DreamTending by Stephen Aizenstat - Essay Example

In his analyses Aizenstat (2007) incorporates the image of the city, claiming that the city is the “human-made” habitat that needs to be accepted. There are five ecopsychological principles that guide the practice of DreamTending:

1. The psyche of nature animates the world;
2. In an animated world, everything dreams;
3. Dreams images are alive and embodied;
4. Mutual regard exists between embodied images;
5. The city too is dreaming;

Dream images do not correspond only to the neurotic structures of the past, but they are also positioned in our personal and collective human experiences (Aizenstat, 2007). The strange, horrific and beautiful visitors at night Aizenstat (2007) calls beings of the world dreaming. Each of us gains access to the life-sustaining world rhythm through the dreaming practices, which are deeply rooted in the psyche of nature. With DreamTending, Aizenstat (2007) attempts to re-connect people to the global pulse of life, bringing us closer to ecology and eventually restoring and healing our souls and health. This is an ecopsychological method, proposing a valuable new approach to dreaming. In this ecological perspective of psychological life, Aizenstat (2007)

provides a unique technique in interpreting the dream, discovering its nature, and experiences it provokes. The world we live in is more and more individual-centered and ego-centric and we recent ecological catastrophes the well-being of the planet depends to a great extent on the human ability to adequately respond to the screaming voices of nature. Aizenstat’s (2007) motto is that by intending the dream, we have to chance to tend the world, too.

Hollis and Rosen (2002) in their analyses present an appreciation for the Jungian perspective of the archetypal imagination. Hollis in particular argues that if human beings do not possess the ability of their mind to construct images filled with the energy of the surrounding nature, we will lose our link with the world around us and will not form rational and emotional abilities. Developing on this knowledge, Hollis and Rosen (2002) demonstrate the significance of and spiritual experiences with nature and the importance of connecting with the “other” world. “The psyche is the starting point of all human experience and all the knowledge we have gained eventually leads back to it. The psyche is the beginning and end of all cognition (Hollis and Rosen, 2002, p.102).” Hollis and Rosen (2002) explain that when we try to explore ourselves we re-image this through the larger scope of the world and its multiple archetypical imaginations.

Sardello’s (1992) main concept is that our human bodies manifest the body of the world. In this regard, our bodies are part of the universal. Therefore, everything in the world is either closely or distantly connected – from animals, vegetation, air, all is homogenous and constant. Sardello (1992) reminds us of the myth of Sophia – the soul of the world and how its presence surrounds the world. He also suggests that the soul of the world consists of many parts – meditation, imagination, concentration. The soul of the world does not belong to an individual, rather it is a subjective one (Sardello, 1992). Moore, a distinguished theologian offers a new philosophy in which he suggests that people should accept their humanity and not struggle to transcend it. Moore (1993) continues that people have to nurture their soul every day with small rituals, they have to cultivate and develop their spirituality in unison with the surrounding nature.

Estes (1996) tries to restore women’s intuitive and instinctive capabilities which were ignored in modern society. Estes (1996) stimulates the image of the women and the wolves who she claims share a psychic bond in their devotion, ferocity, and grace. This is an archetypical comparison of the “wild woman”, a woman who is in profound contact with her savage side and who is able to count on her inner sense and intuition to make decisions. In his book, Abram (1997) investigates the roots of language in the preverbal replies of the human body. Abram (1997) concludes that our words have dissipated their rootedness and relation to nature. Consequently, ecological havoc appeared, because people have exploited the potential of disembodies words. Human languages came into existence through our relationship with nature and wilderness and if we have lost this connection, the uttered words would not convey a deep meaning (Abram, 1997). To regain this bond Abram (1997) suggests that people take drastic measures to place themselves and their role in the world.