Dreamtelling: The value of dreaming and sharing dreams in relations: Part I: From collective preoccupations to shared dreaming

Abstract

This article looks at the group approach to shared dreams following previous publications, including Dreams In Group Psychotherapy: Theory and Technique (Neri et al. 2002) and further papers1, and a natural extension to a 2022 publication (Friedman, 2022). One innovative perspective is the notion that it is often a ‘collective preoccupation’ which starts a group’s shared elaboration process (dreaming), which to begin with is transmitted through interpersonal and transpersonal communication to a delegated dreamer. Another new perspective is to view dreaming (mental digestion) as the main process of a revised four step ‘dream cycle’. The dream cycle goes from collective preoccupation, through personal dreaming, then through an inner narrative, followed by a potentially shared relational elaboration. This helps to understand that ‘dreamtelling’ is only the fourth step in the shared process of mental ‘digestion’ of peoples’ excessive threats/excitements. In Part I I describe the central approach to a shared dream in group analysis as ‘personal responses first’, meaning the predilection of a free-floating discussion of a dream, involving the whole group’s conscious and unconscious mirroring and resonance, while postponing traditional interpretation. Dreams should be understood as both the result and the motor of group processes. Through the joint elaboration of collective preoccupations, dreams that are shared can contribute to the reciprocal healing of relation disorders and dysfunctional relational patterns. I will describe the four-step ‘dream cycle’, which changes the location of mental digestion. By putting transpersonal and interpersonal communication into action, the individual’s and the group’s mind develops (Köhncke and Mies, (2012)). In the final phase, preoccupying situations and conflictual emotions in dreams are elaborated by free discussion, ‘personal responses first’ which is ‘open communication’ in relational configurations in the ‘society of individuals’ (Elias,1939). This process, which I call ‘dreamtelling’, describes discourse (Schlapobersky, 1993) with potential partners who will ‘(re)dream the dream’, and offer further digestion of the collective preoccupation. A series of clinical vignettes discuss notions such as ‘the location of elaboration’ moves in the relations, e.g. ‘dreaming for others’ and ‘delegation’ as well as the notion of an ‘inner group’ and the unconscious communication between dreamers and listeners. In Part II, I provide deeper exploration of a clinical example in group-analytic group therapy, describing group work with a dream. The uniqueness of the group-analytic approach to the dream’s contents and its communicative aspect will be stressed. Requests for containment preoccupy relations and participants and should be differentiated during the discourse of ‘dreamtelling’.