Psychologist Jerry Ruhl talks about the value of Jungian Dream Groups for interpreting dreams.
01:11 min
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Most theoretical models use the basic tenets of dream analysis in the same way: A person in therapy relates a dream to the therapist, discussion and processing follows, and new information is gleaned from the dream.
The question of whether “anyone else” has “been having” strange dreams (“lately”) is perennially popular online. It is a spooky yet comforting query.
Jung believed we could unlock both the conflicts and cures hidden in our dreams.
In ancient times, people saw dreams as vessels of meaning that contained divine messages and had the power to alter history. Alexander the Great was on the verge of breaking ground for his new city when a gray-haired man appeared to him in a dream.
Dreams are stories and images that our minds create while we sleep. They can be entertaining, fun, romantic, disturbing, frightening, and sometimes bizarre.
Psychoanalysts often incorporate dream interpretation into their practice, focusing mainly on the theories of Freud or Jung. Other schools of psychology ― such as cognitive behavioral therapy, client-centered therapy and Gestalt therapy ― focus less on dream analysis.
As a psychiatrist, I believe that dreams provide extraordinary insights into improving your health, relationships and career. I consult my dreams for all important decisions using a technique that I describe in "Emotional Freedom" and below. - Judith Orloff
Recognized as a winner in the Applied Category of the American Board & Academy of Psychoanalysis' 2019 Book Awards.
Sigmund Freud's concepts have become a part of our psychological vocabulary: unconscious thoughts and feelings, conflict, the meaning of dreams, the sensuality of childhood. But psychoanalytic thinking has undergone an enormous expansion and transformation since Freud's death in 1939.
In understanding such things as the role of the shadow in healing, the relationship between the ego and the transpersonal self, and the application of dream analysis, medical practitioners can better address present day health challenges.