13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Thorough and Inspired Study of all Dream-Theories, January 15, 2000
As co-founder of the C.G. Jung Institute, Copenhagen, and as author of several psychological books, Ole Vedfelt has played an important role in establishing Jungian psychology in Denmark. He has received a great deal of recognition in both professional circles and in general cultural debate for, among other things, his original work on male psychology seen from a Jungian perspective and his extensive study on Consciousness.
"The Dimensions of Dreams", which is the first of his books to be published in English, represents a key factor in his efforts to bridge the gap between Jungian psychology and other schools of psychotherapy.
On more than 400 pages Vedfelt gives the reader a thorough and inspired study of all the important dream-theories. Being a Jungian Analyst, the Jungian theory is obviously closest to Vedfelt's heart, but I would not call the book a "Jungian Study" - rather a critical eclectic study of the different theoretical schools with the main focus directed towards the Jungian field. Although the Jungian chapter is the longest, the other theoretical schools are reviewed extensively and the advantages and disadvantages of each of them are thoroughly scrutinized. Vedfelt has systematically analysed the different dream theories - the analysis comprises both the philosophical assumptions as well as their empirical basis - and he illustrates the theories by a great number of dream-examples and their interpretation.
The book begins with a Freudian chapter where Vedfelt explains, illustrates and discusses concepts such as free-association method, dream censorship, dream sources, the Freudian technique of dream interpretation etc. The original Freud is followed by the neo-Freudians with the focus slightly changing from the unconscious towards the ego and its defence-mechanisms. By reviewing concepts such as dreams and transference / countertransference, developmental theories etc., Vedfelt presents work by psychoanalysts including Masud Khan, Heinz Kohut, Erik H. Erikson and many others.
The Jungian chapter that follows is - as mentioned above- with its almost 100 pages the longest. In this Vedfelt goes through our well-known analytical basis such as the nature of dreams, the living symbol, archetypes in dreams, individuation, alchemy etc. Dreams mentioned and interpreted mainly by Jung himself illustrate the concepts. Vedfelt refers to Andrew Samuels' Jung and the Post-Jungians and uses Samuels' division of Jung's successors into the Classical, the Developmental and the Archetypal school. The Classical section of the chapter has a long inspiring review of Sheila Moon's published dreams to illustrate how dreams express the personal myth, followed by other concepts such as dreams of call, dream and death and problem solving and creativity in dreams. The Developmental section presents material from Erich Neumann and Hans Dieckmann and - very briefly - from Michael Fordham. In the last of the three sections, the Archetypal, Vedfelt in a few words sums up James Hillmann's interesting viewpoint that dreams should be seen primarily as a world in themselves, with their own objectives.
The second chapter ends with a very interesting comparison between Freud's and Jung's dream theories. The comparison contains thought-provoking statements about the nature, function and interpretation of dreams seen from the two frames of reference.
In the following chapter "Dreams and Waking Lifestyle" the concrete and quantified analysis of dream-content as described mainly by Calvin Hall is discussed. In the preface Vedfelt writes about what can be achieved from this: "Through Hall we obtain important guidelines as to what dreams typically mean to all of us - women, men, children - and to the meaning of dreams that span the course of a life." Vedfelt's focus in the next chapter "Existential and Phenomenological Dream Interpretation" is mainly on the Swiss Psychoanalyst Medard Boss whose very gentle method of questioning is obviously successful with very fragile clients. Whereas Medard Boss sees dreams as "unlived possibilities", the founder of the fifth main current within modern dream research, Fritz Perls, sees them as a "condensed reflection of human existence". In the chapter "Experiental Dreamwork" Vedfelt presents Fritz Perls and Gestalt therapy followed by Psychodrama. The gestalt therapy method is vividly demonstrated by means of a practical example. The method being against interpretations, analysis and explanations but stressing the importance of learning through discovering, through expression of feelings, and through working with resistances. Perls has, with a transscription of Freud, said "that the dream is the royal road to integration." After presenting the five mainstream schools of dream-theory, Vedfelt turns towards biological laboratory research and dreams and the body. The chapters which follow deal with rather esoteric subjects in connection with dreams such as parapsychology, birth experience and consciousness-expanding techniques. And the last viewpoints to be presented are: Dream and Psychosis, Dream and Society, Dream and Groups and Dream and Picture Therapy.
Throughout the book, Vedfelt discusses and compares the different theories with each other. It is Vedfelt's aim - and one of the great advantages of this book - that the different points of view do not exclude each other. On the contrary, they can illuminate different aspects of the dream. This leads to Vedfelt's theory that dreams function in a multidimensional way and that a multidimensional approach to dream-interpretation can become "a creative unfolding of the dream's implicit dynamism and meaning".
I find Vedfelt's book very impressive and inspiring. In spite of it's high academic and theoretical content, the book is entertaining and a pleasure to read. Vedfelt has provided a powerful and important contribution to the study of the world of dreams.
Misser Berg, Jungian Analyst, Denmark
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
