Dear Folks,
I am in the midst of further spiritual direction training, this time taking a deep dive in dream work. And for those who are interested, Thomasina Wharton and I will offer opportunities for your own exploration of dreams in the upcoming program year. Here are a few texts I will be reading this summer:
Dream Language: Self-Understanding Through Imagery and Color by Robert J. Hoss is a self-guided method for dream interpretation. It links dream imagery and color to waking life situations and brain activity and incorporates research on the neurobiology of dreaming. Contributions from 16 dream experts report on psychological and physical evidence that dreams create their own logic—operating not with words, but with visual images and colors.
Families and the Interpretation of Dreams: The intimate web by Edward Bruce Bynum. Dreams reveal and illuminate not only our personal unconscious, but also our shared experiences — especially our family life. Bynum explores the messages of our dreams as they relate to the intimate web connecting our parents and children, our spouses and lovers, our friends and the wider culture. Bynum explains how to identify dreams in which family themes play a role; how to understand their impact on one’s emotions, decisions, and even physical health; and how to discover the cultural images embedded within them.
Jungian Dream Interpretation, edited by James Hall. Dreams, called “God’s forgotten language” by some and “messages from the devil” by others, have long been seen as portents of the future. But the modern belief that dreams are intimately related to the personal psychology, attitudes and behavior patterns of the dreamer owes much to the pioneering work of Carl Jung, who showed that in dreams the unconscious comes vividly to life. This text is a comprehensive and practical guide to an understanding of dreams in light of the basic principles of Jung’s Analytical Psychology.
Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home by Toko-pa Turner. Most people think of belonging as a mythical place, and they spend a lifetime searching for it in vain. But what if belonging isn’t a place at all? What if it’s a skill that has been lost or forgotten? Turner maps a path to belonging from the inside out. Drawing on myth, stories and dreams, she takes us into the origins of our estrangement, reframing exile as a necessary initiation into authenticity. And she further offers the competencies of belonging: a set of ancestral practices to heal our wounds and restore true belonging to our lives and to the world.
Archetypal Patterns in Fairy Tales by Marie Louise von Franz. This book features in-depth studies by Jungian analysts of six fairy tales—from Spain, Denmark, China, France and Africa, and one from the brothers Grimm—with references to parallel motifs in many others. Helpfully, Von Franz offers insights into cross-cultural motifs and individual psychology.
Saved by a Poem: The transformative power of words by Kim Rosen and Eve Ensler. Ensler and Rosen explore poetry as a vital tool for healing and self-discovery. It guides readers to experience poems not just as literature, but as sacred texts that provide solace, emotional clarity, and connection during difficult times.
If any of these books intrigue you, I’d love to hear about it, as well as your experiences with them.
Love,
David