THE SEMINAR-WORKSHOP
ABOUT DALE MATHERS
Dr. Dale Mathers is a psychiatrist, humanistic psychotherapist, and analytical psychologist. He recently retired from the Association of Jungian Analysts, where he was a Training Analyst and Supervisor. He’s taught and supervised in the UK, Poland, Ukraine and Russia.
He integrates ideas from various disciplines: including anthropology, politics, spirituality, mythology, and philosophy, to address complex psychological issues. He has authored and edited several books. The latest is ‘Dreams: the Basics' (Routledge 2024). See below for more information. His approach involves exploring symbols of transformation, aiming to foster a deeper understanding and response to the challenges of Climate Change.
FURTHER READING
Dale Mathers has authored and edited a diverse range of publications, exploring topics from interconnected disciplines.
Selected publications include Depth Psychology and Climate Change (Routledge, 2020), Alchemy and Psychotherapy (ed.) (Routledge, 2014), Self and No-Self (ed.) (Routledge, 2009), and An Introduction to Meaning and Purpose in Analytical Psychology, (Routledge, 2001).
Of particular interest is his recent publication, with Carola Mathers, on Dreams that further develops themes examined and explored through this session, outlined in more detail below, with link to the publisher site.
The session incorporates a rich range of materials. The media, sources and licensing are detailed in the References & Links section below, alongside some links to contextual information for further play and discovery. Every effort has been made to ensure the appropriate permissions and licenses are in place.
dreams
publication
Dreams: The Basics presents introductory and accessible information about what dreams are, where they come from, what they do, and how to understand and work with them.
This book demythologises dream interpretation, with each chapter inviting the reader to ask questions about their own dreams and try exercises. Chapters explore social dreaming, how culture impacts dreams, and their use in counselling, therapy, and analysis. They offer suggestions about how to engage with and develop a skill set to work with dreams. This book summarises the latest thinking and research in this subject, as well as exploring key analytic theorists such as Freud, Jung, and their successors. A glossary is included, along with useful diagrams and images.
The book is aimed at high school and A-level students, undergraduate students, and anyone interested in dreams.
Further details here
REFERENCES & LINKS
note
jung's collected works
References to The Collected Works of C. G. Jung are cited in the in the slides as CW, volume number, section number (where relevant) and paragraph number. The Collected Works are published in English by Routledge (UK) and Princeton University Press (USA).
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title slide | dreaming: between conscious and unconscious
presentation & web page image license 'Person Laying Hand Over the Sunset. Cimişlia, Moldova.' Scutari, Alexei. 2018. Digital Photograph. reproduced through unsplash license. https://unsplash.com/photos/5Zg64OwXJg8
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presentation image ‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul.’ Blake, William. 1789. Relief etching hand-colored with watercolor, ink and shell gold. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Collection of Drawings and Prints. Rogers Fund, 1917. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/892559 reproduced through open access policy | cc01 license.
in between, there are doors
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the royal road to the unconscious
“The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind.”
reference Freud, S. (1900) ‘The Interpretation of Dreams (First Part)’ (trans. J. Strachey), in Strachey, J. and Freud, A. (eds), The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, vol. 4. (2nd ed., 1909). London, Great Britain: The Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psycho-Analysis. [ch. 7, sect. E]
presentation image ‘A Fantasy Landscape Inspired by Freud’s ‘Royal Road’ and the Road to the ‘Emerald City.’ Jung by the Sea. 2023. Image created with Firefly Generative AI and post-generation editing. copyright free with (ai) attribution.
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presentation image ‘Stone Wishing Well, Jardin Botanique de Montréal, Canada.’ Bouffard, Maxime. 2021. Digital Photograph (edited with generative AI, Jung by the Sea 2023).
https://unsplash.com/photos/i1PR2CjWV1E reproduced through unsplash license.
freud
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jung
presentation image ‘Fountain in a Grassy Park.’ Pear, Marjorie. 2021. Digital Photograph (edited with generative AI, Jung by the Sea. 2023). https://unsplash.com/photos/Wu4X1r9oGko reproduced through unsplash license.
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it’s like this…
presentation media ‘Surfer Surfs the Wave, Maldives.’ Duckdivetales. Undated. Digital Video. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license fmhgasc4z9, 2023.
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what did you find?
presentation image ‘Person Holding Round Glass Lens, High Park, Toronto, Canada.’ Kangrang Yeshi. 2017. Digital Photograph (edited, Jung by the Sea. 2023). https://unsplash.com/photos/iuqxv7kFj64 reproduced through unsplash license.
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cirrus clouds
presentation media ‘Cirrus clouds moving through the sky.’ AndrVlad. Undated. Digital Video. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license Q7ABWRCG59, 2023.
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forest—open system
presentation media ‘Peaceful Tall Trees in the Middle of the Forest.’ The Stock Company. Undated. Digital Video. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license LGVFZ6M4RB, 2023.
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fractals
'A Self-Similar Fractal with the shape of an equilateral triangle, which is subdivided recursively into smaller versions of itself' (also known as 'Sierpinski triangles' after mathematician Wacław Sierpinski, though their use pre-dates him). This example shows (1) A single equilateral triangle, and (2 - 4) Subdivision into identical triangles through removal of the central triangles. This recursive process can be infinite.
presentation media Examples shown were generated with Fractal Generator by Huo Chen at: https://codinglab.huostravelblog.com/math/fractal-generator
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fractals: network
presentation image ‘Fractal Tree: Animated sequence of a Sierpinski triangle, presented at continuously decreasing angles until the pattern resembles a tree.’ Ruggiero, Rafael. 2017. Created with Arve. https://w.wiki/C9Tq reproduced under the creative commons attribution-share alike 4.0 international deed.
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trees and neurons are fractal
presentation image (background) ‘Frost Fractal Patterns On A Pane Of Glass After A Haw Frost.’ Wirestock. Undated. Digital Photograph (edited, Jung by the Sea. 2023). reproduced through envato single use worldwide license PGKQ23FYD6, 2023.
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mind does not equal brain
presentation image ‘Brain Model with Colored Sections.’ DigitalStormCinema. Undated. Digital 3D Model (edited, Jung by the Sea. 2023). reproduced through envato single use worldwide license SG3Q6JYWU2, 2023.
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functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri)
presentation media ‘Woman Undergoing MRI Brain Scan.’ Pressmaster. Undated. Digital Video. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license RKJZ83YFQE, 2023.
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fractals: trees and neurons
presentation media 01 'Neurons Nerve Impulse.' Santi_man. Undated. 3D Animation. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license M4W38KAJFP, 2023.
presentation image 02 'Leafless Tree on Gray Scale, Scotland, UK.' Tovar, Mila. 2020. Digital Photograph (edited, Jung by the Sea. 2023). reproduced through unsplash license.
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presentation image ‘Illustration of the Three Brain Networks, based on an older model.’ Created for this presentation by Jung by the Sea, 2023, combining edited versions of the illustrations: ‘Human Organs Illustration (Brain).’ Undated. JumpStd. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license 2PWXJTGH59, 2023; ‘Woman Solving a Problem.’ Undated. EvathemeMarket. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license XLV3SBM9ZC, 2023; ‘Monitors.’ Undated. EvathemeMarket. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license VNFGRDJ8MZ, 2023; ‘Man Rests on O.’ Undated. EvathemeMarket. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license K9W7YJFDSH, 2023.
three main brain networks
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brain networks schematic with fmri scans
presentation image 'Schematic figure of the triple network model consisting of the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN) and central executive network (CEN).' Nekovarova, Fajnerova, Horacek, Spaniel. 2014. Wikimedia Commons. https://w.wiki/C9Ww reproduced under the c.c. attribution 3.0 unported license
image source Nekovarova, Tereza, Iveta Fajnerova, Jiri Horacek, and Filip Spaniel. 2014. ‘Bridging Disparate Symptoms of Schizophrenia: A Triple Network Dysfunction Theory’. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 8. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00171
background
image (just seen on screens)
presentation image 'Under the Wave off Kanagawa' (also known as ‘The Great Wave’). Hokusai, Katsushika. c 1830–32. Woodblock print on paper. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Collection of Prints. H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45434 reproduced through open access policy | cc01 license.
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presentation image ‘Visualisation of The Three Brain Networks.’ Created for this presentation by Jung by the Sea, 2023. Digital overlay to elevations of ‘Wireframe Human Brain.’ PixelSquid360. Undated. Digital 3D model. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license BX5TR39YQK, 2023.
brain networks visualisation
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presentation image ‘Illustration indicating loci of executive network (EN) in the brain..’ Created by Jung by the Sea, 2023. Digital overlay to ‘Anatomy Head Cutaway’ PixelSquid360 Undated. Digital 3D model (edited). reproduced through envato single use worldwide license BX5TR39YQK, 2023.
brain networks visualisation
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presentation image ‘Illustration indicating loci of salience network (SN) in the brain.’ Created by Jung by the Sea, 2023. Digital overlay to ‘Anatomy Head Cutaway’ PixelSquid360 Undated. Digital 3D model (edited). reproduced through envato single use worldwide license BX5TR39YQK, 2023.
brain networks visualisation
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presentation image ‘Illustration indicating loci of default mode network (DMN) in the brain.’ Created by Jung by the Sea, 2023. Digital overlay to ‘Anatomy Head Cutaway’ PixelSquid360 Undated. Digital 3D model (edited). reproduced through envato single use worldwide license BX5TR39YQK, 2023.
brain networks visualisation
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presentation image (background) ‘Digital Human Brain: Neural and AI Networks Concept.’ Olegbadak. Undated. Digital 3D Model Animation. reproduced through envato single use worldwide license DQPXFZ9734, 2023.
brain networks visualisation
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presentation images ‘Illustrations of ‘The Wood Between the Worlds’, described in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ by C.S. Lewis, 1955.’ Field Fold for Jung by the Sea. 2023. Images created with Firefly Generative AI and post-generation editing. copyright free with (ai) attribution
brain networks visualisation
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presentation image ‘An imaginal landscape centred on reflection, inspired by visual themes in the presentation.’ Field Fold for Jung by the Sea. 2023. Images created with Firefly Generative AI and post-generation editing. copyright free with (ai) attribution
brain networks visualisation
Freud said that ‘the interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious’ [1]— but what is the unconscious, what is the road for, and can we journey both ways?
This engaging seminar, between talk and workshop, offers us an introductory 'roadmap' that draws from analytic theory, philosophy and neuroscience, incorporating personal responses from participants.
Moving beyond dualisms such as ‘sleep and wakefulness’ or ‘past and future’, the session highlights the continuous interplay of dreams between the conscious and unconscious mind.
Session participants delve into their inner worlds through a guided experiment using active imagination, sketching and daydreaming, with Hermes as a starry symbolic guide. For those watching via Video-On-Demand, you are invited to pause and participate, gaining insight into your own ‘vocabulary’ of the unconscious.
This session explores the nature and purpose of dreams, emphasising the role we ourselves play in interpreting their elusive meanings.
Chaired by Meg Bisset