Dreams don’t tell us what we already know

Dreams?

Yes, you read it right, dreams. I know, this is where some of you might click away to read something arguably more productive. I don’t blame you!

In the fast, KPI-dominated rational world we live in (never mind the workplace) there can be no room for such a frivolous thing like dream analysis. Dream analysis is more art than science, it cannot be quantified or scaled, it is vaguely neuroscience. There’s no app for it (yet). It's very low-tech.

So why bother?

According to Harvard Business Review "since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, some 42 percent of employees globally have reported a decline in mental health." These preoccupying numbers call for immediate creative solutions. Mental health is a continuum from wellness to acute illness. A wide range of measures is needed to address the entire spectrum from severe disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders to stress experienced by staff without a recognized condition. Dream analysis can be a mental self-care tool.

Do you remember the last time you had a nightmare? Do you remember how your work day went after having that nightmare? It’s quite possible, not so great because your mind was elsewhere. Dreams do that. They divert our attention, they puzzle us with their weirdness and supposed meaninglessness. Yet, we cannot get rid of them easily because they are charged with emotions which impact our performance. We’re baffled by dreams because we don’t understand them.

What's a dream?

It's a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle delivered in the morning to your doorsteps in a box. A dream is a message in a picture. In order to see what it's about, one has to put the pieces together. That seems like a lot of work. When analyzed right, a dream may open a new perspective or create new knowledge. It may release the tension too. Because quite often behind each nightmare especially there’s an urgent message we don’t want but need to hear, a precious counsel.

Often there's a certain “logic” in dreamwork. Sometimes dream interpretation can be compared to a work of an investigator who is trying to establish a chain of events and associations, match the actions with corresponding feelings to deduce the meaning. It's a highly intuitive and soul-enriching activity.

What is dream analysis?

Dream analysis is an original, creative and holistic solution which can enrich the palette of mental health care tools and help people connect to deeper levels of their personality. Dreams don’t tell us what we already know. They draw our attention to things that escape our field of view. I believe that a punctual confidential one hour online session, say during your lunch break or on weekends, can create an impact and bring attention to an issue or reveal a blind spot in your thinking.

I view dream analysis as a natural extension of my coaching practice. Feel free to get in touch, if you would like to give it a try.

How dream analysis works

• Write down in detail the dream you’d like to analyze

• Schedule a 1-hour appointment using this online calendar. Often 1 session per dream is enough.

• Sessions take place on Zoom or face-to-face

• Show up for your appointment and bring your dream with you

• Come again with another dream whenever you want

• The process involves a relationship of trust and confidentiality