Art as Meditation: Dreams and Liberation -

# 61003

Instructor: Jeremy Taylor

Faculty Bio: Dr. Jeremy Taylor, a Unitarian Universalist minister, has worked with dreams for over twenty-five years; he blends the values of spirituality with an active social conscience and a Jungian perspective. Past president of the Association for the Study of Dreams, he has written three books integrating dream symbolism, mythology, and archetypal energy.

Course Description: Even our most complex, difficult, and “taboo” problems are regularly addressed in creative, amusing and ultimately positive and productive ways in our dreams. We will explore our “hidden dimensions” and how this inner knowledge makes possible an understanding of the relationship between using dreams for personal growth and for the resolution of our many social problems.

Ultimately, the dreamer is the only one who can say with any certainty which meanings his or her dreams may hold. The “aha” of recognition of the dreamer when presented with some truth about the meaning(s) of his/her dream is the only reliable touchstone of dream work.

After a brief introductory survey of theory, laboratory evidence, strategies for recalling dreams and improving dream recall, the class will be given guidelines for working with dreams in the group context (see “The Basic Dream Work Tool Kit”). Then we will focus on group exploration of participants’ dreams with an eye to discovering some of their multiple meanings.

Students will be asked to compare and contrast the classic theoretical formulations of unconscious dynamics and mechanisms with the meanings and emotional experiences encountered in their own dreams. This will require both familiarizing themselves with the classic theories regarding dream formation, and a substantial introspective effort to become more conscious of their own “hidden” unconscious interior dramas and dynamics.         

           Suggested Background Reading:

1.         An Introduction to the Psychology of Dreaming, Kelly Bulkeley, Praeger (1997)

2.         Transforming Dreams – Learning Spiritual Lessons from the Dreams You Never Forget, Kelly Bulkeley, John Wiley & Sons (2000)

3.         Living Labyrinth: Exploring Universal Themes in Myths, Dreams and the Symbolism of Waking Life, Jeremy Taylor, Paulist Press (Feb 1998)

4.         Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill: Using Dreams to Tap the Wisdom of the Unconscious, Jeremy Taylor, Warner Books (1992)

[ Faculty ] [ Tutition/ Fees ] [ Paper Due Dates ]
[ 2003 Calendar ] [ 2004 Calendar ] [ Registration ] [ Admissions ]

[ Go back to previous page ]

Copyright © 2002 University of Creation Spirituality. All rights reserved.