Introducing Dream Studies into the Curriculum

Dreaming is a universal phenomenon and there is an inherent fascination about what dreams mean and what they have to say about us as individuals. Dreams demonstrate that we all have enormous unrealised potential and once this is acknowledged it serves as a way of allowing new possibilities into our lives. They make us realise that as individuals we are unique and yet collectively we have so much in common with other people. They demonstrate that we have the ability to make a difference, not only in our own lives but also in the world around us. Students can be made aware of this potential by engaging in dream studies and in so doing will gain increased self-worth and an increased understanding of themselves and how their actions and experiences affect their inner life.

I believe that the study of dreams has educational, creative, psychological and social value and would be of great benefit if it were introduced into the curriculum at both secondary and tertiary level.

Educational value

By considering dreams as metaphors and imaginal expressions of their feelings and concerns, students can move from concrete to more abstract, symbolic ways of thinking. This will aid students in many subject areas including both science and the arts.

Creative value

Students will acquire a sense of their own dream characters and their individual creativity. This provides a bridge to literature and the imaginal world of others as well as stimulating their own imagination. Working on their own dreams will give them the opportunity to write creative prose and poetry using their dreams as a resource and also to produce artwork illustrating their dreams or images from their dreams.

Psychological value

By considering dream figures as aspects of themselves and the dream story as an expression of their inner conflicts, the students will begin to know themselves much better. By looking at our dreams we can identify the qualities that are lacking in us and this can point the way to psychological development. We can also find the rejected parts, the inner enemies and the seeds of prejudice. Recognition of these aspects leads us to a greater understanding of ourselves and our behaviour as well as giving insight into others.

Social value

Increased self-awareness fosters self-empowerment, self-esteem and a feeling of self-responsibility. Dreams can provide ideas for future goals and self-development, and so help students to identify and achieve their potential. These classes could also provide an ideal vehicle for listening to, and understanding, many different viewpoints and uncovering inner conflicts. The outcome of this is that the student is less likely to project their inner conflicts onto the outside world and, therefore, less likely to engage in destructive behaviour.

Classes should be run by an experienced dreamwork practitioner as it is of paramount importance to ensure an emotionally safe and supportive environment for any student wishing to share their dreams. No member of the group should feel they are expected to share their dreams or details of their personal lives and there must be no pressure for students to do this.

High Importance!

Suggested Activities

* Students could keep a daily Dream Journal and be instructed on how to do this * Making collages by picking out images from magazines, leading to a discussion of     images and symbolism * Dream theatre; re-enacting dreams * Active imagination; dialogue between dream characters * Free writing consisting of their earliest memories, family stories, personal histories and     the associations they can make with these things and their dreams * Literary use of dreams in novels and films * Creative writing using dreams as source material * Making a Book of the Dream * Understanding metaphor in waking life and in dreams

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The idea for such courses was prompted by an essay appearing in "Dreamscaping" Edited by Stanley Krippner and Mark Waldman. Lowell House 1999:

WHITE-LEWIS, Jane "Dreams and Social Responsibility: Teaching a Dream Course in the Inner-City."