DREAM
SHARING AND SHARED METAPHORS
IN
A SHORT TERM COMMUNITY
by
Alexander
Randall V
Part 2
Because
I used an inductive approach to my research, my observations did not call for
specific tests, or observations of particular phenomena. I went into the field
with an open mind and no more tools than a notebook, tape recorder and camera. I
planned to tape record all conversations and group deliberations. While only
those gatherings of the entire group were to be taped, I later decided to tape
each of the dream groups in which I was a member. The objective was to obtain a
complete taped record of the verbal proceedings of the group, including all
didactic sessions and group rituals. I recorded 150 hours of conversation and
group meetings.
My
notebook was to serve several functions. The main function of the notebook was
to keep copious notes on the group activity. I kept notes on: who was present in
each group meeting; the ongoing flow of speakers; flow of people in and out of
the rooms; seating pattern (including meals); nonverbal group activity, and
unusual occurrences. I also recorded my observations on the group level of
energy, my observations on the relations between people, and most importantly,
my observations on the nature of the group process. I also kept a record of my
hypotheses, theories and intuitions regarding the whole matter of group
observation. These were recorded in a special marginal area. As a participant in
the group, my notebook also housed my dream record. As a direct result of the
discipline of keeping a notebook, I began to find that I was also writing down
pieces of poetry and other ideas, which, began to emerge as notes for a novel.
This was also fully recorded. The main ingredient in my notebook turned out to
be the notes on the people’s activities in the room. I filled 560 pages of
11” x 14” paper over the course of the month. I averaged 4 lines of notes
every 5 minutes during group meetings. During one 24—hour period (The Marathon
Encounter) I filled 75 pages of notes in virtually nonstop note-making.
The
camera was used to make a photographic record of the setting, as well as record
the daily artistic production of the group members, and special graphic
productions.
My
intention was to make a complete and unbiased record of the month in such a way
that any day could be reproduced at will and examined for its contents and the
participants’ interactions. As an observer, I was particularly interested in
seeing how the group evolved from strangers to friends. I was also looking for
indicators that could be used to evaluate the degree of group harmony. Lacking a
formal hypothesis, however, forced me to carry on this observation of harmony in
a very broad sense. While the tape recording included the dream groups in which
I participated, and a certain amount of dream material was discussed at each
breakfast, I made no systematic effort to collect the group’s dreams on a
daily basis. On the fourth day before the end of the month, I suddenly became
aware that I was not assessing this material which was so central to the
group’s evolution and our awareness of each other. On that day, I asked the
members if they would be willing to allow me to collect their dreams for my
study. The presence of my notebook and tape recorder in such a small group had
become accepted and my purpose in recording the group dynamics was fully
understood; therefore they readily agreed to make copies of their dream
journals. During the last four days, six of the members made Xerox copies of
their dream journals. I spent much of the summer and fall writing to the
members, and by December I had received xerox copies of the dream records from
all but two. The two who failed to respond did so for different reasons: one,
had had only a very few dreams and poor dream recall; the other had decided not
to reveal her dreams to anyone. The others were glad to supply their dreams and
encouraged the study.
The Atlantic University Session
The
program at Atlantic University was wholly devoted to dreams and to the
shamanistic approach to the dreaming mind. The following description is a
general statement that was used by Atlantic University in the brochure
advertising the session:
LIVING
OUR DREAMS: PERSONAL MYTHOLOGY, COMMUNAL
TRANSFORMATION, AND GRACE
June
7-July 2
What
are your dreams, and what do they mean to you and to us? There’s more to
dreams than can be interpreted. Their vision must be lived for their
transformative potential to be realized. Watch our dreams come alive as we
befriend them in their natural habitat, the symbolic life. Our session will be a
dreamworld community. We’ll attempt a re-creation of mythic reality, viewing
the community experience as symbolic history and our individual dreams as the
seeds of our personal myths that provide us each with our unique meaning.
We’ll use various devotional and educational resources, such as meditation,
prayer, creative writing, arts and crafts, singing, dancing, psychodrama and
encounter, often combined into ceremonial search and celebration of our
developing mythology of transformation. We’ll explore Jungian, American Indian
and other shamanistic frameworks to re—connect us with the psyche’s original
mode of experiencing the creativity of grace and the Christ pattern. With the
aid of the Cayce readings, we’ll try to develop our own contemporary mode of
embracing the transformation of consciousness that today's dreams are urging.
Our activities,
exercises, ceremonies and leisure were all designed to enhance our capacity to
dream. It seemed that all our activities had a dream component involved and even
minor activities fed into our general dream consciousness. Perhaps the best
description of activities like ours comes from a paper by A. F. C. Wallace about
the Iriquois dreaming ceremony (1958):
Dreams
are not to brood over, to analyze, and to prompt lonely and independent action:
they are to be told, or at least hinted at and it is for other people to be
active. The community rallies round the dreamer with gifts and rituals. The
dreamer is fed; he is danced over; he is rubbed with ashes; he is sung to; he is
given valuable presents; he is accepted as a member of a medicine society.
The
dreamer cannot even ask for his wish; like a baby, he must content himself with
cryptic signs and symbols until someone guesses what he wants and gives it to
him.
(Wallace,
1958, p. 245)
The group consisted
of 14 full—time members and one who was with us for only the first week (she
was the wife of one of the leaders and had only expected to stay a short time).
The members had diverse backgrounds with a common interest in dreams and the
Cayce material. Their ages ranged from 22 to 45 with the majority in the 25 to
35 range. All were caucasians of American backgrounds. All were Protestant,
except one, and that one person was Jewish. The group consisted of half men and
half women. The following is a brief description of each member.
The
leaders included two well-known psychologists in the field of dream and
parapsychological research. The first of these was Herman [fictitious
names have been used throughout], who had previously been a professor at an
eastern university and had devoted himself to dream research and teaching. He
had studied as a Jungian and was deeply involved in the creation of personal
myth and dream reality. He had recently become associated with the Association
for Research and Enlightenment, and was an editor of one of their journals. He
was extremely popular with the group and his comical attitude was a continual
delight for all of us. He was naturally prone to dance and gaming and only
became serious when talking about dreams. His own humor would frequently
interrupt his own more serious moods. Herman was deeply concerned with the
mythical nature of dreams and took his role as a dream shaman seriously. He
regularly did watercolors to enhance his dreaming and would devote hours to this
fine art. The key to Herman was his elfin nature and his general popularity with
the group. He had his wife-to-be, Liz, with him in the group and she was an
integral part in the ceremonies and events. Both of them had a long history of
involvement with Cayce material and dream work.
The
other leader was Burt. He was an internationally known dream researcher
and parapsychologist. He had been involved with dream research for years and has
written several key articles and books in the field. He also was a professor at
a major eastern university and had been involved with the Association for
Research and Enlightenment and Atlantic University for years. While his special
interest was North American Indian shamanism, he was also fluent in mythology
and the psychological approaches to dreaming. He, too, was popular with the
group, though the group’s feeling for Burt waxed and waned. More than Herman,
Burt developed strong feelings for and against members of the group. Burt’s
high regard for the group and overwhelming interest in being involved with this
adopted “family” made him a center of activity for everyone. His
relationship with Alice, another group member, involved some tension and this
tension is part of the emotional content of the dreams during the telepathy
experiment, to be described. Burt was a “morning person” and it was his
objective to have the whole group rise at 7 a.m. for exercises and dream
sharing. Burt’s wife, Doreen, was with the group for the first week, but could
not stay all month.
Alice
was not one of the leaders, but she was the oldest woman present. She was a
dream group leader in her own right and her age was almost identical with
Burt’s. She often engaged in emotional outbursts and seemed alienated from the
group at times. Coming from a multi—faceted background she spent much of the
month working with personal matters and integrating her past with the new life
she was creating for herself. Her occasional distance from the group and her
involvement with writing her doctoral thesis made her the least accessible of us
all, and the object of some misunderstanding and confusion. Her alienation from
the group and her conflict with Burt are key issues in the telepathy study. She
was the only Jewish member of the group, and this appears to have had an effect
on a predominantly charismatic protestant group. Her religion was a factor in
the dreams on the telepathy night.
Alex,
I came to the group immediately after a one—month workshop in California where
I had had a number of potent personal experiences, and as a result was feeling
very attuned to my own mind and insights. I had been practicing the
participant/observer research mode and had become proficient at attending to the
group while making notes. My role was clear from the outset. The group accepted
me as a scribe of their activities and they welcomed the idea that they were to
be so carefully observed. I had noticeable effects on the members of’ the
group, but I managed to tread the fine line between participant/observer without
noticeable disturbance. It is interesting to note that four group members
appeared in more dreams than me. This suggests to me that I was able to maintain
a fairly low profile in spite of my writing and note making.
Cindy
was the Association for Research and Enlightenment representative at the farm,
and the staff person fully responsible for the building, meals, and all business
matters. She also served as the yoga teacher for morning exercise, and was a
morning dream group leader.
Frank
was not officially a staff member but was scheduled to lead the next month’s
session at Atlantic University and was in charge of the artistic materials and
one of the morning dream groups. Like Cindy, Frank had a long history of
involvement with the Cayce material.
Nina
was also on the Atlantic University staff. She was hired as the cook, because of
her long involvement with the Cayce diet material. She spent most of her time
either preparing a meal, or preparing for the next meal. Though her time was
somewhat limited, she did participate in morning dream groups, as well as the
didactic sessions and meditation.
Kirk
and his wife Ginny were both at Atlantic University on partial
scholarship for which they were responsible for some building maintenance. They
were students at a western college in psychology and counseling and were deeply
involved with Cayce material.
Ginny’s
sister, Mary, was also a member. Of all the group Mary was most notable
because of her silence. She seldom spoke and quietly absorbed all that went on
in the group. She had personal matters to work on all month and spent much of
her free time joking with her sister and Nina.
Jerry
was a young man on scholarship with an interest in dreams but little experience
with Cayce material. He was one of the two members who had dreams that sent him
on a vision quest during the month. He had a dream that told him to come to
Atlantic University.
Ellen
was a schoolteacher in the middle of a career change who was seeking guidance
from her dreams. She had been involved with dreams and Cayce matters for several
years. Ellen and Nina were the two group members who did not make their dreams
available for research. Nina stated that she had very few dreams because she had
to rise early for breakfast. Ellen claimed her dreams were too private for my
research.
Don
was a theological student who was soon to be ordained. He had a long interest in
dreams and was highly disciplined and devoted to his work. He was able to
continue doing morning yoga even after the formal class broke down.
Briefly,
that describes the group of Atlantic University students. Before I examine the
dreams of the month from the whole group of dreamers, I will describe the major
events of each day as they occurred. Each day had a pattern, described earlier.
The standing order of events called for a new experience or activity each day.
The
meditation form was basically fixed, though it was under rotating leadership and
each leader was free to improvise within bounds. The bounds were that each
meditation would last about 30 minutes and would include a recitation of an
affirmation. Our affirmation was, “Father as we seek to see and know thy face
may we each as individuals and as a group come to know ourselves even as we are
known, that we--as lights in Thee--may give a better concept of Thy Spirit in
this world.”
The
daily dream groups were also a standard format. There were four groups led by
Herman, Burt, Frank and Cindy. The rest of the group membership divided
themselves into four subgroups under these leaders. Once a week the dream
groups' membership rotated so that each group member got to spend one week with
each leader, and hopefully, each member would have at least one week with each
other member. The dream groups involved several hours of sitting outside with
the others in one’s group and sharing dreams from the night before. Each
single group member had an opportunity to relate his dreams and in the ensuing
discussion all members would suggest possible meanings and interpretations of
the dreams. There was no attempt to come to a firm and final conclusion about a
dream; rather we sought to increase our awareness of our dreams. Generally the
group members were open to an endless set of interpretations. Frequently, the
discussion of a night's dream would require some special explanation from the
person’ s life and these explanations often led to extended discussions of the
person’s lifestyle and habits. All was done to help the dreamer come to a
fuller understanding of himself and of the role of dreams in his life.
Meals
were daily fixtures, and they were all taken family style at one large table.
Though dreams were often a topic of conversation it was not incumbent upon us to
discuss our dreams. We eventually evolved “The Morning Newspaper” at
breakfast where we would share any dreams that seemed important to the whole
group.
There
were two other events in the normal Atlantic University day. These were both
before breakfast. Morning would begin with a set of yoga exercises led by Cindy.
Initially, everyone came to the yoga sessions, but over the course of the month,
participation dropped until by mid-month, only Don was left, leading himself in
exercise. Similarly, we agreed at the outset that each morning we would draw a
picture of our dreams so we could look for common themes in our dreams. This
practice was followed religiously for the first week and a half. One evening we
did a massive mural of our dream symbols and by the next day there was little
continued interest in drawing. Later our interest in drawing led to a great deal
of dream painting with watercolor. By the end of the month, the formal morning
drawing had disappeared and was replaced with a great deal more spontaneous art
work.
In the early stages
of my analysis I examined my notes for evidence of overt patterns in the
group’s behavior. I looked for such things as increasing length of personal
conversations, development of code words, and/or private language, changes in
seating pattern, changes in starting times of meetings and latecomers, and a
host of other parameters. I hoped one of these would bear witness to the
evolution of our group and demonstrate what I had experienced as a very deep
personal feeling for the others in the group.
In
terms of evolving a group identity, the deepening of emotional ties and
relationships after the 24—hour marathon encounter group seemed to be a vital
factor in the group evolution. Initially, I examined the period before and after
this emotional peak with hopes that some behavioral pattern would emerge. In
point of fact, one did. Up to this encounter the group had not engaged in single
activity as a whole group in unison. On the evening after the marathon, however,
we all found ourselves in a spontaneous gathering, singing old tunes on the
front stoop. What was more amazing than this spontaneous group singing and the
close family feeling it engendered, was the fact that two members of the group
had dreams the night before in which we came together as a group: “. . . We
are a chorus, ready to sing our part, but not part, of the drama. . . When the
chorus sang we too were part of the show. . . .“ (Alex, 16th Night) “There
was a ceremony in which a group was participating. It was a marriage, I believe,
. . . seemed like a group marriage or union of two different colored faces. We
expected that it would lead to many children in the future” (Burt, 16th
Night).
Such
an anomaly struck me as highly unusual and seemed to warrant a fuller
examination of the dreams for evidence of other unusual anomalies, or dream
feedback on the group behaviors. In order to examine the dreams for such content
shifts, I copied each of the 450 single dreams (single dream being a unit
determined by each dreamer) onto a data analysis card. I used a modified form of
Dream Content Analysis after the method described by Hall and Van de Castle
(1966). Essentially I coded each dream for the following:
—
Name of Dream
—
Date of Dream
—
Major Content Elements.
I read through the
entire collection of dreams (blind to dreamer and date) looking for appearances
of common themes or specific images and established the following list of major
content elements. This is not a definitive list of all the elements contained in
the 450 dreams, but the major items that arose from the dreams themselves. These
elements refer to either specific images in the dreams or general categories in
which a number of related images seem to belong. The dream was coded, and its
data card marked if there was a reference in the dream to: