REVIEW OF DREAM EXPLORATION, by Robert P. Gongloff

DREAM EXPLORATION:
A New Approach, by Robert P. Gongloff

Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, MN; 2006;
ISBN 0-7387-0818-6; Llewellyn.com

After many years of dream work, reading of relevant literature, writing stories and poems based on dreams, and so on, I was excited by the idea of a new approach to dream work. On reading "Dream Exploration" I was not disappointed.

If one comes away from this book with only one thing -- how to determine the theme of a dream -- one will have gained a great deal. Gongloff’s descriptions of how to determine a dream’s theme clarified why some of my own dreams seem to "unzip" with ease, while others remain relatively closed. That in the former instance I am identifying the theme: the underlying question that one needs to be asking and addressing in one’s waking life.

Gongloff also makes a somewhat uncommon recommendation to keep a day journal -- notes about the day before going to sleep. This is an extremely valuable suggestion. I have been keeping a detailed daily journal for many years (for other reasons than dreams) and find it a tremendous aid to dream work. I stumbled across this deeply reciprocal relationship between my day and dream journal by accident, working it out as I went along. Gongloff outlines clearly how it can be done.

However, Gongloff’s system is not for the casual dream worker. Though I hasten to add that it does have a tremendous amount to offer, if one is willing and able to put in the time and effort that would be required to learn and apply his elegant and detailed system. I believe it would be ideal for a dream worker who likes or wants a prescriptive approach. Someone new to dream work who has the requisite dedication, could also do quite well with this book as it covers the basics and outlines a very clear structure for the process.

This book includes many charts, sample dreams and possible evaluations of them, instructions, categories, a good bibliography, and so on. Gongloff is also very thorough in offering practical ways to apply what you gain from dream work to your waking life.

In fact, given the breadth of his system I would say this book is ultimately not about dream work, but about life work – day and dream work. About listening for the questions and where they direct our attention, so that we may grow into those souls we sometimes glimpse in waking mystical moments and in the most numinous of our dreams.

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‘til next time, keep dreaming,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)****My other blog: ROSWILA’S TAROT GALLERY & JOURNAL.