Healing Power of Dreams

About the Healing Power of Dreams Project

The participants to date (patients and caregivers) represent a wide variety of cancers, and a wide range of socio-economic and educational levels.  Participants have ranged from teenagers to people in their 80s.

Components of the Project

Cornerstones of the project are a three-hour workshop and ongoing dream groups. 

The workshop, The Healing Power of Dreams and Nightmares, is adaptable to a variety of situations, ages and educational levels. 

The ongoing dream groups have been conducted on a weekly basis in Atlanta, GA, and on a monthly basis in Philadelphia, PA. 

Workshops and dream groups are also forming in other parts of the US and abroad as part of the expansion phase of the project.  Check the calendar section of this website for details.

The Participant’s Manual is used with participants in both the workshop and the ongoing groups.  This provides participants with a handy reference manual of all the things we cover in the workshop plus additional resources, including ways to work with dreams at home. 

This Facilitator’s Manual will provide the background and tools to help trainees understand the special needs of a cancer care community and to facilitate the workshops and ongoing groups.

Key Findings 2004 - 2007

The onset of a serious illness is often accompanied by an increase in dream recall, often of frightening dreams, so it is critical that participants understand how to confront and work with what may appear to be negative dream images.  We address this in both the workshop and the ongoing groups. 

We also have noticed that many participants have had dreams about their illness before diagnosis.  This phenomenon has been documented by many others, including oncologist Bernie Siegel.  Dreams often comment on the health of the dreamer, so, we believe it is important for cancer patients to be tuned into health issues — particularly ways for improving health — that may appear in their dreams. 

The assessment tool we are currently using with the ongoing groups asks for responses to a series of quality of life issues.  These are adapted from quality of life assessment tools used at The Wellness Community and other cancer centers.  The following are our findings through 2006:

In addition, we are also using outcome assessments, which track the movement of dream imagery from negative to positive.  Evolving dream imagery corresponds to the transformation of emotions and attitudes, and in turn positively impacts the immune system.

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