Dreams typically present themselves as complicated visual metaphors, so the messages they contain can be difficult to access. In the Experiential Dream Group, a small group of participants collaborates together to uncover the message of a single dreamer’s dream.

Each week, one dreamer volunteers to share the dream that will be the focus of that week’s group. After presenting his or her dream, the dreamer stays quiet while the other group members share their own associations to the dream, focusing on feelings and metaphors. During this stage of the work, group members share using the format, “If this were my dream, I think it would mean….” Once the dreamer has access to the group’s amplification of the original dream, the dreamer and the group work together to search for the relevant context in the dreamer’s life as well as for the message of the dream to the dreamer.

In the Experiential Dream Group, the dreamer is recognized as the final authority on the meaning of the dream. Additionally, the dreamer’s privacy is respected; no area of the dreamer’s life is explored by group members until the dreamer opens it for discussion. In the Experiential Dream Group, open questions should be asked, rather than leading questions that point the dreamer in a particular direction. By maintaining these standards for group interaction, the Experiential Dream Group becomes a safe environment for connecting more deeply to dreams.

By participating in the Experiential Dream Group, group members learn to:

  • identify emotional connections between the visual metaphors of dreams and events in waking life
  • identify inner resources suggested by dreams for coping with and resolving emotional tension
  • appreciate the ingenuity and artistry with which dreams are expressed.

If you are interested in joining this group, please call Andrew Royal at (414) 377-3874 regarding an initial screening.