A series of six Saturday workshops exploring dream and dream interpretation through the Jungian lens. We will develop and deepen our conversation with dreams and dream symbolism, widening our understanding of collective and personal unconscious processes, both in and outside the consulting room. No prior knowledge of Jung is assumed. Each meeting will focus on a particular aspect of dreams
6 Saturdays, 10:00am – 1:00pm on Zoom
10:00 – 11:30: Seminar led by an experienced Jungian Analyst on different aspects of dreams.
11:30 – 11:45: break
11:45-13:00: Practical engagement with a dream, or dreams, provided by the participants from either their own experience or that of their clients/patients -with Jane Desborough
October (date to be confirmed) – The Initial Dream – Dr Yoram Inspector
‘Initial dreams which appear at the very outset of the treatment, often bring to light the essential aetiological factor in the most unmistakable way’ (CW 16 , para 296)
In this seminar we will explore the significance of initial dreams, what they can tell us about the dreamer and the degree to which they might signpost crucial aspects of the therapeutic process that may follow.
November 11th – Dream in Art and Literature – Rupert Tower
This seminar will explore dreams as deep and meaningful products of the mind that can guide us towards greater wholeness as individuals in our individuation process; and as a creative source to bring purposive healing and balance to our conscious attitude as well as symbols of communication with the unconscious.
In his Red Book, Jung spoke of dreams: “I must learn that the dregs of my thought, my dreams, are the speech of my soul. I must carry them in my heart and go back and forth over them in my mind, like the words of the person dearest to me. They are the guiding words of the soul”. (Red Book Liber Novus, Shamdasani, Ed. 2009, p.233)
We will examine symbols of dreams, and different types of dreams, including famous dreams, from the perspective of the cultural and collective treasure house of Film, Art and Literature. Film clips and art images will be shown to illustrate the above.
December 9th – The Alchemy of Dreams – Marilyn A F Mathew
In this seminar we will explore the various alchemical themes and symbols that occur in dreams. Archetypal processes, contexts, characters, colours, patterns, topography, direction, and shapes, for example, can offer insight into deep layers of the psyche. This can help us amplify the current position of ego’ with Self and also track the development of themes of individuation through dream series.
January 20th – The Transcendent Function – Judy Cowell
The Transcendent Function refers to our capacity to bridge the gulf between consciousness and the unconscious. Jung wrote that “It is a natural process, a manifestation of the energy that springs from the tension of opposites and consists in a series of fantasy-occurrences which appear spontaneously in dreams and visions.” (CW 7, para 121). Drawing from Jung’s experience of this process, which he documents in Liber Novus, I shall explore how dreaming and symbols evidences the extraordinary creativity of the human psyche. In the talk, I shall illustrate the process of engaging our conscious selves with the unknown, in order to evaluate experiences of being connected to inner sources of wisdom that guide our personal development.
February 24th – Nightmares – Ruth Calland
Do you ride the nightmare, or does it ride you? We will distinguish nightmares from night terrors, and think about recent developments in the application of Steven Porges’ polyvagal theory (about fight/flight/freeze responses) to our understanding of the function of nightmares and the appearance of the archetypal.
We will identify the common features of nightmares as expressions of the alchemical nigredo and how the individual can attempt to work with nightmares in waking life. We will look at both the personal soul aspect and the nightmare’s potential to express aspects of collective or global trauma.
Ruth Calland is a Jungian analyst and supervisor working with adults and couples. She has an interest in the outsider, and the intersection between neurodiversity, queerness and creativity. She is also a professional artist and member of the group Contemporary British Painting.
March 16th – Dream Series – Julian Masters
Jung wrote, ‘I attach little importance to the interpretation of single dreams’. In this seminar we will explore the dream within the context of a series where it becomes possible to see the dynamism of the individuation process at work over time. We will examine a few specific examples to show the extraordinary creativity of these unconscious processes.
Seminar Series Leader – Jane Desborough