Dream Sharing
Sharing dreams with another person or with a group can provide a variety of
insights into the many levels of the dream. Dream sharing also builds a sense of
community as people discover they have a great deal in common. If you are sensi-
tive and empathic and you have good listening, communication, and group skills,
you can facilitate a dream-sharing group.
If you want each member of the group to have time to work on a dream at every
session, you will have to limit your numbers to six or eight. Members should be
asked to make a commitment to attend regular sessions over a set time, usually for
no less than six weeks. A typical group session is two to three hours. Dream sharing
requires mutual trust and respect. If people are going to share their innermost
thoughts, they must have the assurance that they are in a place where they are pro-
tected and supported. The dream is always honored as a topic worthy of attention
and thought. The protocol of dream sharing is as follows:
■ All members are given an opportunity to share dreams if they choose, but are
never pressured to do so.
■ Dreams shared within the group should not be told to outsiders without the
dreamer’s permission.
■ Sharing dreams does not mean giving up the right to privacy. Dreamers are
free to share as much or as little about their dream or personal life as they
wish.
■ You are the final authority on the meaning of your dream.
■ You cannot tell anyone else what her or his dream is about. You can only tell
them what it would mean to you if it were your dream.Even without a full understanding of what dreams signify, we can use their stories to
know ourselves better. For many people—and you can be one of them—dreams
really do come true.238 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOALTERNATIVE MEDICINE