they are so straightforward  and literal  that it is startling.
As we begin exploring dreams,  we must learn to think in
their language of images.  This  usually takes  some time.
We  may spend thirty  minutes to an hour or more with a
dream before  things start  falling  into place  and  we get
the message. Be patient.  Although it takes time, a dream
can contain amazing amounts of  information and unlock
a great deal of energy and emotion.
    A dream can reveal insights on several different levels.
In her book, Dream Power, Ann Faraday has suggested a
progression   of  levels   on  which   we  might   look  for
meaning in a dream,  a progression  that  has  proved very
useful  in our groups.  We begin  by asking  if  the dream
refers  to  the objective,  external  world  around us. This
may be depicted in a very literal and obvious form,  or in
a   more   symbolic  way.   These  dreams  can   offer   us
warnings  or  reminders  of  things  we  have  noticed  on
some level but have  not registered consciously,  or have
discounted  or  ignored.  The message  may  be relatively
small,  perhaps   a    reminder   that   your   clothes   need
mending,  or it can refer  to something  on a larger scale,
say an awareness of the destruction of nature by careless
technology.
     Next  we  look  for  the  expression  of  our subjective
feelings   about   our   lives.    This   level   concerns   our
interactions with the world. Others may or may not share
our feelings,  but the important thing is  to recognize that
they  are  real for us.  These first levels  can  be explored
fairly well with the group process already described.
     Finally,   we   can  see  if  the  dream  illuminates   our
private  inner world—the conflicts,  struggles  or current
state  of  affairs  within  the  dreamer.  Since  we  are  the
creators of our dreams,  we do know what they are about,
although it may be difficult  to get in touch with that deep
knowledge.   One  very  powerful  way   of  working  with
dreams  is  called  psychodrama  or "gestalting"  a  dream.
This method  is usually saved for  later in the dreamwork.
It often draws out conflicts within the dreamer,  although
we  can  never  be certain  what  will  come up.  For many
people   it   takes   several    attempts   before   they   feel

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