Dreams, A Portal to the Source [Paperback]

Edward C. Whitmont (Author), Sylvia Brinton Perera (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 1992 | ISBN-10: 0415064538 | ISBN-13: 978-0415064538 | Edition: Reprint

Natural and necessary expressions of the life force, dreams provide access into unconscious areas of life. They give specific and appropriately timed messages whcih can assist the dreamer with problem solving, artistic inspiration, psychological development, and spiritual deepening. They are also important for healing. To the therapist every dream reveals information about past and present psychic structures or complexes of the dreamer, and tells about psychological dynamics and developmental capacities. It reveals the dreamer's relations to the spiritual and personal dimensions of life, to the Self, and to archetypal images and drives. In Dreams, A Portal to the Source Edward C. Whitmont and Sylvia Brinton Perera, both leading Jungian analysts, provide an extensive guide to dream interpretation. Practical in approach, it is designed primarily for psychoanalysts and therapists who wish to integrate dream interpretation into their clinical practice. Among the topics covered are the language of dream images; the relations between the dream and the dreamer's conscious positions; the interplay between archetypal and personal levels; the dream's dramatic structure; body imagery in dreams; and the relevance of dreams to the transference and countertransference.

Editorial Reviews

Review

With the publication of Dreams, A Portal to the Source we have at last a manual of Jungian dream analysis that is presented with depth and clarity and that remains true to Jung and to the psyche. This book is balanced, judicious, comprehensive, and yet concise. It transcends all factions with a largeness of view that contains them all. All the well-known approaches to dream analysis are given their due. . ..
–Psychological Perspectives, 1991

Dreams, A Portal to the Source represents a thoughtful, critical examination of dream interpretation from multiple perspectives without premature closure or adherence to dogma. It is a treasure trove of thoughtful ideas in which exposition, exploration, and critical thinking are harmoniously interwoven with the wisdom accumulated in years of clinical practice . . . the volume [is] successful, rewarding, and important.
–Quadrant, 1990

The book . . . is a clinical guide for therapists of all persuasions and an accessible resource for all of us who delight in the richness of our dreams.
–New Mexican, 1990

It's a wonderful work. At last we have a really adequate manual on Jungian dream interpretation. What pleases me most is the reverent attitude to the dream that [the authors] convey.
–Edward F. Edinger

It soon becomes clear that the authors are drawing from the rich storehouse of their years of thoughtful clinical work with dreams. Their labor and generosity in sharing the fruits of this experience with the reader are to be applauded and enjoyed. . . . this book's clear explication of both the basics and the subtleties of the clinical approach to the dream make it accessible to clinicians at all levels.
–Psychoanalytic Books, 1992

About the Author

Edward C. Whitmont and Sylvia Brinton Perera both teach at the C. G. Jung Institute, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; Reprint edition (June 19, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415064538
• ISBN-13: 978-0415064538
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #535,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enter into the portal of your dream life...., April 7, 2001

By 

Craig Chalquist, PhD, author of TERRAPSYCHOLO... (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dreams, A Portal to the Source (Paperback)

....as written by authors of a Jungian persuasion.

Those very familiar with Jungian dream theory will find the first couple of chapters slow and basic. Others will welcome the exposition of why dreams do what they do.

Dreams, not just as imaginal compensations for the narrowness of conscious daily life, but as completions, as fillings-in to be lived as night-time dramas; dreams as metaphoric missing pieces of what we neglect in our journeys toward wholeness; as messages, or letters, in the Talmudic sense, we must open to understand: all this is here, and warmly recommended.

I can't write a book review without at least a brief comment on style. In this case, nothing close to the poetry of a Hillman or a Romanyshyn. Adequately expository, though. They do a good job of seeing to it that the reader gets the ideas.

The authors claim to have written for clinicians, but the educated non-therapist unacquainted with the tools of dreamlife can find real gold in this book.

If you're curious beyond the simple "did I dream that because I ate a bad hamburger" or "I can't understand my dreams, so they don't make any sense," then begin here.