Discussion Post I submitted for my Atlantic University TP6000 Course – March 12, 2020
What is your response to the readings and the video? Describe the impact it had on you, how you felt, a-ha’s or insights gained.
I was impressed with the frankness of both Wanda Burch and host Robert Moss in the video we reviewed. It was refreshing to see a calm and deliberative interchange. Wanda’s story is very inspiring, and she uses several aspects of the dream process we learned this semester to save her life. She obviously did a lot of dreamwork, so I suppose this is what happens when you spend decades doing the work. She inspired me to continue practicing!
The readings also provided information that in retrospect makes sense but I had never considered. For example, as part of Mind-Body Healing through Dreamwork, they provide a task to complete, “Incubating a Dreamatarian Diet.” I’ve tried countless diets over the years but have never gone to my dreams for info. I’m afraid they’d probably come back with various flavors of ice cream!
Please discuss your insights in to transpersonal themes that were illuminated for you, or really stretched your thinking, or affirmed something you have known intuitively.
I found Wanda’s use of dreams expansive and impressive. She had precognitive dreams that identified her future illness as far back as 20 years prior. Then, as the cancer began and she wasn’t getting the message, her dad appeared and said, “You have breast cancer.” No beating around the bush there! This was very powerful to me that dreams could be that direct as mine tend to be much more symbolic. Finally, as Wanda began her treatments, her dreams provided cures and courses of action she could take to her doctors, who thank God, listened. It’s great they were open to such an out-of-the-box approach.
I also found the resources at the end of the workshop material useful, and I spent some time researching way to increase the likelihood of lucid dreaming. I came a cross Robert Waggoner’s article in which he provided a number of tips to help make lucid dreaming a possibility. It’s something I really want to do, and, other than a few brief instances this semester, I’ve not been successful thus far. If I’m able to achieve this talent, it would open a number of transpersonal opportunities for me. It’s such a powerful tool than enables one to literally shape the subconscious in ways that are most beneficial to growth and development.
References
[DreamActivist]. (2007, August 27). Fighting cancer using your dreams – Wanda Burch/Robert Moss [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/pOu4dGqXvnU
Kellogg, E. (2007), Mind-body healing through dreamwork, International Association for the Study of Dreams, Retrieved from: https://asdreams.org/psi2007/papers/edkellogg.htm
Waggoner, R. (2009), “How to lucid dream,” Lucid Dreaming Magazine, Retrieved from: https://www.dreaminglucid.com/how-to-lucid-dream/