today, old friends, I dreamed myself teaching Active Dreaming, like I’m doing now, every chance I get.

I’m blessed to be a guest on the faculty of the innovative East coast graduate oasis, The Graduate Institute.  TGI has been graced with many high profile teachers, such as the ever more wonderful, Dr. Bernie Siegel.  I have the privilege of presenting my course, “Active Dreaming for Health and Healing” in the Integrative Health and Healing Master’s program.  The really wonderful thing about this is that the people who choose this program are hungry to break the boundaries of constricting old mental paradigms and move into the 21st century of healing arts.  They recognize dreaming as one of the cornerstones.  I’m like a gopher in soft dirt!

This past December, I had the opportunity to journey with about 15 TGI dream explorers, with permission, as always, into the dream of a group member.  The second she began her detailed description of the landscape where she encountered the mother black bear and her three cubs, I was in my dream, "Bear Country".  In a post this August, I shared my experiences with Black Bears (who have been tracking me in dreams all year) and my dawning understanding that not only must I do more to educate myself and work for the benefit of our natural world, but the call is out to many, many people through the dream worlds, often in the guise of Black Bear.  

This is why I find Active Dreaming to be the most fruitful framework for personal or group dream exploration.  Things happen that you couldn’t plan if you tried in a group; we all experience the numinous thrill of recognizing that there is much more to dreaming and dream sharing than analyzing the message could possibly deliver.  Re-entry experiences fill out our dream experiences in valuable ways.

Everyone could see that the dreamer was visibly heartened by the dream, her own re-entry and the experiences of her dream shared with her by others.  I’m so often empowered by the synchronicities and the “aha” moments popping like flashbulbs around the group, whether we’re doing Lightning Dreamwork, Dream Theater or Re-entry.  I’ve learned, it’s not me, it’s us and all that comes from respecting the powers that speak to us in dreams.  

I’m taking this opportunity to thank Robert for the great gift he’s given the world in developing this approach and in his ever more expanded teaching of it.  I’d also love to hear from all sister and brother Active Dreamers about your own experience of sharing dreams through Active Dreaming.  It really works, right?  May all our doors and gates and paths be open…

And may the peace that passes all understanding be ever in our hearts.