Social Dreaming

 The Social Dreaming Matrix

A Matrix lasts for around 1 hour. As a group we wait until a dream is shared. Then, instead of focussing on the individual and their dream the group make associations to the dream in the form of memories, experiences or other dreams. During this time group members don't respond or dialogue with whom ever is sharing. Instead a deep listening occurs with one sharing after another, one dream after another along with noticing how you feel over the course of this period. After the Matrix we take a break and then come back together to discuss the themes and our experiences.

The Matrix was created by Gordon Lawrence, a Psychoanalyst who was puzzled over how best to work with dreams when they were shared in his groups at the Tavistock centre back in the early 1980s. He introduced this method as a way to include the entire group in the explorations of dream material.
 

Dream Amplification

In this we return to the individual dream and involve the group by journeying through the individual's dream landscape and narrative. The group then offer their experiences back to the dreamer without interpretation or analysis thereby offering the dreamer a spectrum of perspectives. This directly addresses the issue of separation and how we often feel unheard, unseen and unknown in our lives and relationships.

Duality and Non-Duality

Duality mean two, non-duality refers to two. This and that, right and wrong, past and future, birth and death - this is the realm of duality. Non-duality is the unconditional, the nothing of existence going nowhere and for no one. Duality is everything we experience and is the reality of change - everything in life is changing. Non-duality is the eternal unchanging. It is what most religions and spiritual practices are designed to take us towards because somewhere inside us we are all longing for this because to not feel separate feels like a going home. This is why we search for the One in relationships, fight to get 'permanent' jobs, struggle with aging and our changing bodies and the many ways we strive to secure our lives. When, what we thought was eternal, turns our not to be it is naturally devastating. Are we seeking what we long for in the wrong place? Through our trying to fix an ever changing external reality are we missing what we have already.

Collective Consciousness

In Dream Psychology this is usually referred to as The Collective Unconscious and includes important aspects such as The Shadow (all the things that we don't know or remain out of our awareness both collectively and individually).

 In Social Dreaming we use the Matrix to allow our minds to roam freely and then discuss themes as well as our direct felt experiences of participating in this way. Through process we generate new thinking and feelings. In this way we are giving attention to whatever emerges into the light of our shared consciousness - from the gross story of a dream to the subtle feelings of connection.