We have puzzled over dreams for centuries. From ancient societies, believing dreams to be messages from the gods, Freud's theory of dreams revealing our unconscious minds to modern day experiments in psychology and neuroscience, dreams continue to fascinate but also be a source of mystery. Are dreams just mental froth or do they have a purpose? This book argues that, originally, we dreamed to survive. Dreaming brains identify non-obvious associations, taking people, places, and events out of their waking-life context to uncover complex and, seemingly, unrelated connections. In our evolutionary past, survival depended on being able to detect these divergent, associative patterns to anticipate what predators and other humans might do, as we moved around to secure food and water and meet potential mates. Making associations drives many, if not all, brain functions. In the present day, dream associations may support memory, emotional stability, creativity, unconscious decision-making and prediction, while also contributing to mental illness. Written in a lively and accessible style, and showing the reader how to identify patterns in their own dreams, this book presents a highly original theory of dreaming and will be a compelling read for anyone interested in psychology, consciousness, and the arts, as well as those involved in dream research.

Dreams have profound implications for the physical and spiritual realm, for the body as well as for the psyche. The innovative dream-work procedures developed in this book are instruments that help illuminate such connections, allowing for symbolic elaboration of psychosomatic symptoms that favour their transformation and resolution. The procedures of Dream Processing, Body-Active-Imagination and Contemplative Dream Experience are described and investigated and illustrated with manifold examples. They are valuable tools for the therapeutic professional and for any of us wishing to interact with dreams to harmonise with the profound process that orients us to the path of our lives. "Learning from Dreams" is the result of many years of research within Dream-Experience-Groups. This Jungian dreamwork methodology broadens the traditional individual setting and offers new perspectives for the professional practice and theory.

Dream worlds are magical places where anything and everything is possible. Celebrated as an important part of the human experience for thousands of years, dreams have been perceived as a message from the gods, a manifestation of our unconscious, and a prophecy of events to come. This sensitively illustrated passport to an enchanting, and often surreal, world contains clear and practical guidance to anyone interested in the art of dream interpretation. A dream dictionary of common themes and symbols will help you to analyse your dreams and unravel your unconscious mind. Learn how to prepare to dream, to dream about any subject you choose, to share your dreams with others, to re-enter your dreams, and even to change their outcome. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book brings the world of dreams into vivid reality.