Dream Language: Metaphor, Paradox and Wordplay in Dreams

When I unfolded the map, it was nothing but a picture of a tree with branching roots… or routes?

Dreams can be quite playful about serious matters. On the other hand, they can sometimes seem to take trivial things extremely seriously. A peculiar choice of words or an odd little detail can be unexpectedly significant, and every metaphor can be understood in many ways, at many levels. How are we to find meaning in the paradoxical language of dreams? This seminar will introduce the essentials of dream grammar, and the basics of conversational dreamwork. We will learn to “think like a dream,” and to visit our dreams with the same combination of respect, curiosity, and sense of adventure appropriate to visiting another country, or another world.