Dreamwork
How can Dreamwork nourish you?
Across cultures and millennia, dreams have been revered as sacred messengers—windows into the unseen worlds of the psyche, the spirit, and the greater web of life. Long before modern psychology emerged, traditional and Indigenous cultures across the globe placed profound importance on dreams, treating them as sources of guidance, healing, and communal wisdom[1]. In Indigenous Australian traditions, for example, the Dreamtime stories are not merely myths—they are living maps of existence, creation, and belonging. Native American tribes have also long used dreams for vision quests, healing ceremonies, and to maintain harmony between the individual and the collective.
Today, Dreamwork honours this ancient lineage, inviting us into a deeper relationship with the unseen realms of our own inner worlds. It is a practice of listening—not only for personal insight, but also for healing, empowerment, and reconnection to the sacred. As Robert Moss, a leading voice in contemporary Dreamwork, describes, dreams are not random images but real experiences in other dimensions. Through his method of Active Dreaming[2], Moss reminds us that engaging with dreams is not simply analysis—it’s an act of relationship, creativity, and soul recovery.
Dreamwork nourishes us by helping us reclaim a connection to our intuition, creativity, and inner wisdom. It teaches us to move beyond the limits of the rational mind and to enter a space where the soul speaks in its own symbolic, poetic language—a language that, when honoured, can guide, protect, and transform us[3].
Benefits of Dreamwork
Research increasingly supports the emotional, psychological, and even physical benefits of Dreamwork. Studies have shown that working intentionally with dreams can:
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Enhance emotional regulation and resilience[4]
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Improve problem-solving and creativity[5]
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Support trauma recovery by surfacing and integrating unconscious material
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Strengthen intuitive abilities and self-trust
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Deepen personal meaning and purpose
Clinical dreamwork approaches—such as those explored by Stephen Aizenstat's Dream Tending method[6] -emphasise that dreams are alive and relational. Rather than interpreting them solely through a clinical or diagnostic lens, dreamwork honours dreams as dynamic experiences that invite dialogue, healing, and transformation.
Robert Moss’s Active Dreaming approach[7], now taught worldwide, blends ancient shamanic dream practices with contemporary insights. Moss encourages not just remembering and interpreting dreams, but also re-entering them, dreaming consciously, and using dreams for personal growth, healing, and even navigating future possibilities.
At its heart, Dreamwork benefits us by restoring a sense of reverence for the unseen—the intuitive, imaginal realms that are always present but often overlooked in daily life. It reminds us that healing and wisdom are not always linear or logical, but can arise through symbol, synchronicity, and deep listening.
What to expect from a Dreamwork session
A Dreamwork session is typically a collaborative, intuitive process guided by deep respect for the dreamer's inner experience. Sessions may be offered in-person or online, and each one is unique, shaped by the dreamer's needs and the energy of the dreams themselves[8]. Here’s what you might expect:
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Exploration of Dreams: The session often begins with sharing a dream or dreams you’ve experienced recently (or even from the distant past). You don’t need to "understand" the dream beforehand—sometimes the dream itself leads the way.
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Dialoguing with Dreams: Rather than imposing interpretations, a Dreamwork practitioner may invite you to engage directly with dream images, characters, or landscapes. Techniques may include role-play, re-entry into the dream through visualisation, or guided reflection.
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Connecting with the Unseen: You might be invited to listen for what your soul, your ancestors, or your deeper wisdom are communicating through the dream. In traditions influenced by Active Dreaming and Dream Tending, dreams are treated as living presences that continue evolving even after waking.
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Integration Practices: The session often concludes with practical steps to integrate the dream’s teachings through journaling, ritual, creative expression, or mindful action in waking life.
Dreamwork sessions are less about "fixing" and more about opening—a reverent, compassionate space where the unseen is welcomed and honoured. It's an experience of remembering that you are more than your waking story—you are a dreamer, a creator, and a part of a much larger mystery.
In a world that often demands fast answers and surface-level solutions, Dreamwork offers a slower, deeper path. It invites you to listen to the soul’s own rhythms, to trust the unseen currents moving through your life, and to reclaim the magic of being fully, wondrously alive.
1. Tedlock B. The Importance of Dreams in Indigenous Cultures. In Dreaming: Anthropological and Psychological Interpretations. Santa Fe: School of American Research Press; 1992.
2. Moss R. Codes of Practice of Active Dreaming. Way of the Dreamer; 2025.
3. Carr M. A Brief History of Dream Research. Psychology Today; 2016.
4. Université de Genève. The emotional function of dreams is not the same everywhere. Science Daily; 2023.
5. Scarpelli S, Bartolacci C, D'Atri A, Gorgoni M, Gennaro LD. The Functional Role of Dreaming in Emotional Processes. Frontiers Psychology; 2019.
6. Aizenstat S. Dream Tending. Stephen Aizenstat Dream Tending; 2025.
7. Moss R. Active Dreaming. New World Library; 2011.
8. Wilson J. One to One with Robert Moss. Jung and the World; 2024.