3 comments about Trauma and Dreams.

1. Deirdre Barrett has done a valuable service for all psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and mental health professionals who work to help the victims of trauma. Her book demonstrates vividly, and often movingly, how dreams and nightmares can play a key role in the treatment of people suffering the effects of various kinds of catastrophic experiences such as sexual abuse, natural disaster, wartime combat, and political torture. Moreover, the book suggests that studying the common themes and patterns in the nightmares of trauma victims can teach us new things about the general nature and functioning of dreams. As Barrett says in her introduction, "Even though much clinical data relating dreams and trauma have been gathered in recent years, this information has for the most part been reported only in presentations at professional meetings while little has been written on this topic. A tendency toward segregation is also evident, with half of the data presented to trauma societies and the other half to those for dreams. This book's purpose is to disseminate to dream analysts, trauma therapists, and other readers the work that exists at this interface." (p. 4) Trauma and Dreams makes good on its promise by collecting seventeen different articles written from widely divergent theoretical and clinical perspectives. Every one of the articles offers compelling case study material, thought provoking theoretical arguments, and practical suggestions about using drems to improve therapy and counseling for people who have suffered some kind of trauma. Among the book's many highlights are Kathleen Nador's comprehensive survey of children's traumatic dreams, Belicki and Cuddy's well-balanced evaluation of how sleep and dream patterns can help identify histories of sexual trauma, Wilmer's poignant Jungian analysis of the war dreams of Vietnam veterans, Aron's disturbing portrait fo the "collective nightmare" of Central American refugees, Zadra's careful review of the literature on recurrent dreams, and Barrett's own fascinating chapter on the dreams of people with multiple personality syndromes. Anyone who has an interest in the relations between dreams and severe psychological disturbance will find much to learn from this book. As with most edited anthologies, the wonderful diversity of voices in Trauma and Dreams also creates some difficulties. Many readers, while deeply appreciating the individual articles, may find it hard to integrate all the different perspectives presented here into some kind of overall understanding of the exact relationship of trauma and dreams. Most strikingly, what are we to make of the claim of Lavie and Kaminer, presented in their article on "Sleep, Dreaming, and Coping Style in Holocaust Survcivors," that for some trauma victims it is better to repress their dreams rather than remember and interpret them? On the surface at least, the Lavie and Kaminer theory about the value of dream repression seems to contradict the views of many of the book's other contributers, who argue that it's most therapeutically helpful for trauma victims to share and express their dreams and nightmares. I'm sure there are many good ways to resolve this contradiction; it just would have been interesting to hear the authors themselves, or the editor, address this and other broader questions raised by their various approaches to trauma and dreams. Trauma and Dreams is sure to become a standard reference book in the clinical use of dreams. As the book's contributors sadly demonstrate, we're living in a world where countless numbers of people are suffereing terribly from many, many different kinds of trauma. Barrett's collection gives us some excellent practical tools for the care and treatment of those people, and deepens our appreciation for the powerful role of dreams in healing and growth.



2. Although there is legitimate work on dreams and the dreaming process, this tired old spin on dream interpretation is the worst kind of pseudoscience.



3. I'd already ordered this book before the Sept 11th disasters, but it's uncanny how much is relevant to what we're experiencing right now, and what we may have to come if there's a longterm war. It covers all kind of traumas: child abuse, rape, war, kipnapping, political torture, terrorism and natural disasters. It's got great insights into the similarities and the differences between these groups, their nightmares and other effects of the different traumas. It tells a lot about how traumas cause nightmares, but also about how you can use your dreams to conquer both nightmares and also waking symptoms of the trauma. Many of the stories are terribly sad, but there's a lot that's inspirational about people overcoming traumas.

   Some of the chapters are written beautifully, they have lots of dream examples and good advice. Anyone who's suffered a trauma or who has nightmares would get a lot from reading the book. A few chapters do come across like a textbook full of facts and figures. Even in these, the information is important and they have a biography of anything else you'd want to read about psychological issues of more specific traumas--child abuse, rape, war, terrorism, etc. It's worth getting even if you skip the most reference-like chapters because it's mostly very, very good.

5 comments about The Complete Dream Dictionary: A Practical Guide to Interpreting Dreams.

1. This book offers an exceptional guide for remembering, interpreting and controlling your dreams. The dictionary is very comprehensive. A great book! I purchased two for gifts and one for myself!



2. Extensive lists of meanings behind different items seen in dreams, as well as situations and accounts of specific dreams. One of the best lists in dream interpretation.



3. This book is terrible. It has all the common conventions of a Dream dictionary book. I would have to say that out of all the mundane, garden-variety dream books out there, this one rates in the top 5...



4. Many dream dictionaries simply list words and their meanings. The symbols are obtuse because our mind is revealing information to us, but hiding it at the same time. Pamela Bell has methods for managing dreams, starting with KISS, or Keep It Simple, Stupid. It is not that anyone is stupid, but we over complicate, over interpret, over analyze what symbols may mean, and we lose the simplicity of the message.

   The book is divided into sections, and long before you come to the interpretations of dream symbols, if you read the book sequentially, you will have a background that you can apply, and learn how to guide your dreams. The following is a short synopsis of each segment.

   Introduction: "Dreams thus perform at least two functions, and interestingly these activities are relevant to the attributes of the two separate halves of the brain." (Bell) Every day our conscious minds are bombarded with images and thoughts, noises, colors, aromas, then, at night, when the conscious mind eases control, we review and interpret, and frequently solve problems; sometimes waking up to know the answer to complicated problems, or whatever may have been perplexing.

   The Dream Interpreters: The most famous dream interpreter, in my opinion, is Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob and firstborn of Rachel. He was sold into slavery, yet he was the one who interpreted the Pharaoh's dreams of the feast and famine years that would come upon the land. Bell follows the history of a few dream interpreters to show the changes from parlor games to therapy. She includes a short list of archetypal symbols.

   Sleeping and Dreaming: "Sleep is a way of turning away from the external stimuli by which we are bombarded daily to an inner landscape which permits regeneration and rejuvenation." (Bell) I am an insomniac, so I frequently miss this part of the dream. She covers this disorder and many others, and gives tips to sleep better, including a list of herbs that may help.

   Dream Interpretation: "Just as a child learns that certain words represent certain object, the dreamer begins to understand his or her own dream language." (Bell) This is the reason that there are many dream dictionaries, and why we do not necessarily know what we are telling ourselves.

   How to be a Creative Dreamer: The common term is lucid dreaming, and it is where you control your dream. Once, when a knife wielding threat was attacking me, I woke myself up by saying, "This is a nightmare!" To analyze your dream you must experience yourself as the things and people within. In that dream, I was telling me what I already knew, but had not really faced. This chapter is rich with information and suggestions, including several guided dreams.

   Dream Dictionary: These are the nuggets that we use to try to interpret the dream. This section is divided into elements: (1) Animals, (2) Environments in Dreams, (3) Journey, and (4) People. Then Bell provides an alphabetical listing of various words. Unlike many other books, she does not say, for example: Butterfly is one's own transformation, but that the butterfly represents freedom, although it can also "indicate a lack of ability to settle down or to take a protracted task." The interpretation is up to you, and it is therefore based on your current situation.

   Dream Workbook: "The following pages are for the reader's personal use. They suggest various methods which can be used in your own journals, and for your own private interpretations." (Bell) Nearly every book about understanding dreams suggests a dream journal; it is the flow of life.

   This is an excellent addition to my dream dictionary collection. One of the things I have learned about dreams and messages is this: If I do not get it the first time, my mind will send the dream again, but simpler. Five stars.

   Victoria Tarrani




5. You'll want this book to help you with your dreams. Not a waste of Money! Also: The Discovery of Dreams A-Z

No comments about Introduction to Social Dreaming: Transforming Thinking (Forensic Psychotherapy Monograph Series).

3 comments about Practical Dreaming: Awakening the Power of Dreams in Your Life.

1. This fantastic book of dreams is both entertaining and educational. It teaches you so much about dreams, while entertaining you. If you have ever wondered what a dream means, then this book is for you! I highly recommend this excellent book. It is GREAT!



2. I read this book for school. I found it really fun to read and really helpful. I was curious about my dreams and this book was just what I wanted. It teaches you step by step how to understand your dreams and use them in your life. I really enjoyed it and recommend it - I just wish this counted for my report! (that's for you Eadie)



3. This book is very short, very simple, but it has helped me to
   understand and enjoy my dreams better than any other dream book
   I've read.
   The other books I read were more in depth and detailed and that in fact only helped to make my dreams TOO deep and TOO detailed. I almost got afraid to sleep at night because my dreams were becoming too intense!
   This book allows (and even insists that) YOU to define and interpret the symbols and messages in dreams and not some "expert". And this simple technique has helped me to finally hear and understand what my unconscious is trying to show me every night.

3 comments about Love's Last Dreaming.

1. John & JoAnn,
   I started out intriged, I could not put the book down. The emotions it evoked had me with the characters. Reality and preception mixed with time and space , all together is Love. How simple yet complexed.
   Thank you , it is wonderful reading

   Toni Lakowitz




2. John & JoAnn,
   I started out intriged, I could not put the book down. The emotions it evoked had me with the characters. Reality and preception mixed with time and space , all together is Love. How simple yet complexed.
   Thank you , it is wonderful reading

   Toni Lakowitz




3. 
   " Loves Last Dreaming"
   takes us on an adventure into the dream within the dream, and awakens us to a new reality where love is the essential ingredient. It's a book about remembering and living in the realm of infinite possibilities.

   John Randolph Price

5 comments about Dream Power: Can Our Dreams Make Us Well?.

1. If life is a journey, pilgrimage, creative process or adventure for you, there is probably more going on within than you realize. Becoming a whole person involves knowing what the inner dynamics are about. Mary Jo Davis-Grant shares her "waking dreams" that led her to insight and healing. She answers the question, "Do my dreams mean anything?" with "Yes." As a wakeful dreamer myself in search of meanings in my dreams, I found Mary Jo's story to be encouraging, and her dream analysis gives clues about how I can understand my own dreams. Anyone who dreams and seeks healing through those dreams can benefit from this book. Mary Jo's work with images, archetypes, myth, belief, family teachings and suffering will guide others in discovering their own personal dynamics.



2. When I read this book for the first time, it was like a mystery story as I was so interested in her progress and what she was doing. Then I read it again and started underlining the special parts that spoke to me. I found much to meditate on and to help me in my aches and pains. I wish I had had it sooner as it is a process of learning to concentrate and learn how to meet God and to meditate. This book is packed with original insights that take study and time to get to the depths. I am so glad I read it.



3. I love Dr. Grant's ability to believe in the powers of the universe. I'd say she not only believes in the potential of the human mind and spirit, but has experienced far more than most people believe is possible. She knows "miracle" first hand.
   
   Mary Jo Grant has done a brilliant job of taking the reader by the hand and leading her through the world of dreams, energy and archetypes. A safe and comfortable journey wherein she shares her exceptional human experiences.
   
   Through a comprehensive investigation into her own 7-year journey out of chronic pain (with the help of Biogenics), Grant discovered within herself the deep well of knowing. She wisely and graciously gives the reader permission to discover for herself that same well by continuously illuminating our innate connection to God.
   
   As Grant illustrates her personal integration of the chakra system, dreams, symbols and archetypes, she reminds us that Shamans (from whom both the modern doctor and priest descend) have always understood that we need go nowhere but inside for our own transformation.
   
   "Living bridges", that's what Grant believes we are called to be by using our hearts, minds, spirits, faith, prayer, dreams, intuition, and love to bring about positive change in our lives, our communities, our organizations, our culture, and our world. She shares Braden's belief that one person who allows for a new possibility becomes a living bridge, both a pioneer and a mid-wife, for every person who will have the courage to choose the same new path. And each time the same choice is made, that choice becomes easier - then easier and easier.
   
   Grant suggests that an in-depth exploration into Dissociative Identify Disorder (multiple personalities) as archetypes could facilitate a breakthrough in perspective and encourage more accurate, effective, and compassionate treatment by mental health professionals and the larger community.
   
   In her wisdom, Grant also suggests that the introduction of Biogenics in schools, hospitals, churches, workplaces, etc., would teach a good portion of the population to experience and maintain harmony of body, mind and spirit. An approach that would surely cut health costs, reduce violence and release creativity!
   
   As a counselor, Grant suggests that archetype and chakra alignment is a multi-layered holistic method of healing which has the potential for gentle, deep, hard work in a short period of time. A revolutionary concept!
   
   Grant speaks of angels being living prayer. I've come to believe that her guidance through Dream Power is just that - living prayer and a living bridge in a world that so needs to be reconnected to Source. Dream Power can be read like a treasure map showing us the way, or a reference guide to refer to again and again. Better yet, a license to believe in and practice wholeness.
   
   Grant's work validates my personal journey and the work I do as a SoulCollage® Facilitator. SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups It embraces the power of images (symbols/archetypes) and energy work to transform, heal and guide us towards our goal. We may call that goal healing, or wholeness, or individuation - whatever we call it, it's ultimately the same goal and Mary Jo Davis-Grant has shown us the way.



4. I found "Dream Power" to be not only intriging but understandable even for a lay person. The book described in vivid detail a true and amazing account of how the author's dreams healed her from an excruciating and debilitating disease. This book is a gift to all of us because it proves beyond a showdow of a doubt the "power of dreams." Readng this book will make anyone recognize and understand that the unconscious is always striving for physical and mental health and that dreams are one way that it communicates with us.



5. Being an avid dreamer and having some health issues I was intrigued by the claim that the author healed herself through her dreams. However, her claim is totally misleading. Had she stated that these dreams were waking dreams, a term I had never heard of, which are more along the lines of unguided imagery or information one might glean while meditating, and that her healing in part, was due to the practice of Biogenics, I certainly would not have bought her book. With that said, she does a good job anaylzing her waking dreams as she uses a variety of interpretations including archetypes, chakras etc.
   
   I wish she had been more upfront and had indicated in the title as well as in the summary of her book that her book has nothing to do with night time dreaming.

5 comments about Dream Back Your Life: A Practical Guide to Dreams, Daydreams, and Fantasies.

1. Joan's dream and life improvement book is truly unique in a market flooded with similar material. The first thing you'll notice is her tone, the voice of a good friend speaking directly to you. What I found most fascinating was the chapter entitled "When I grow up." Here, Joan asks her readers to get in touch with their creative subconscious by remembering childhood games, hobbies, Halloween costumes and more. Rich with content and packed with helpful exercises and very insightful read!



2. Hi guys out there, have you ever read this book before? it's something that really helps to reveal your dreams facts and it is quite helpful for us to know how to calculate our life!!



3. I totally enjoyed this book! I tend to skim self-help books rather than read them completely, but Joan Mazza's style really drew me in. I found many practical examples of how to utilize each concept presented, which for me is very helpful. What really drew me though, was her overall approach. "This book is about making friends with your mind" says the author, and that is just the type of approach I find so valuable in letting go of some of the denial/defensiveness we have been raised with that makes it hard to truly look at ourselves. And the nice thing about exploring your dreams is it is totally personal, you re not making yourself vulnerable to others, it is a fascinating journey of self discovery. I recommend this book to anyone who wants more tools for effective self exploration.



4. In Dream Back Your Life, Joan follows her Dreaming Your Real Self with yet another journey to our disovery of the restorative processes and the understanding our dreams have for us. Easy to read and comfortable as a close friend, Joan moves us through steps, ideas, and methods for us to take charge of our dreams and learn from their messages.



5. What I particularly like about this book is the variety of approaches to self discovery it offers. Readers are invited to construct a puzzle from their dreams, daydreams and personal visions to discover the larger messages coming from their unconscious. Joan Mazza always gives the power to her readers, not offering advice as much as inviting them to find their own path. If you're in the mood for a mini vision quest, this is the perfect book to get you started.

No comments about Learning from Dreams.

No comments about Mystic Dream Book: 2,500 Dreams Explained.

No comments about Freud's Rules of Dream Interpretation.