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First, the process of empathizing with a dream symbol and allowing it to speak may sometimes be confused with automatic writing, a process that could lead to "dissociation" or "possession." Such confusion may create mental blocks for some people, inhibiting their ability or willingness to engage in empathic writing. But while automatic writing is a process that bypasses the conscious mind, the process of inspirational writing operates in cooperation with the conscious mind. When you write as if you were the symbol, you maintain awareness that you are giving permission to a part of you to express itself through the role of the symbol while you remain a silent witness. Inspirational writing operates in the direction of increased conscious awareness while at the same time allowing for spontaneous expression, making it quite similar to the process of meditation upon the natural flow of breathing. The intended effect is not enhancement but rather greater clarity of consciousness. Second, since the purpose is to gain awareness of how the energy behind the symbol operates in your daily life, it is helpful at some point to reflect upon what has been written. See if what you learn from the symbol may be integrated into your conception of yourself. For example, with regard to what was written earlier by the "deer," I may reflect: Deer ... innocence ... uses hiding as a defense ... finds that his protection is now like a prison . . . how am I like the deer? ... I am like the deer when ... I pretend to be innocent... when I use innocence as a guise to protect me from criticism . . . when my defense of innocence prevents me from reaping the rewards of forthright risk-taking . . . Generally, it is not a good idea to attempt to operate in both modes—empathic writing and reflection—simultaneously. It is not advisable to analyze what you write while trying to let the empathic writing flow. But after a section of writing is completed, a period of reflective writing can be helpful to digest what has transpired and to guide the direction of the subsequent dialogues. Finally, it is possible to work with each and every symbol in the dream, allowing each a chance to present the dream from its point of view and to express itself. How many symbols you choose to role play is up to you. Sometimes it is necessary to work with several symbols until one really begins to come alive with meaningful remarks that stimulate insight and lead to dialogue. DialogueDialoguing with dream symbols does not necessarily create an "interpretation" of the dream, but does provide an 82
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