A Sense of Place

I wake into each day

knowing some belong

so naturally

without question 

their safe attachment 

as easy as breath

guides their way.

and others, 

i know,

have no place

where their feet settle

like old friends on a worn path

and belonging is a longing

that guides their way....

i wake into this knowledge

and can see it both ways

and know each

lends itself to it's own vision

and light

and darkness

and each 

has a song line 

unto itself.

so i listen with them

listen for the sense of belonging

that lives in both places

and together

we watch the veil

flutter to the ground

when we lift our hearts 

and rise to embrace

rise to embrace

this new sense of place

Creative Imagination - The Embodied World of Dream...an open invitation

"flying at 3:00 am" - by Morgan Brig
....a creative wellspring - the dream. Imagine your dreams, your known and unknown self, while entering into a playful and joyous discovery of the subtlety and elegance of the metaphorical meaning of the images.

What is being asked of us?  That is a question women ask themselves in regards to family, partners, friends, professional demands…. 

As women, we respond to that question frequently – nurturing, preparing, anticipating, planning….

How often do you pause with your dreams and openly, curiously wonder, what is the imagery in my dreams asking of me? How do you listen to the strange and wily stories YOUR psyche offers night after night through the years? This imaginative counsel of figures and landscapes that are too delicious….as James Hollis says, “who makes this up?”

Liz Brenneman facilitates Women’s Dream Circles just for this purpose and she is wondering, curious to see who wants to show up!  A Dream Circle will include three hours with six women who have decided now is the time to explore dream.   The cost for each monthly group is $90 per individual, per session. 

In essence the goal is for you to begin to form a relationship with dream as a living guide and creative source - to embrace images of all kinds as embodied helpers, healing agents, wise companions – archetypal figures who are not to be feared but rather welcomed and anticipated.  We will journey through a deeper understanding of ways to explore, understand, and experience dream. And as a result you will travel hospitably in the company of others who are ready and willing to enter this realm alongside you.

Please accept this invitation to move beyond the familiar.  If you are interested, please contact Liz at memory@nwlink.com for more information.  I look forward to hearing from you! 

Let's get clear....

Theory of Counseling

     I sit with my client, our flat, wide wooden skiff slipping through the shallows along the shore, reeds occasionally brushing the underside of the boat to remind us of our proximity to the bottom.  Quiet expectation hangs like laundry on the line, waiting for the still air to lift a corner, move it about, drying hidden folds and dusting out the wrinkles. 

      The afternoon is hot today and there is a buzz of no see um's in the air.  We are waiting here in the boat without quite knowing why, but sense that this is the right thing to do with this client - wait to see what wants to show up.  

      The occasional shadow of fish flicks peripherally into view - it was there - just sure of it.....if only we had paid more attention - been more mindful. Oh well, no point in getting impatient.  The lines are out, floating, just below the surface, buoyed by the fly tied with expert precision - can't rock the quiet - they will sense our hunger and go deeper into the shadows where it is cool and familiar; safe.    

      Another client sits across from me in their agitation.  Their story feels like a discolored book dropped in water and left to dry without attention.  The pages of the story are difficult to turn, stuck together, always in a different place, but the pattern is the same; stuck.  The pages have to be encouraged with the light touch of fingers slipping between, slowly working them apart to keep from tearing away any of the story. 

      
      There is a delicacy in the pages that calls for a committed and intentional touch, and the narrative is worth it.  The client has hopes and dreams, perhaps muffled and worn, confused by internalized voices whose language isn't necessarily native to their own spirit voice, but the dreams are there, just waiting to be rekindled.

       My theory of counseling lies in the sensibilities of poetry.  Elements of language and sensation, wrapped together in some inexplicable way to create a new reality, a better place, a breathtaking, artful moment of honesty and meaning.

    

Enlightened Brain Chemistry

In Stephen Levine's book, A Gradual Awakening, there is a chapter called Snaring Enlightenment.  I am interested in the last paragraph where he states  "...."not enlightened" and "enlightened" are both just thoughts.As we watch the mind, we see how shallow thought is because the movement of thought lies mostly in words.  But at a deeper level there is a movement in mind which can be experienced when we are no longer relying on words, when we're just experiencing.  At this level we experience an urge we could almost call a "homesickness for God," and ecstatic longing to come home, to return to the source, to be complete.  This is the unconditioned endlessness beyond mind, pure undifferentiated being."

I just returned from a four day visit with a family member who was lovingly placed in a " memory care" home.  That is a gentle way of saying end of life care for Alzheimer's patients, otherwise known as "residents."   The experience was breathtaking.  My particular family member had several "themes" that were revisited over and over again  prior to her memory slipping beyond her reach....and ours.  One theme in particular was accompanied by a deep unrelenting restlessness - it was the theme of "going home," the desire to return to the source so to speak, to be complete.

When I read Levine's view of "snaring enlightenment," I couldn't help but notice the similarity of "undifferentiated beings" and the many speechless, yes, wordless individuals who sat so still hour after hour waiting....in the "unconditional endlessness" of the moment.  Is this the deeper level of thought - the movement of mind beyond verbal communication?

In the book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Anne Fadiman tells the story of Lia Lee, a young Hmong girl whose epilepsy was diagnosed in Merced, California. The title of Ms. Fadiman's book describes the Hmong translation of the word "epilepsy." 

In our culture, individuals who are touched by a "different" brain chemistry are referred to as "disordered."  The DSM IV is the psychiatric "bible" for the clinically inclined allopathic purveyors of healing.  Allopathy is defined as "the method of treating disease by the use of agents that produce effects different from those of the disease treated."

Unlike the Hmong, whose words, "the spirit catches you and you fall down" honor the epileptic experience as one of spirit and body (the mind is very much a part of the body), we in the West label brain "dysfunction" as particular disorders.  These labels often alienate us from ourselves, our families, and our communities.  We don't have the time, the money, the political imperative, or the support of our culture to care lovingly for the vast numbers of individuals whose spirits are differently abled due to a brain chemistry that is undeniably outside the norm.

I don't want to suggest here that I believe we should disregard the benefits of allopathic medicine.  I do want to vigorously beseech our human community to entertain the possibility that we can honor those who suffer from a mental illness.  Whether it is Alzheimer's or Schizophrenia, Bi Polar or Dissociation, there is first and foremost an individual who sources from the heart and soul, not unlike everyone else.  

The "rambling" of psychosis can be terrifyingly astute.  An uncanny intuitive knowing is present - you think something and instantly the individual "hears" your thoughts and translates the truth for you - without those nice acceptable buffers we are so accustomed to.  There is a razor-like accuracy that lies at the core of a rage - it is undeniably difficult to hear it when standing in the face of the force with which it is delivered.  

Understanding metaphor is essential to understanding psychosis....and Alzheimer's and psychosis are eerily similar.  Delusions, paranoia, visions, a brain whose chemistry has jumped the tracks of linear thinking and delivery.  There is always a story lying beneath the spoken word.   Sitting with my 83 year old family member, following her every word - I could not fail to see that where ever her mind took her - it was her momentary reality.  And her awareness of me was almost a visceral recognition - she didn't really remember me, yet she knew me.  Reality is subjective - I have to admit it was really rather refreshing to set mine aside for a while and ride her wave - an endlessly entertaining, heart felt excursion to all manner of places.  I am so appreciative to have had the opportunity to see her in all her aliveness - rather than experiencing her as tragedy.  Illness is more than tragedy - it is another way of knowing.

I have wandered a bit here....I suppose what I really hope to convey here is this.  Whether Alzheimer's, or Schizoaffective Disorder, Epilepsy or Diabetes, Cancer or Heart Disease is the diagnosis.....first and foremost there is a person who deserves to be honored, heard, seen, loved, and cared for.  Can we as individuals and as a culture reach to the deeper level of mind - reach out to the spirit, the heart and soul that is part of the undifferentiated knowledge of being - can we tap into our humanity and reach beneath the labels to embrace the people whose spirits may catch them, taking them to places whose shadows we don't recognize?

 

"Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens." -Carl Gustav Jung

Back in Montana in September, I found myself once again touching deeply into the landscape - both internal and external. Walking in this open landscape, welcoming the sun in her long slow rise, her morning light spread in a thin brightening line on the backs of the mountains, I relished the silence, the quiet of a deep night waking into a new day. This is a land of dreams - ancient, a basin whose massive lap of field and hills, is laced with icy glacial ribbons of river and stream, pond and mist. I walk into this morning as if it is my first waking, and dream walks with me like a shy girl in soft dress and large eyes, eagerly hungering, fluttering about the edges of consciousness. It is day one, and I have arrived.

In The Spirit of Dream

An article by Liz Brenneman

Do you remember how you played as a child? Creating imaginary worlds: rich in pleasure, danger, adventure, and joy, young children live in a timeless realm beyond adult order and expectation. The curiosity of a small child can often be a frustration to an adult, who has to attend to “accomplishing” tasks pertinent to daily life. The child, on the other hand is in the process of developing a relationship with the insect that has piqued their curiosity, flying with the propeller-like seed pod from a maple tree, singing with the birds. It is in the spirit of that child that we will begin to deepen into the exploration of dream and develop relationships with the images who visit.

In our dream circles, rather than “interpret” dreams, we will embody the living images that have visited through dream. As a dreaming community, our members will assist one another in the expression and personification of the imagery present in our dream through a variety of approaches.

Sand tray is one form of exploration available to the group. In sand tray dreams are given expression through the manipulation of objects – a visual representation of psyche as demonstrated through the symbology of the items chosen. As with dream, rather than interpret, we become curious about the objects and their relationship to one another in the tray. Sand tray brings the imagery of dream into conscious awareness and provides a kinesthetic and psychological relationship between dreamer and the images.

There are choices in the use of sand tray. The dreamer may want to create their own tray and invite their fellow dreamers to explore the contents of the tray. Another approach is to have all dream circle members choose items based on their own felt experience of the dream as shared by the dreamer. The items in the tray are then given 1st person voice by the individual who placed the item in the tray.

For instance, if an image in your dream feels as if it is “dragging its feet,” I might place this fellow in your tray. Speaking in 1st person, my “voice,” embodying something of the spirit of this figure, may say: “I am here to give you pause – I see something in this landscape you are missing when racing through in that bus full of people." I have now made corporeal the spirit of “giving pause." This act of metaphorically representing an image in a concrete way is helpful in that these shared perceptions have the ability to broaden perspective and tap into unexpected felt experiences that resonate with the dreamer.

Dream takes place in community….the figures, images, characters, objects, and landscapes present in dream are there in relationship to each other. In the community of our dream circles, by tapping the collective unconscious, we begin to meet in the spirit of relationship through the embodiment of images, giving them form and voice.

Another means of embodiment is for a dreamer to choose a dream image that is compelling. Perhaps the figure or object attracts or repels the dreamer in a significant way. Perhaps it is a figure that has visited over time and is here again. The dreamer, having chosen who or what they want to work with, can either embody the image or begin a conversation with it. When a dreamer embodies their image, we may request that you actively recreate an action or motion you have witnessed or expressed through the dream visitor. Perhaps there is a particular Tree in your dream that seems to be whipping about almost on the verge of breaking. What would it be like to embody that movement, experiencing first- hand what may be an exaggerated expression of some internal storm that is unconsciously alive in psyche? Bringing the stress of Tree almost at the breaking point into consciousness can provide us with a means of exploring what we need to do for ourselves in the way of self-care.

Developing a dialogue with an image is another powerful means of finding deeper meaning from its presence. Imagine a conversation with a large rock in dream. As you sit with Rock, curious about its place in this landscape, notice the particularity of your Rock. Is it worn down? Impenetrable? Blocking the way? Won’t budge? What does Rock need? When you ask it that question, how does it respond? Does it soften, get smaller, larger? As it begins its transformation do you recognize any of those qualities in self, in friends, family, partners – how do the qualities you identify regard you and you them?

It is also possible to “interview” imagery in dream. Clarifying questions are often helpful to illuminate some felt sense we may have about who or what is visiting in dream. As you query dream images, it is helpful to stay with who, what, where, when and how questions. “Why” may provoke distance, the image feeling a need to explain, justify or defend its presence – when we ask “who” is visiting, we are now hosting the “guest,” inviting it to open to us. When we ask a child why they do something, they are frequently at a loss…. “I don’t know” is a typical response to why. It assumes the reason is clear to the child – the same is true of the dream visitor – it is up to us to discover, not demand an explanation. Like many of us, dream images can be shy when put on the spot.

Whatever methods we bring to dreaming circles, rest assured we want to provide a sense of safety, adventure, and ongoing facilitation in your process. Please ask questions, make suggestions, and most importantly, welcome Dream into your life and your Circle. These images are resources – they are willing companions, with you through good times and difficult times – if only you call on them, opening the door to their wisdom. Remember, the child within is there to guide you in the spirit of dream.

Montana Dreamtending

For 5 days I had the opportunity to enter into the landscapes of Montana and dreams. Fifteen of us gathered on the B Bar Ranch which is located at the top end of the mountain-rimmed Tom Miner Basin. The ranch is the highest deeded land in the Basin and is bordered by the Gallatin National Forest (Gardiner Ranger District) and Yellowstone National Park.

Spending time in the mountains, sitting by the fire in the big room, and in the company of other dreamers was a wonderful reminder that our lives are so much more than the violent assault on our nature by media and the rush of our culture. In these very challenging times, finding a sense of self through the imaginal of the dreamtime is not only reassurring, it is also generative. I came back to my family and my counseling practice feeling anchored in heart and soul and prepared to hold in balance the nature of all things, great and small, of mystery and fact, conscious and unconscious, pain and joy....one foot in front of the other in faith and determination and flexibility. Come and join me there if you would like....

Narrative Therapy

Narrative therapy is an integral part of the work I do with people. As humans, we "make meaning" of everything. Stories, told and re-told through language and behavior, consciously and unconsciously communicated intergenerationally in our families of origin, become the lens through which we view the world. The perpetuation of the family "story" is often the legacy of unhappiness, addictions, and other maladaptive behaviors and beliefs. Fortunately, the narrative is alive and we have the opportunity, often taking place through the therapeutic process, to weave new meaning into an old story, adding what is missing while also shifting beliefs that no longer serve us. I love this dynamic process and it is a journey of change unlike any other. Watching clients discover and embrace what has true heart and meaning for them can only be likened to birth. Through the darkness....into the light.

Sand Tray Therapy

Sand Tray Therapy is a form of psychotherapy used with adults and children alike. Expressing themselves through the manipulation of small objects, individuals have access to a visual representation of the psyche as demonstrated through the symbolic nature of the objects chosen. As with the dream, rather than interpret, we become curious about the objects themselves and their relationship to one another as placed in the tray. What individual hasn't played in the sand whether as a child or adult....sand tray therapy recalls a kinesthetic innocence (somatic memory) and loosens the locked-in linear patterns of thought we are so attached to. Bringing the unconscious images to awareness is the healing agent.

The Tools

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein, (attributed)
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

How many times have I heard clients lament the limitations of personal tools needed for making change. People are complex systems living within even more complex systems and each individual has unique needs and characteristics that deserve to be met. I have in my tool box an eclectic array of tools that are artfully chosen and integrated to meet the specific needs of each individual. The goal....new tools, different results.

DreamTending

Diane Hillaire and I have been co-facilitating Dream Circles for 5 years. In that time over 100 women and men have joined us in the exploration of dreams.

Weekly and monthly groups have been meeting to share in the mystery and hope emerging through the dream psyche. Diane and I have our own dream....an Island of dreamers ~ and we are honored and grateful to be able to continue the creative development of dream exploration with so many willing and committed dreamers. Please email me if you would like more information about our ongoing groups. We would love to have you join us.

This past year I studied dreams with Stephen Aizenstat, Founder and President of Pacifica Graduate Institute. Below is a letter sent by Stephen to the dream tending community. To all of you who have participated in dream circles....

A LETTER FROM STEPHEN AIZENSTAT, Ph.D.,

December 2008

Dear Dream Tending Community,

This year the dreaming psyche had been particularly active both personally and collectively. With economic and political challenges in the global culture as well as the emergence of hope personified by the election of a new American President, the images in dreams have never been more alive and visible. As a community of Dream Tenders we come to this holiday season enriched and informed by the "intelligence" of the living images of the dream time. I have been blessed this year by the interactions I have had with so many of you in dream communities throughout the United States and Europe. Our time with each other opens the heart and brings a loving relationship to the many dream figures that make their visitation known. When we are in community together, even the most difficult of images is hosted with regard and respect. And in turn, we gain the opportunity to listen to that which is often so difficult to face alone.

In this holiday season, I hope that we will reach out and continue to be supportive of one another even when we are not physically in the same setting. Through the dream time, we know that others of our tribe are tending and listening deeply to the wisdom of the dream figures. May we feel the warmth and companionship of those we have shared dreams with over the years. I want to wish each of you a very full and deeply felt Winter Solstice and Holiday Season.

In warm regard,
Stephen