What is the purpose of this group?
This group is intended for the fuller understanding of our dreams as a pathway to the soul, both individually and collectively. Dreams can provide a way to become aware of inner wisdom, journey toward greater healing and wholeness, and access our wellspring of creativity. Dream meaning is not singular—a dream symbol may have a multiplicity of meanings for both the dreamer and for those who are listening to the dream. However, this group will primarily be a resource for the dreamer to help him or her explore possible meanings and the group will respect the dreamer’s authority to determine what is meaningful. Nevertheless, the group members will also likely discover meaning for themselves in the dreamer’s presented dream. Therefore this is a very rich environment for everyone to explore many levels of meaning ranging from the personal to global circles of understanding including physical, spiritual, vocational and relational dimensions of life. This is not a therapy group. However, as a spiritual companionship group, it shares some similarities with a therapy group because it honors personal integration, deeper self-awareness, and movements toward greater health and wholeness.
Who would benefit from this group?
Any adult interested in working with their dreams for personal insight and wisdom and wish to support other people in their own inner work is welcome to be a member of this group. No one is expected to be an expert in dreams. You need to be comfortable working on the internet and in a virtual community.
What is the dreamwork method used in this group?
This is a group facilitated by The Rev. Dr. Daniel Prechtel who has many years of experience in dreamwork group leadership. An organizer is responsible for setting up the group's membership--and Daniel will serve as facilitator.
Members of the group will “meet” through a forum-type discussion board group service, or an audio-video conferencing service, moderated and facilitated by Daniel. He will also be a participant in much of the group’s work. If we use a discussion board forum a group session will extend over about six days in a week. If we meet online through group Skype or Google Hangout we will meet in real time for about 90 minutes. Each session, after everyone has checked in and shared a dream (old or new) one member of the group will present a dream for depth exploration with the assistance of the whole group. Members will ask the dreamer (the presenter of the dream) questions such as background context and associations of meaning the dreamer has of particular symbols or the dream as a whole. Also, members of the group may also comment on what the symbols in the dream mean to them using language such as “If this were my dream this symbol would say this to me…” Under no circumstances will members impose their meaning or interpretation onto the dreamer (“this symbol means this!”). Rather, members may suggest possible meanings from their perspective. There can also be discussion among members on shared experience of meaning on social levels and other topics that the symbols give rise to. But the primary focus is on assisting the dreamer in her or his understanding and movements toward greater health, wholeness, creativity, life meaning, and spiritual growth. Near the end of the session Daniel will conclude the session and ask for another group member to prepare to present their dream for the next session on an appointed day. The group will rotate presenters until every one has presented a dream. There will be an opportunity for all members to present at least one dream in the course of the group’s series.
Here is a step-by-step description of the group’s process in a session:
1.
Open the session. Facilitator will begin by using some simple reading, prayer, poem or other offering.
Open the session. Facilitator will begin by using some simple reading, prayer, poem or other offering. 2.Check in. Everyone is invited to briefly share what they wish the group to know about them at this time. The group simply receives these statements with respect as if they are a graced holding container for each other. We will refrain from the urge to fix, rescue, or give advice. Just hold people lovingly in their reality.
Check in. Everyone is invited to briefly share what they wish the group to know about them at this time. The group simply receives these statements with respect as if they are a graced holding container for each other. We will refrain from the urge to fix, rescue, or give advice. Just hold people lovingly in their reality. 3.General dream sharing. Everyone shares a dream (old or new) or a fragment of a dream without interpretive comments. This starts to build the group’s collective dream resources.
General dream sharing. Everyone shares a dream (old or new) or a fragment of a dream without interpretive comments. This starts to build the group’s collective dream resources. 4.Focused dream work. A selected member (“the dreamer”) of the group presents his or her dream in as much detail as possible for exploration with the group’s assistance. Each session one member (or possibly two members) will provide a dream for focused work, rotating the role of dreamer over the course of the series of sessions.
Focused dream work. A selected member (“the dreamer”) of the group presents his or her dream in as much detail as possible for exploration with the group’s assistance. Each session one member (or possibly two members) will provide a dream for focused work, rotating the role of dreamer over the course of the series of sessions. 5.Clarifications. The group asks the dreamer questions to understand the dream’s context and clarify details of the dream content.
Clarifications. The group asks the dreamer questions to understand the dream’s context and clarify details of the dream content.6.Explore meaning. Now the group engages the dreamer and each other in sharing possible meanings of dream symbols and the dream as a whole. The group may ask the dreamer what meaning the dream has at this time, or what parts of the dream the dreamer has energy around, or what the dreamer associates with particular symbols, etc. Members may share what they associate with particular symbols and what meaning the dream holds for them. Often it is helpful to use some such language as, “If this were my dream then [this symbol] would mean [this] to me.” The group should first be attentive to helping the dreamer explore the dreamer’s meanings. But the group should also be alert to shared social levels of meaning.
Explore meaning. Now the group engages the dreamer and each other in sharing possible meanings of dream symbols and the dream as a whole. The group may ask the dreamer what meaning the dream has at this time, or what parts of the dream the dreamer has energy around, or what the dreamer associates with particular symbols, etc. Members may share what they associate with particular symbols and what meaning the dream holds for them. Often it is helpful to use some such language as, “If this were my dream then [this symbol] would mean [this] to me.” The group should first be attentive to helping the dreamer explore the dreamer’s meanings. But the group should also be alert to shared social levels of meaning.7.Facilitator asks for any summary statements. The facilitator will test to see if the dreamer and group feel they have sufficiently explored the dream and new insights have emerged. Then the dreamer and all members are invited to make any summary statements on what they are taking with them from the exploration.
Facilitator asks for any summary statements. The facilitator will test to see if the dreamer and group feel they have sufficiently explored the dream and new insights have emerged. Then the dreamer and all members are invited to make any summary statements on what they are taking with them from the exploration.8.Process review. Facilitator asks if anyone has any questions or comments about the way the group is running. Are any modifications to future sessions needed or desired? Who will be the next session’s dreamer/presenter?
Process review. Facilitator asks if anyone has any questions or comments about the way the group is running. Are any modifications to future sessions needed or desired? Who will be the next session’s dreamer/presenter?9.Close the session. The facilitator will share a prayer or other simple way of ending the session.
Close the session. The facilitator will share a prayer or other simple way of ending the session.10. Parking lot conversation. Between sessions members can send messages to each other about situations they wish to share, or further reflection or follow up to the previous session.
What is the group size, length of commitment, and cost?
A minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 group members are required in order to begin an online virtual dreamwork group. Potential members are free to invite friends to join them in forming a group but once the group is formed it is closed to new members for the beginning series of sessions.
Members will commit to an initial series of enough group sessions that everyone can be a presenter plus one preliminary group conference call to introduce ourselves and go over other information to get us ready to begin regular online sessions. Members are free to leave after the series ends or renew for another series of sessions. If some members want to continue they will negotiate the meeting schedule with the facilitator. A continuing group may also decide to accept additional members. This is a ministry that is funded wholly through participant’s payments—but we don’t want limited financial ability to be the barrier to your participation. The value of this group participation could reasonably be set at $30/person/session ($25/full time student). However, instead of setting a fee for this ministry service we ask that participants provide payment at a rate they feel they can afford in personal consultation with the facilitator. Who is the facilitator?
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Prechtel is a spiritual director with over twenty years experience in individual and group spiritual guidance, an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church, and has an earned doctor of ministry degree. Dan is the founder and senior spiritual director for Lamb & Lion Spiritual Guidance Ministries (on the web at http://llministries.com). Dan has taught at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and the Institute of Spiritual Companionship in group forms of spiritual companionship, including dreamwork groups. He is married and has two grown children and three grandchildren. Daniel now lives in the San Francisco East Bay area in California where he practices his spiritual direction ministry and serves as an assisting priest at All Souls Episcopal Church in Berkeley.
In some groups Daniel may team up with an apprentice or co-facilitator.
How can I contact Daniel Prechtel for more information and to set up facilitation of a group I have organized?
You can contact Dan through the following media-
Email: dprechtel@sbcglobal.net
Office: 510.724.6561 Cell: 224.636.2874
Skype: daniel.prechtel
Facebook: Daniel Prechtel
