Dreams of Healing: Transforming Nightmares into Visions of Hope
By Kelly Bulkeley
Paulist Press, 2003
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This book shows the value of dreams in helping people who have suffered a personal and/or community crisis to work through their losses and develop a new capacity for creative living. The focus is on the tremendous healing potential of dreaming in times of crisis—even the most terrifying post-traumatic nightmares are part of a healing process that ultimately leads to a deepening of spiritual wisdom and self-understanding. Dozens of examples are given of people who are trying to deal with a horrible collective disaster (like the terrorist attack of September 11) as well as people who have suffered personal catastrophes like sexual abuse, auto accidents, house fires, etc. The book’s goal is to provide readers with a basic set of skills to use in working with dreams and nightmares during times of crisis and disaster.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Post-Traumatic Stress and Nightmares
a. The PTSD Diagnosis
b. Nan’s Dream Series
c. The Therapeutic Value of Dreamsharing
2. Ripple Effects
a. Ground Zero Dreaming
b. Natural Disasters
c. Mourning
3. The Fear of New Dangers
a. More Terrorist Attacks?
b. Nan’s Fears
c. Safe Spaces
4. Flying and Falling
a. Crashing Planes
b. The Magic, and Peril, of Flying
c. Terrorists at Domenican College
5. Disease
a. Anthrax Anxiety
b. Dreaming and the Body
c. Personal Projections
6. Bad Guys
a. Unconscious Racial Profiling
b. Nan’s Dreams of Phil
c. I Am the Shadow
7. War and Protest
a. Crises of Conscience
b. On the Side of the Enemy
c. Family Battles
8. Anticipations
a. Did They See It Coming?
b. Possible Explanations
c. A Caregiving Response
9. Visions of Hope
a. Life Beyond September 11
b. Transformational Dream Analysis
c. A Conversation with Reverend Coughlin
Conclusion
a. The Practice of Dreamsharing
b. The Theory of Dreamsharing
c. Dreams of the Future
Notes
Bibliography
Index
