The Future of Virtual Reality Therapy

Photo credit: Minh Pham @minhphamdesign

The social media giant Facebook made headlines in late 2021 by changing the company’s name to “Meta.” Although cynics saw this as an attempt to rebrand themselves out of bad publicity, there was more to the name change. The company’s new name represents its commitment to the future of virtual and augmented reality. These technologies will have far-reaching impacts on all areas of life, including on how therapy is delivered.

A metaverse of possibilities

The name “Meta” is a reference to “the metaverse,” a concept previously relegated to science fiction stories. “The metaverse” is a vision for a network of virtual worlds traversed with the click of a button, allowing users access a breadth of 3D spaces for productivity, entertainment, communication, education, and more. Since purchasing the pioneering virtual reality headset company Oculus for approximately two billion dollars in 2014, company head Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that he believes that VR is the future. Meta’s promotional video outlining its vision for the metaverse depicts people meeting up in virtual reality to play board games, surf virtual waves, and even attend real-life events as a digital avatar. It is clear that Mark Zuckerberg and the rest of the folks at Meta believe that their investments in virtual reality will garner major dividends, as they help to create a new way of experiencing life that is less bound by the strictures of physical location. 

Come together, right now (virtually) 

The COVID 19 pandemic has changed the way we think about sharing physical spaces with other people. Some who might have never considered attending a webinar prior to the pandemic might find that they have become accustomed to Zoom meetings as a matter of course. Meta (then Facebook) launched their relatively-low-priced Quest 2 virtual reality headset during the height of the pandemic in 2020. Although official figures have not been released, the Quest 2 appears to be selling well based on reports of app sales from the Quest content store. Every new headset sold represents a new citizen of the metaverse. 

Many of these new users will have been drawn to virtual reality by the promise of new dimensions for gaming and entertainment. However, it will also revolutionize the way we communicate with one another and receive personal services. This includes healthcare, and, more specifically, counseling and therapy.

Therapy from the comfort of your own couch

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many psychotherapy sessions transitioned from being held in-person to being conducted online using video-conferencing software. Studies have shown that online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy, and many therapy clients and practitioners have come to appreciate the convenience and accessibility of video sessions. Therapy sessions held within virtual reality would offer many of the same benefits of traditional online therapy, with the potential for an added dimension of “presence.”

Presence of mind (and body)

In the world of virtual reality, the word “presence” is used to describe the degree to which someone wearing a virtual-reality headset feels immersed in the virtual experience. With a high enough degree of presence, a user should feel as though they have really stepped into another reality. If two users are both experiencing a high degree of presence as they share a virtual encounter, they should feel as though they are occupying the same physical space.

This opportunity for a shared sense of physical presence will, in my opinion, be a boon for online therapy. Clinicians and clients may feel a sense of togetherness that is beyond what traditional video-conferencing can offer. 

This increased sense of presence has the potential to have a positive impact on online therapy in general. In addition, virtual reality is already showing promise for use in particular therapeutic applications.

Wounded warriors

One specific application of virtual reality therapy that has been researched is with veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In this experimental therapy, virtual reality technology has been used to reproduce the sights, sounds, and even smells of wartime in an intense and convincing way. This reproduction of the sensory circumstances of the battlefield allow veterans to confront the sources of their trauma in a direct and visceral way. It is the hope that in recreating these traumatic experiences in a therapeutic context, those suffering from PTSD might eventually be less disturbed by intrusive memories associated with them. 

Social anxiety

Another potentially therapeutic application of Virtual Reality that has been discussed is using it as a tool to build social skills and lessen social anxiety. Some VR users have stated that they’ve found it helpful to use virtual reality as a means of interacting with others when entering into a real-life social situation with strangers might be too overwhelming. This anecdotal evidence has been supported by preliminary research. If the stereotype of a video game player is an anti-social one, it is interesting to think of virtual reality as a means of potentially drawing people out of their shells. 

Play therapy for all

Virtual reality offers users the opportunity to embody different “avatars,” or digital representations. These avatars might resemble the user somewhat (at this point cartoonish representations are the closest to real-life that the technology can provide), or might be completely different. Users can choose or design avatars of different artistic styles (think anime) or even different species.

There is much that can be gained therapeutically from discussing an avatar that someone might choose to represent themselves. Why did they choose it? How do they feel they are similar to their avatar representation, and how do they feel they are different? How do they feel when they embody their avatar? Making space to explore a client’s imagination is a hallmark of child therapy. It is also an important piece of depth psychotherapy with adults. Virtual reality might give clinicians the opportunity to not only inquire about a client’s imagined worlds, but experience them together. 

The end of the beginning

It is undeniable that virtual reality has made huge headway since the groundbreaking Oculus Rift headset was released in March of 2016. A technology that had spent decades as  a distant fantasy has proven to have real-world potential. Despite these gains, virtual reality technology still has a very long way to go before it can be widely used in the context of therapy. 

The biggest barrier to widespread use of virtual reality in therapy is cost. Even with Meta selling their headsets at a loss in order to popularize the technology, VR headsets still cost hundreds of dollars. In addition, the most graphic-intensive VR experiences require that a headset be connected to an expensive gaming PC. These costs will need to come down if we are to have equitable access for all to virtual reality. 

Another benchmark that will need to be reached before we will see widespread adoption of virtual reality in therapy is the ability to render near-photorealistic avatars, as well as the ability to track facial expressions and full-body movements. As I mentioned before, there is much that can be learned in a therapeutic context from a client’s fantasy avatar. However, it is also important that the real-world appearance of the therapist as well as the client is able to be reproduced convincingly within virtual reality. This will allow for an appropriate degree of professionalism when called for, and contribute to a heightened sense of presence. When headsets are able to use cameras to track facial expressions, clinicians and clients will be able to read each others’ faces as they would in person or over video conferencing. The ability to read facial expressions is essential to the therapist’s ability to ascertain the client’s experience, and to the client’s feeling that they are being heard and understood by the therapist. Although this kind of technology might seem far-off, it was teased in a very convincing way in a demonstration from Meta’s latest Connect event, when a video of a man speaking was revealed to be a digital reconstruction. To supplement the importance of near-photorealistic avatars and facial tracking to a sense of the client and clinician really being together, full-body tracking would allow clinicians to monitor the body language of their clients. 

A final consideration that will need to be addressed is that of privacy. Meta and other companies that make software for the metaverse will need to ensure that HIPAA- compliant communication options exist within VR so that the confidentiality of virtual reality therapy sessions could be assured. 

A brave new (virtual) world

Mark Zuckerberg is right to believe that virtual reality and the metaverse will change the fabric of our lives substantially. In addition to providing new dimensions to entertainment, these fledgling technologies will change how we interact and spend time with each other. Healthcare will be one of the many industries that are transformed as the metaverse grows. For those who are open to exploring it, virtual reality therapy may represent a new frontier of personal growth and healing.

Is Online Therapy Effective?

Photo credit: Christina @ wocintechchat.com

COVID-19 has changed the face of therapy, just as it has changed so much in our lives and world. At the beginning of the pandemic, most therapists had to stop seeing clients in-person in accordance with stay-at-home orders. Many clinicians began to offer telephone or online video sessions in an attempt to maintain their practices. After vaccines began to be administered and restrictions were loosened, therapists began to return to their offices for face-to-face meetings. The delta variant has led many to shut their doors and open their laptops once more. Even amongst vaccinated people, 50-minute conversations in enclosed spaces still pose a risk. 

At the same time, the pandemic has placed significant strain on the psyches of many. A survey conducted by the CDC at the end of June 2020 found that American adults reported elevated rates of substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and mental-health concerns. 

Perhaps you’ve been struggling yourself, and have thought about seeking professional help. If you’re wanting to talk to someone, you might be questioning whether or not online counseling/ therapy is right for you. According to research studies that have been conducted, online therapy is as effective as in-person psychotherapy. It also offers some unique advantages over in-person therapy that you might not have considered.

Research

A meta-analysis published in June 2020 looked at the results of several different studies that had been conducted comparing the effectiveness of online or remote Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (eCBT) vs. face-to-face Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Based on the findings of these 17 different studies, the authors of the meta-analysis determined eCBT to be “at least as effective” as in-person Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in treating symptoms of depression. The authors go on to recommend that “eCBT should be offered if preferred by patients and therapists.” Although these studies only involved one particular kind of therapy (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), the results are promising. 

Advantages of Online Therapy 

Accessibility

Perhaps the chief advantage to online therapy is that it expands and improves accessibility to services. With online therapy, one is no longer restricted by the need to visit a provider’s brick-and-mortar office in order to access counseling. This is of particular benefit to members of rural populations, who may have limited access to local therapists. Online therapy allows residents of rural areas to connect with a broader selection of therapists who might be better suited to meet an individual’s needs. 

City dwellers can also benefit from the increased accessibility offered by online therapy. Spending time waiting in traffic and finding parking is a familiar headache for those who drive, and public transportation can also be a considerable time commitment for those who don’t. Whether paying for gas and parking or train and bus tickets, these costs add up quickly. Online therapy offers urban residents a potentially huge savings in time, energy, and money in regards to their commute. 

Community and Solidarity

The online format is not only potentially advantageous for individual therapy, but for group therapy as well. Online group therapy provides the opportunity for individuals to come together from different parts of a particular state in order to learn and heal together. For example, someone living in Eugene might be able to join a men’s group being offered by a clinician living in Salem. That same group might include participants from Portland, Bend, and Medford. In this way, virtual therapy creates the potential for togetherness, community, and mutual support that might otherwise have been limited by geographical constraints. 

Therapy from the comfort of your own home

Some people, especially those who identify as Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs), might prefer virtual therapy because they are more comfortable in their home environment. People who are sensitive to environmental stimuli might find it difficult to spend an hour in an office where they can’t control the temperature, the texture of the furniture, lingering fragrances, or ambient noises. When someone isn’t comfortable in the physical space they are in, it can be harder for them to open up.

An episode of NPR’s The Modern West podcast highlights the experience of a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD, who reported that he had benefited from having the ability to continue working with a mental health professional during the COVID-19 crisis via telehealth. A clinician interviewed for the podcast explains that she feels as though it was easier for her veteran clients to feel safe while participating in teletherapy from their homes, and that safety is a cornerstone of the trauma work that she does. She pointed out that her clients had access to their pets during teletherapy, which helped them to cope during sessions while discussing difficult material. She also remarked that her clients had been able to show her physical objects in their homes while speaking to her via video that they had previously mentioned during in-person sessions. The value of this ability to gain a window into a client’s habitat has long been known in the therapeutic community. In pre-COVID times, some practitioners found it helpful to conduct “home visits” with their clients in order to learn more about their day-to-day lived experience and context. 

Will online therapy work for me?

Finding the right fit in therapy is important. This means not only finding the right clinician to work with, but also the right format. You might feel as though traditional in-person therapy is something that you can’t compromise on. You should listen to this instinct. You will find plenty of clinicians who would be happy to meet with you face-to-face, as soon as it is safe to do so again. On the other hand, if you know that you would prefer online therapy, you will find an increasing number of clinicians who would be happy to accomodate you. An important question to ask is whether or not the clinician plans to continue offering online therapy after they begin seeing clients in-person again. Some mental health professionals are eager to get back to face-to-face sessions and might choose not to give clients the option of continuing virtual therapy. Other clinicians will choose to keep their practice exclusively online. If you aren’t sure whether or not virtual therapy will work for you, doing a few online sessions might give you a better idea.

For some people, the prospect of online therapy might never feel like a viable option. Those who are willing to give it a try might wonder how they ever lived without it.

Mindfulness and Embodiment for Stress Relief

Photo credit: Free To Use Sounds

The stresses of 2020 challenged us in many ways. We struggled to cope with what seemed to be an unending procession of crisis and tragedy. Finally, there seems to be some light at the end of the dark tunnel, with the first round of coronavirus vaccine having been administered. It is the hope that vaccines will help save lives and allow us, eventually, to return to a life that feels more “normal” in 2021. 

In the meantime, is there a way to inoculate ourselves against stress? There is no silver bullet that will allow us to escape the feelings associated with stress altogether. However, there are tools that we can use to gain perspective and help ourselves cope in ways that we feel good about. 

One such tool is “mindfulness.” You’ve likely heard the term, as it has become something of a buzzword in recent years. There is science behind the hype, as studies have supported the idea that mindfulness can help reduce anxiety (Shapiro et al., 1998). But what is mindfulness? Jon Kabat-Zinn (2015), founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, defines mindfulness as “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” He adds that this practice is done, “in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”

What does it mean to pay attention on purpose? Often, our attention is called from one thing to another, without our really noticing it. For example, when we’re in the middle of writing an email, we might start daydreaming about what we’ll do over the weekend, or think about the movie we watched the previous night. We’re on a sort of “autopilot,” and our attention goes where it goes without our tracking it from moment to moment. When we’re practicing mindfulness, we’re making a deliberate effort to be aware of where our mind goes and what we’re paying attention to at any given time. 

According to Kabat-Zinn’s definition, mindfulness is also about paying attention in the present moment. This means that, when we’re practicing mindfulness, we’re making an effort to pay attention to what’s going on for us in the here-and-now, rather than be consumed by the there-and-then of memories, fantasies, or anxieties regarding the future. If we do notice our mind going to the past or the future, we simply note that this is an experience that we are having in the present moment. 

The final component of mindfulness, according to Kabat-Zinn’s definition, is to pay attention non-judgmentally. This means that, when we’re practicing mindful awareness, we’re being gentle with ourselves when we feel that we’re not doing mindfulness “correctly.” You might have noticed an ongoing narration of your life that takes place inside of your head, like an inner monologue. Often, we find this inner voice to be passing judgment on our performance in various aspects of life. When practicing mindfulness, we attempt to take note of what this inner critic is saying without getting swept up in the analysis or regarding it to be necessarily “true.” 

So what exactly does mindfulness look like in practice? Renowned educator Dr. Dan Siegel (2020) offers a simple and powerful technique for practicing mindfulness in his book Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence (pp. 34-39). I’ll guide you through this practice below. It should be noted that mindfulness practice, along with other body awareness and relaxation exercises, can sometimes bring up feelings of anxiety for those who have experienced trauma (Levine, 2010). If you know that you have experienced trauma, it might be best to practice these exercises in the context of therapy, where an experienced professional can help guide you. 

Begin by sitting up in your chair, standing upright, or lying down. Become aware of your breath, as you breathe naturally through your nose. Feel the sensation of your breath leaving your nostrils as you exhale, and entering them again as you inhale. Now place your awareness on your chest, feeling it rise and fall with the breath. Next, become aware of your belly. Feel your belly as it expands with the inbreath and contracts with the outbreath. Finally, rest your awareness on whichever of these breath sensations that you feel most called to, whether it be the feeling of the breath moving through your nostrils, your chest, your belly, or perhaps your whole body. If you find yourself distracted by thoughts, simply return your attention to the breath. You might find it helpful to silently say the word “thinking” inside your head when you notice yourself thinking, or “remembering” when you notice yourself remembering something, before returning to the breath. Try not to become upset with yourself if you become distracted. The fact that you’ve noticed that you’ve become distracted by thoughts means that you’re doing the exercise right. 

This practice may have given you insight into some of the patterns of your mind. Did you find yourself worrying about your to-do list or cringing about something you said last week? Don’t worry if this exercise seemed impossibly difficult. The more that you return to this simple practice, the more that you will train your ability to focus your attention, notice what is happening in your mind, and redirect your attention. This will help you to gain perspective on the thoughts that are contributing to your feelings of stress throughout the day, and to gently redirect your focus. 

Often thoughts can trigger a reaction in our body, like muscle tension in response to worry. Depending on who we are and what we do for a living, we might not pay very much attention to what is going on inside of our bodies. As more and more of our time is spent in front of computer, television, and phone screens, we run the risk of living a “disembodied” existence. The process of cultivating an awareness of the sensations present in one’s own body is sometimes referred to as “embodiment.” By becoming more aware of our bodies, we can learn where we hold tension and experience what genuine relaxation feels like.

One way to gain more awareness of the body is to practice a “body scan.” Take a moment to sit up, stand up straight, or lie down. Place your awareness on the soles of your feet, noticing whatever sensations you might experience there. Do you feel a tingling sensation? Warmth? Coolness? Tension? Perhaps you don’t feel much at all. Just notice whatever is present, without judging your experience. Next, move your awareness to the space within your feet, including the space within your ankles. Notice the sensations that you experience there. Next, move your awareness to your lower legs, including your calves and shins. Continue to move up your body with your awareness, until you’ve reached the top of your head. Take note of any areas of your body that are holding muscle tension. Breath into these areas of tension, allowing your muscles to relax. If you find yourself becoming anxious when you place your attention on a particular area of your body, redirect your attention to an area of the body that feels safe or neutral for you.

If you find it difficult to notice areas of tension in your body, you might want to try another practice called Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Start by sitting or lying down. Place your awareness in your feet. Curl your toes upward, and hold the tension in your feet and toes for a few seconds. Now release that tension and allow your toes to rest naturally on the ground. Notice what it feels like for your feet and toes to be in a relaxed position, as compared to a state of exaggerated tension. Next, repeat this process by raising your legs into the air slightly, before relaxing them by placing your feet back down. Now, tense the muscles in your abdomen for a few seconds before releasing them and noticing the sensations of relaxation there. Continue moving upwards, repeating this process with all the muscle groups throughout your body. When you reach your head, scrunch up your face for a few seconds before relaxing it. Take time to become aware of and enjoy the feelings of relaxation throughout your body.

Workouts are an excellent opportunity to practice embodiment. Next time you set up to do a squat, feel your feet firmly planted on the ground. When you’re in plank position, focus on keeping the muscles of your core tight. An increased awareness of your body will help you to optimize your efforts in your workout, so that you’re hitting the right muscle groups without wasting energy. Try carrying this body awareness into your daily life, so that you’re conscious of your posture when you’re standing in line or sitting at your desk. Take a moment every now-and-again to become aware of your feet on the ground, and keep your shoulders relaxed. The more aware you are of the sensations in your own body, the more easily you’ll be able to locate muscle tension and relax it. 

Even though we’ve made it through 2020, life will never stop throwing stressful situations our way. Mindfulness and embodiment practices can be integrated into our lives in small ways, offering big payoffs in terms of stress-reduction benefits and more. Stay grounded and be kind to yourself. I wish you the best of luck in 2021.

References

Shapiro, S.S., Schwartz, G.E. & Bonner, G. (1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress 

reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21(6). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018700829825

[Mindful]. (2015, May 28) Jon Kabat Zinn Me Me Me. [Video] YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULJSacYFzzQ&feature=emb_title.

Siegel, D. J. (2020). Aware: The science and practice of presence - the 

groundbreaking meditation practice. Penguin Books. 

Levine, P. A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores 

goodness. North Atlantic Books.

Please note that this blog post is intended to be educational in nature, and not as a substitute for therapy. 

Getting Started with Dream Interpretation

Photo credit: Zoltan Tasi

Assuming that we’re getting as much rest as is typically recommended, we spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Though our bodies might be lying relatively still, our minds remain very busy during the night. When we drift off into sleep, we enter the strange and magical realm of the  “dream-maker.” Even if we’re not aware of it, the majority of us spend a portion of our sleeping lives in a world beyond imagination. According to depth psychology and traditional cultures around the world, our dreams hold a treasure trove of symbolic imagery that can guide us in our waking lives, if we would only listen.

How can we begin to learn from the wisdom of our dreams? Before we can interpret our dreams, we have to remember them. Although some people believe that they never dream, it is more likely that they do not remember their dreams. The ability to remember one’s dreams is sometimes referred to as “dream recall.” Below, I outline some very simple and effective steps that can be taken to increase one’s dream recall. 

The first step towards remembering your dreams is to spend more time learning and thinking about dreams and dreaming. The more that we seek out information and talk with others about dreams, the more likely we are to remember our own dreams. Reading this blog post, for example, has already increased your likelihood of remembering your dreams tonight. Continue to ingest more articles, books, movies, and youtube videos about dreams. The more attention that you give to the topic of dreams and dreaming during your waking life, the more likely it is that you will be rewarded with memories of your dreams when you wake up. Talk with your friends, family members, or therapist about your dreams, if you feel safe doing so. Discussing dreams with other people can be a lovely way of giving them an insight into your inner landscape. Some online and local communities host dream groups or dream circles, where people come together to talk about the different aspects of dreaming and the dreams that they have had. These communities can be a powerful catalyst for remembering your dreams. Meeting people who are also interested in dreaming will help foster your own enthusiasm about dreams, which will in turn bolster your dream recall. Keep in mind that dreams are highly personal, and that you put yourself in a vulnerable position by sharing dreams with others. It might feel hurtful if someone is dismissive of your dream, or offers unwelcome interpretations or feedback. Be careful to gauge the safety of a dream group before sharing your dreams. Discussing your dreams in individual or group therapy with a trained professional is always the safest bet. 

The second step, which is related to the first, is to set an intention to remember your dreams before you go to bed. This, in conjunction with the work you have done to immerse yourself in the topic of dreams and dreaming, will send a message to your subconscious mind that you value your dreams and are serious about wanting to remember them. Make your intention known to your subconscious mind by writing it in a dedicated notebook (which can double as your dream journal). Write something like, “tonight I will remember my dreams ” or “tonight I ask that the dream-maker grant me a dream.” This will prime your mind for dream recall. Write your intention over and over again in your notebook, filling the page. This might feel silly at first, but it will make a big difference in signaling your intention to your unconscious. 

The final step towards increasing dream recall is to write down or record your dreams immediately after you wake up. Dream memories are often fleeting, so it’s important to write down or record your dreams before they are forgotten. This should be done, ideally, without having moved from the physical position you were in when you woke up. In order to facilitate this, make sure that you have a journal, phone, or tape recorder within arm’s reach of your bed. As soon as you awaken, write or record whatever information that you can remember about the dreams you have had that night. Even if you can only remember the tiniest fragment of an image, writing it down or recording it may help you to remember other aspects of the dream. It is recommended that you narrate the dream in the present tense, writing or saying something like, “I am standing in a dark hallway” rather than “I was standing in a dark hallway.”

It is up to your personal preference whether you choose to write your dream memories down in a dream journal, or capture them using a tape recorder or phone. If you decide to write them down, expect your handwriting to be difficult to read at first. Eventually you will become more adept at writing in the dark, and your handwriting will be neater and more contained. Jungian analyst Clarissa Pinkola Estes points out in her audio programming A Beginners Guide to Dream Interpretation that a pencil may be preferable to a pen, since pens have the unfortunate habit of running out of ink at inopportune times. 

Another Jungian analyst, Marion Woodman (2009), makes the case for creating voice recordings of one’s dreams rather than writing them down. In her audio program Dreams: Language of the Soul, she recommends making audio recordings of one’s dreams because she feels as though this method lends itself to capturing a more dreamlike quality, as the dreamer relates memories of the dream from a  half-asleep state of consciousness. This is my preferred method, as I feel that it allows me to straddle the worlds of wakefulness and sleep more easily, without having to sit up and go through the physical motions of writing in a notebook.

Once you’ve begun remembering your dreams, you can begin the process of interpreting them. Jungian analyst Robert A. Johnson (2009) outlines an excellent four-step system for working with dreams in his book Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth. These four steps include making associations with the images presented in the dream, identifying inner dynamics represented by the dream images, making an interpretation of the dream, and establishing a ritual to enact the lesson that the dream has offered you in your waking life.

To begin interpreting your dream, identify the different images that made up your dream. For example, in your dream you might have seen a bearded man wearing a red tunic standing in a dimly lit hallway. Now, make associations with the different elements of each image. In your dream, the man’s tunic was red. What do you think of when you think of the color red? Perhaps you think of fire, rage, blood, boldness, and the expression “seeing red”. You might also associate the color red with beauty, ripeness, sexuality, and danger. You might have any number of other associations that arise for you that I haven’t suggested here. Now what do you think of when you think of a tunic? A man? A beard? What do you think of when you think of a hallway, and of dim lighting? Of all of these myriad associations, notice which ones seem to “click” for you. Which associations seem intuitively applicable for you for each dream image? Perhaps your gut tells you that the color red in your dream is signaling boldness. What does your intuition tell you that the other elements of your dream are representing? 

When analyzing the images that come to you in your dreams, it might be tempting  is to look up the meaning of certain dream images online or to seek out  a “dream dictionary,” which purports to contain the meaning of different dream symbols. Robert Johnson discourages the use of such resources, because dream images have vastly different associations for different people. Rather than relying on an outside authority, he feels that it is best to learn to trust one’s own instincts in regards to what dream symbols might mean. 

After you’ve made associations with the images presented to you in your dream, you can embark on the second step of Johnson’s process. This step involves identifying the inner dynamics that the associations you have identified represent. According to Johnson, each image that makes up the dream is representative of something inside ourselves. If we identify as a man, for example, the image of a woman in a dream might represent a feminine quality within ourselves. Robert Johnson emphasizes that all dream figures and images, even if they are clearly identifiable as people, places, or things from one’s waking life, are actually representative of parts of oneself.  In our example dream outlined earlier, we intuited that the color red signified boldness. In this case we might look inside ourselves to identify our own boldness. 

When you’ve finished identifying which parts of yourself that the components of your dream might represent, you can make an attempt at interpreting your dream. What do you feel that the dream is trying to show you? What might be the lesson or lessons that the dream would like to teach you? What kind of change might the dream be encouraging you to make in your own life? If we return to our example dream once more, perhaps you’ve intuited that the image of the bold man is inviting you to connect with your inner boldness so that you might illuminate the dull and sleepy parts of yourself represented by the dimly lit hallway.

Now that you’ve interpreted your dream, the final step is to apply the lessons that the dream has given you to your waking life. Robert Johnson suggests enacting a “dream ritual” in order to do this. He cautions that this ritual shouldn’t be extreme or grandiose, but should be something that can be easily put into action. You needn’t, for example, renounce all of your possessions and take a vow of poverty if you feel that your dream is telling you that you’re too materialistic. Instead, you might choose to symbolically forego a minor purchase in favor of taking a short walk in the park. 

In his book, Johnson recalls a dream ritual enacted by a college student who felt that his dream was instructing him, via images of fast food, that he was spending too much time pursuing unhealthy and vacuous activities. For his dream ritual, he proceeded to buy a large meal from a fast food restaurant and bury it ceremoniously in his backyard. According to Johnson, enacting such a ritual will “seed” waking life with the wisdom that has sprouted from the unconscious. A nutritive cycle of communication and acknowledgment is thus fostered between the conscious and the unconscious minds.  

So how might we enact a ritual related to our dream of the man in the red tunic? Since we intuited that the dream was inviting us to engage our bold side, we might do something like take a small risk that we might have otherwise avoided, like saying “hello” to a stranger at the gym while waiting in line for the water fountain. Alternatively, we might literally wear a piece of red clothing in public in order to attract a bit more attention than we would otherwise feel comfortable receiving.

You don’t need to be seeing an analyst or a therapist in order to begin working with your dreams, but it can be very helpful to share your dreams with a professional who is familiar with dream interpretation. It is powerfully affirming to share one’s dreams with someone who sees the value in them and can guide you through the process.

Dream interpretation is truly the work of a lifetime. Marion Woodman recommends spending an hour per day working with one’s own dreams. This is a commitment to the inner life, and might feel challenging to maintain in the midst of a busy outer life. Robert Johnson notes that our culture tends to value material successes and achievements. In this sense, inner work is fundamentally counter-cultural, and helps to undo these white-supremacist norms. In my experience, I have often found it difficult to prioritize dreamwork amongst the stresses of daily life. Often, I find myself desiring to do something that requires less effort as I attempt to unwind after a long day. However, I have also found that the time that I do dedicate to my dreams always feels well-spent, enriching the experience of my waking life. Another advantage of consistently dedicating time to dreamwork is that doing so will always bolster dream recall, leading to more complete dream memories. I like to work on my dream interpretation before bed in the hopes of maximizing this effect. 

Years ago, when an acquaintance told me that her years-long Jungian analysis had focused mostly on her dreams, it didn’t feel like the kind of therapy that I was looking for at the time. This degree of focus on dreams that she described seemed to me to be too removed from the reality of my material existence. Since that time, I have come to learn more about the value of dreams and dreamwork. For me, enacting dream rituals has helped me to anchor the wisdom of my dreams in my waking life. In this way, the dream world and the “real” world are not so removed from one another, and begin to interact in new ways. At this point in my life, I prefer that my own therapy include space for dreamwork and other practices that involve a direct dialogue with the unconscious, as well as more straightforward discussion of the narrative of my daily life.  If you choose to discuss your dreams in therapy, you will need to work with your therapist to find a balance that suits your own temperament and needs. I wish you the best of luck in your own journey with your dreams, and hope that you find the process to be fruitful. 

References

Estés, C.P. (2003). The beginner’s guide to dream interpretation: Uncover the hidden riches of your dreams with Jungian analyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D. Sounds True.

Woodman, M. (2009). Dreams: Language of the soul. Sounds True.

Johnson, R. A. (2009). Inner work: Using dreams and active imagination for personal growth. HarperOne. 

Link to purchase Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth by Robert A. Johnson:

https://bookshop.org/a/15163/9780062504319

I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. A portion of the proceeds from sales on Bookshop.org also goes towards supporting local bookstores.

Please note that this blog post is intended to be educational in nature, and not as a substitute for therapy.