Ecopsychology and Dreams Open Forum

Posted by Ryan Hurd on September 5, 2007

I’ll be joining Kelly Bulkeley and some other core California dreamers next week in a stimulating discussion on eco-dreaming. The talk is open to the public. Here’s the announcement from the Dream Institute:

“Open Forum in Dream Studies,” hosted by the Dream Institute will focus on “Ecopsychology and Dreaming: Exploring the Depths of Deep Ecology.” The questions to be discussed include: To what extent do dreams reveal the depths of our relationship with the natural world? In what ways are personal dreams affected by collective environmental problems? What is the dreaming response to those problems? Can closer attention to dreams help inspire more people to change their waking world behavior towards nature?

Many of us who believe strongly in environmental causes are frustrated at the lack of psychological depth and spiritual self-reflection among our allies, who seem to be trapped in the same materialist paradigm that lays at the root our unhealthy interactions with nature. This year’s Open Forum gatherings will attempt to develop a deeper understanding of the psychospiritual forces that can help us overcome these challenges and cultivate a better relationship with the natural world.

The first meeting of the year will be Monday, September 10, 7:30-9:30 P.M., and two special guests have tentatively agreed to share their insights with us: Marc Barasch, author of Healing Dreams and long-time advocate for greater environmental awareness; and Ryan Hurd, recent graduate of JFKU’s Dream Studies program with training in archeology and ecopsychology. Please join us for what promises to be a very stimulating session.

Future meeting dates: October 8 and November 5. The Dream Institute is located at 1672 University Avenue, Berkeley; CA, phone ” 510.845.1767.