I J o D R Abstracts of the 29th Annual Conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams June 22 - June 26, 2012 Berkeley, California, USA Content This supplement of the International Journal of Dream Research includes the abstracts of presenters who gave consent to the publishing. The abstracts are categorized into thematic groups and within the category sorted according to the last name of the fi rst presenter. Affi liations are included only for the fi rst author. A name register at the end is also provided. 2. Conference Theme: “Sailing on the Sea of Dreams” The Strange and Wonderful Properties of Water in Contents: Waking and Dreaming Rita Dwyer 1. Keynotes Vienna, VA, USA 2. Conference Theme: “Sailing on the Sea of Dreams” When we are born we emerge from the “waters” of our moth- ers’ wombs, and ever after throughout our lives, we humans 3. Workshops need water for physical survival. Though a natural element, 4. Morning Dream Groups water is the only naturally occurring substance which exists in all three common states of matter--liquid, solid, and gas- 5. Religion/Spiritual/Culture/Arts/Education eous. In addition, it can become a supercritical fl uid found in 6. PSI Dreaming/Lucidity/Other Topics the hottest parts of deep water in hydrothermal vents. 7. Research/Theory The reason that water can exist in various states relates to the unusual bonding within the water molecule, H2O—the 8. Clinical Topics oxygen atom attracting two hydrogen atoms which are not 9. Posters/Hot-off-the Press only attached to the oxygen but can form a kind of electro- static bond between themselves, a mystical union, which makes water molecules stick together, acting almost like tiny magnets. Water in dreams is often mystically related to our emo- 1. Keynotes tional states and is believed to symbolize our unconscious and its hidden depths--a heart cold as ice, tears soft as rain, pressure that makes me blow my top, etc. Water can be a Dream Amulets Around the World: Ancient and friend or a foe—a babbling brook or a devastating tsunami. It is not surprising that across time and cultures, many Modern meanings have been attributed to water, not only in dreams Patricia Garfi eld but in waking reality. Many rituals are associated with water, such as baptism or cleansings, and carry spiritual meanings Tiburon, CA, USA as well. Content analysis shows that water appears in our dreams From her global collection, Dr. Garfi eld shares stories show- more any other element of nature. In an informal study, IASD ing how amulets are designed to repel nightmares and at- Member Curtiss Hoffman checked his dream database and tract lucky dreams. She reveals characteristics common in discovered that his dreams proved this true. Water not only traditional Dream Guardians and Guides, plus their usage outnumbered the other elements, but did so more than the for maximum effect. Today’s dreamers may thus design total of the other three combined. amulets for specifi c client or personal situations. We will examine how water and watery dreams have been found to stir emotional responses and creative ener- gies in writers, artists and composers. Movies set at sea International Journal of Dream Research Volume 5, Supplement 1 (2012) S1 I J o D R often have marvelous soundtracks, but so do our dreams. forth imagery which can arise from many levels of the con- One wonders about Coleridge and the inspiration for his la- scious and unconscious self. Because the rational thinking ment in the classic poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mari- part of our brain is relatively inactive, associations freely ner”, with its oft-quoted lines, “Water, water everywhere and fl ow into our dreams as unrestricted, hyper-connected, all the boards do shrink; Water, everywhere and not a drop symbolic representations – that is, water is rarely just wa- to drink.” ter but generally has some meaning for the dreamer which In a reverse look at what infl uences our dreams, what in- goes beyond its waking life identity. Our visual association fl uences water? Dr. Masaru Emoto has been researching the cortex is active when we dream, and thus the mental and effect of our emotions on water. He takes pictures of water emotional material which is being processed within is repre- crystals under different conditions and fi nds they respond to sented symbolically as picture-metaphor. Water scenes can music. He writes in his 2012 calendar: “People become joy- therefore take on a fi gurative meaning of common waking ous and encouraged when they listen to music”— could it be expressions such as “that’s water under the bridge.” Jung because the water in their bodies goes through a change? commented that crossing a river might be a symbolic image Pictures of crystals are a wonderful method to view the ef- for a fundamental change and a stagnant river as an indica- fect that music exerts on water. A stunningly beautiful and tion of the fl ow of life slowed down (Jung, 1973). complex crystal was formed when exposed to “A Prelude to The picture-metaphor however is usually a deeper ex- the Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy. pression of emotion. Ernest Hartmann (2011) contends that Our presenters will share their experiences and their re- picture-metaphor creation is a natural part of our learning search into the role of water in our dreams and in our bod- process, where new connections are made and that the ies, minds and spirits, leading to a greater appreciation for “feeling state” of the dreamer is pictured in manner that the connection of all of life and our ties to our planet and notes emotional similarities. There is neurological support each other. for this. The limbic system (emotional brain) is highly active during REM, thus the images we see can indeed be pictures of our feelings, the deep, somewhat hidden feelings that the dream is dealing with. The emotional associations with The Power of Emotion in Watery Dreams water often become apparent from expressing its state (for Brenda Ferrimani example: still, trickling, rushing, deep and dark or refl ective) in fi gurative terms (calm, refreshed, angry, mysterious). Longmont, CO, USA Fritz Perls (1969), the developer of Gestalt Therapy, dem- onstrated how our underlying feelings can be revealed if we As a Visionary Artist, my emotions have been very important role-play (“become”) the thing in the dream and let it speak. to my creative expression. Many of my paintings have to do For example: a dreamer who “becomes” the turbulent wa- with water in dreams revealing the power and potential of all ters in their dream might state “I feel angry and out of con- emotional beings. But how do we access the power of our trol” thus revealing waking life emotions which the dream is emotions? Emotion, like water, must be allowed to move, dealing with. to free fl ow. When we learn to acknowledge, express, and Carl Jung took water, and other imagery and patterns let go of our feelings, we keep our emotions moving, alive, that are common in dreams and mythology, a step further and accessible. by identifying them with archetypal or evolutionary patterns I will share watery images and together we will make emo- within the human psyche. He stated that water is the most tional connections. We’ll discover what the visual metaphors common symbol of the unconscious (deep water being tell us about the health and vitality of our emotions. I’ll share mysterious, dark or refl ective thus hiding the unknown – yet some of my own inner journey through dream paintings of also the evolutionary source of life; of rebirth and renewal). water, the emotions that I have felt and tried to express, and To Jung, the religious adoption of water as baptism and re- ultimately where my heart has taken me. We’ll even consider birth symbolizes the descent of consciousness into the un- briefl y what higher emotional states may be saying about conscious and the resulting new and fuller life (Jung, 1973). our collective experience. He commented that rising water might symbolize a risk that I look forward to sharing my new work, “Whale Plane” one might drown in the unconscious and get lost in one’s depicting a dream of a tidal wave. I am currently working own emotions. on this new piece of artwork, which I also hope will be ac- Of course sometimes “a cigar is just a cigar” as Freud cepted as part of the IASD art show. was reported to say, and water is just water. The Many Faces of Water in Dreams The New Dreamer: Traveling on the Waves of Con- Robert J. Hoss sciousness Cave Creek, AZ, USA Paul Overman Wilmington, NC, USA Water images can represent material emerging from many levels of our psyche: our emotional state in picture-meta- Through history there have been those who have mastered phor; cultural and spiritual associations; or very deep ar- the art and science of dreaming in multiple worlds for giving chetypal associations with the unconscious psyche and the and receiving knowledge, power, healing and harmony. This origins of life itself. dream science, framed by Paul for modern dreamers as The The unique state of our dreaming brain (Hobson, 2003), Shamanic Dream, can add to our understanding of dreams and the combination of active and inactive centers, brings S2 International Journal of Dream Research Volume 5, Supplement 1 (2012) I J o D R and the dreaming interests of our youth, particularly this resolution.