I used to do a lot of dream analysis, and one day a colleague gave me a tip that has stood me in good stead ever since. He said, “Give your dream a title. Imagine it was a TV show or stage play, what would you call it?”
I found this incredibly helpful in dreamwork because it made me consider the essence, the focus, of the dream.
Recently, I remembered this little gem, and began to play with other applications. By all means, use it for your dreams – it will often give you big pointers as to their meaning. But use the technique in your waking life too. Use it for your daydreams. Use it in meetings. Sometimes, when there’s heated exchange or tension around you, step back and imagine you’re the director of the “play” being enacted in front of you, and give it a title. It will momentarily help you to detach, see the funny side even, and you will often find that instantly you are much more resourceful than a moment before when you were caught up in the middle of the maelstrom.
Happy dreams!
