Dream Work
Dream analysis is very useful in psychology
as it shows us what is going on in the deepest levels of consciousness.
In therapy we can tell if a person is progressing by analysing the dream
content that the subject is experiencing. If a client is still having
nightmares or unpleasant dreams then they are having difficulty working
through their problems, and you will know that even if everything appears
to be running smoothly (at this moment in time) such progress will not be
permanent as the mind is still wrestling with the deepest fears or
irrationalities.
Dreams are to primitive men what the Bible
is to us. Dreams have been valued since long before Joseph and his coat
of many colours. Ancient Egyptians took healing in the Great Pyramids and
much of this involved sleep and dream work. Aristotle, in 350 BC compared
dreams to the reflections in water, suggesting we should look for
similarities with conscious life.
When working with dreams it is essential
that a holistic profile of the individual is taken into account and that
dreams are not taken literally. Because they are highly symbolic, they
can express deep seated physical health problems and issues of mind and
spirit that need resolution, revealing information that is not available
to the conscious mind.
Dream Healing
In the Ancient Greek and Roman Empires
rituals were performed to bring healing. One such ritual involved
animal sacrifice, usually a ram, which the dreamer would sleep on the skin
of. Evening prayers and chants were held and seekers would ask Aesculapius to bring them healing dreams. (Aesculapius
was a healer who lived during the 11th century BC and was later made the
god of healing). When Aesculapius appeared in the dream state he would
tell of the medicine and treatment needed. Some times his daughter Hygeia
would appear to perform psychic surgery.
