Gestalt Therapy
Category: Psychology
Everything in the Dream Is You - Perls's Revolutionary Dream Theory
Gestalt therapy's approach to dreams differs fundamentally from Freud and Jung. Freud saw dreams as disguised repressed wishes; Jung saw them as compensatory messages from the unconscious. Perls went further, asserting that every dream element, whether a person, an animal, an object, a landscape, or even the weather, is a fragment of the dreamer's own personality. The chasing monster, the fleeing self, the dark forest are all different aspects of 'you.' This perspective eliminates the need for external dream dictionaries, centering the dreamer's own experiential exploration.
Practical Steps for Becoming Each Dream Element
At the core of Gestalt dreamwork is identification, the work of 'becoming' each element of the dream. When two elements are set facing each other in dialogue, the empty chair technique (chairwork) is used alongside it. The procedure: First, retell the dream in present tense ('I am in a dark forest'). Next, select each dream element and 'become' it, speaking in first person. For example, becoming the forest: 'I am the dark forest. No path is visible within me. I am enveloping you.' Then conduct dialogues between elements. Alternately playing 'the forest' and 'the lost self,' experientially exploring their relationship. What this process aims at is not working out intellectually which part of oneself a dream element stands for, but receiving that resonance as bodily sensation and feeling.
The Decisive Difference from Freudians - Don't Interpret, Experience
In Freudian dream analysis, the therapist 'interprets' dream symbols and conveys hidden meanings to patients. Gestalt therapy explicitly rejects this approach. Perls repeatedly dismissed interpretation handed down by the therapist as something that stays on an intellectual level. In Gestalt, dreamers themselves experientially explore each dream element, discovering meaning independently. Therapists don't provide interpretations but only pose awareness-promoting questions ('What are you feeling now?' 'When speaking as that element, where in your body do you sense something?'). This difference also changes the positions taken in the therapeutic relationship: in Gestalt therapy, the premise is that the person who knows the dream best is the dreamer.
How to Do Gestalt Dreamwork at Home
Even without a therapist, you can try Gestalt-style dream exploration on your own. First, write out the dream and select three striking elements. For each, begin writing in first person 'I am...' and speak freely as that element. Unexpected words may emerge while writing, and these are moments of awareness. Next, write dialogue between two elements, alternating on left and right pages for clear dialogue format. Finally, ask yourself 'What is this dream saying about my current life?' The key is not seeking correct answers. Awareness may come immediately or arrive unexpectedly days later. Keep in mind that Gestalt therapy is originally a psychotherapy carried out together with a trained therapist. If strong anxiety or distress resurfaces while you are writing, stop there and consult a professional such as a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.
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