A Guide to the World of Dreams

In A Guide to the World of Dreams, Ole Vedfelt presents an in-depth look at dreams in psychotherapy, counselling and self-help, and offers an overview of current clinical knowledge and scientific research, including contemporary neuroscience. This book describes essential aspects of Jungian, psychoanalytic, existential, experiential and cognitive approaches to dreams and dreaming, and explores dreams in sleep laboratories, neuroscience and contemporary theories of dream cognition. Vedfelt clearly and effectively describes ten core qualities of dreams, and delineates a resource-oriented step-by-step manual for dreamwork at varying levels of expertise. For each core quality, key learning outcomes are clarified and resource-oriented, creative and motivating exercises for practical dreamwork are spelled out, providing clear and manageable methods. A Guide to the World of Dreams also introduces a new cybernetic theory of dreams as intelligent, unconscious information processing, and integrates contemporary clinical research into this theory. The book even includes a wealth of engaging examples from the author's lifelong practical experience with all levels and facets of dreamwork. Vedfelt's seminal work is essential reading for psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, and even psychiatrists, and could well be a fundamental textbook for courses at high schools, colleges, universities and even in adult-education classes. The book's transparent method and real-life examples will inspire individuals all over the world who seek self-help or self-development - any reader will be captivated to discover how knowledge of dreams stimulates creativity in everyday life and even in professional life.

Ole Vedfelt is leader of the Institute for Integrated Psychotherapy and Cybernetic Psychology, Denmark, and supervisor for the Danish Psychologist's Association. He is certified as a Jungian analyst, gestalt therapist, body psychotherapist, and meditation teacher. Ole has 45 years of professional experience with dreamwork.

Preface Part 1: Knowledge of Dreams 1. The Dream Schools 2. Dreams and Natural Science 3. We Dream Because We are Complex Creatures: A Cybernetic Network Theory of Dreaming Part 2: The Ten Core Qualities 4. Core Quality 1: Dreams Deal with Matters Important to Us 5. Core Quality 2: Dreams Symbolize 6. Core Quality 3: Dreams Personify 7. Core Quality 4: Dreams are Trial Runs in a Safe Place 8. Core Quality 5: Dreams are Online to Unconscious Intelligence 9. Core Quality 6: Dreams are Pattern Recognition 10. Core Quality 7: Dreams are High-Level Communication 11. Core Quality 8: Dreams are Condensed Information 12. Core Quality 9: Dreams are Experiences of Wholeness 13. Core Quality 10: Dreams are Psychological Energy Landscapes 14. Dreams and Trauma Part 3: Principles and Exercises for Practical Dreamwork 15. Working with Core Qualities 1-5 16. Working with Core Qualities 6 - 10