Almost exactly two years ago, back in March of 2003, Kathy Turner of Australia asked members of the World Dreams Peace Bridge, "Is there a name for this type of focused, intense, peace dreaming we are doing?"
It seemed that there was. There ensued a week of conversation on the Peace Bridge, tossing words around from various languages. The word that came up as the favorite of all the Peace dreamers was Da-Fu Mu, which is a combination of Japanese and Chinese meaning "Big Dream of Great Fortune."
Now the Peace Bridge has pledged to conduct a DaFuMu dreaming for World Peace on the 15th of each month, and invited the participation of anyone else who wants to join us.
(See
http://www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org/dafumumonthly2.htm). But, as a result, the question has come up of how would one interpret a group dream, or utilize its function? This seems to me like a good question to address, as personally I would love to see all of us considering the World Dream, of which our individual dreams are a part. Pacifica Institute director, Stephen Aizenstat and others have pointed out what could be considered an extension of the Jungian concept of the archetype, that the World may have dreams of its own.
As founder of The World Dreams Peace Bridge, I came to the group with considerable experience in group dreaming. Beginning in 1978, I conducted a ten year series of experiments in group dreaming called, "Dreams To the Tenth Power," in which we asked groups of ten people from around the world to dream together on a particular series of nights, with a particular goal to be met.
What we discovered in that experiment was that people did appear to be able to dream together when asked, and that they often exhibited dreaming skills in telepathy and precognition while doing it.
So I came to the Peace Bridge suspecting that these potentials might exhibit themselves within the context of dreams of world peace.
There is another question to be considered though. If it is true that people can join together to dream about a particular subject or for a particular goal. Do the combined dreams of these people form a message or gestalt which can be interpreted in the way we interpret individual dreams?
To explore that question, I would like to take a look at five of the dreams that came in response to the night of DaFuMu dreaming this month.
On the surface of things the dreams don't seem to hold much relevance to World Peace, and several of the dreamers questioned whether they should even submit them.
Gina
My dream from last night doesn't seem to have any clear connection to the Dafamu, but I'm offering it anyhow, just in case it resonates with anyone:
There were two clips on the hood of my car, one on each side of the hood close to the windshield. They were made of thick wire. One was missing and the other was broken. I was in a large warehouse where I knew there were two auto parts dealers. I first went to the one I had dealt with before, which was in the back, and found that it had gone out of business, presumably because the other dealer had moved into the front of the building and taken all of its customers. I went back to the front just as the owner or manager of the other business was pulling down a metal security screen in front of the business to close for the day. I persuaded him to sell me the clips I needed. I was afraid that if I didn't get the clips before I left, the hood of my car would come up while I was driving and block my vision.
Ilkin
I am climbing to a building, where there are people I dint see for a long time. They are working for Freedom and Solidarity Party. I have a backpack in one hand and white papers in other. There are questions and answers I prepeared to lighten them on the papers. I am asking a young woman to take their photocopies for me. An old friend says the people I am looking for are in the next room. I am feeling happy that I will give them the answers I prepeared. I am thinking that they are important for their work for peace.The buildings (the one we are in and others) begins to slide paralel and with a little angle to the earth. But it doest effect us physically or emotionally. We are hopefull and smiling. I am sitting in font of a wall and leaning to an old friend. The dead ones are also with us. I feel that we are in a different kind of place where the dead and alive can be together for good things.
Liz
I had dream of you last night (Jean)... we were at IASD Conference and you were presenting a new presentation to everyone with Power Point. I was in charge of making the changes with this new 3D software... but I had not realized all the pages were done, when I was making changes to the first screen. Rita D. was there too... there was quite a crowd. But we got it all together... and the new software was really neat and I was going to learn how to work with it so that you (Jean) could have a monthly newsletter to everyone later on. That was just part of the dream.
I wonder why I dream of IASD so much. I don't think in all my life I've dreamed of one particular thing as much as I do the organization -- other than my returning to my old college (Occidental).... goes to show you how much IASD touches me maybe or how much a part of dreams it represents for me.
Jean
I am walking in bright sunlight in a bazaar (See why I want to call the Silent Auction an International Bazaar? I keep dreaming about them.) I am a man, a priest. I am wearing a black cassock, and one of those nifty red, wide collars that some priests wear, particularly in the Greek Orthodox church, I believe. I am carrying a big basket over one arm for groceries. I am holding in my right hand a couple of lamb shanks, trying to decide whether to buy them or not. I am followed by a crowd of children, both boys and girls, mostly between the ages of eight and twelve. They are barefoot, dark haired, middle Eastern, but dressed in Western clothing. They are from an orphanage or are street kids I work with.
In my mind I hear the words, "It's amazing how many different things can be done with the money" (meaning money we raise here on the Bridge). At first the priest is saying that to himself as he looks back over his shoulder at the crowd of kids, catching the eye of a beautiful little girl with tangled curls, wearing a brown and cream plaid dress. Then it is me saying it to the priest. And then I am fully lucid, realizing that this is a dream I'm sharing with the priest and the kids. And then I am awake, hearing said to ME, "Feed the hungry."
Diana
My dream was of a pair of tap dancing children. I could only see their feet. They had a little box with them, that sent some signal as to what routine they should shift to. This went on for awhile, and as I watched their shoes, I could tell that they weren't professionals, but they weren't about to give up, practice...practice.
I've never been a dancer of any sort. Peculiar dream.
But now I am going to suggest that we look at these dreams the way that I most often initially perceive my own, personal, dreams. When I recall a dream I have had on a non-group dreaming night, I usually feel around immediately for the "message" of the dream. I know that all dreamers don't do that, but I tend to be among the "an unexamined dream is like an unopened present" school; so I am always eager to open my presents, even if there is sometimes an unpleasant surprise inside.
Let's take a look then at the messages the five DaFuMu dreams for World Peace seem to present. In some cases, the dreamer has stated the message; in some cases I am making an inference.
Gina
Take precautions now so you won't be blinded later.
Ilkin
I have some answers which can enlighten my friends in their work for peace. We can all joyfully work together on this, both the alive and those who are "dead."
Liz
My dreaming friends and I can use PowerPoint to communicate about World Peace.
Jean
Feed the hungry, particularly in the Middle East. It can be a pleasure.
Diana
Don't give up on dancing, even if you're not a professional. Practice, practice.
When considered in this manner, the dreams link together to carry a powerful message for attainment of World Peace: "Take precautions now, so you won't be blinded later. I have some answers which can enlighten my friends in their work for peace. We can all joyfully work together on this, both the alive and those who are dead. My dreaming friends and I can use PowerPoint to communicate about World Peace. Feed the hungry, particularly in the Middle East; and don't give up dancing, even if you're not a professional. Practice, practice."
Is this way of looking at DaFuMu dreaming something like reading an oracle? Maybe. But probably no more than the way many of us use dreams at a personal level. Interpretation of dreams always needs common sense and a clarity on the part of the dreamer that there is a real "ah-ha" connection with the meaning of the dream.
Over the months between now and the IASD conference in Berkeley in June, members of the Peace Bridge (and their friends, which could be you) intend to begin to create a mandala for World Peace from the images individual dreamers present from their dreams. During the conference, we hope to present a living mandala. And, just for those who love the precognitive and telepathic elements of dreaming, there's an additional aspect of the "instructions" from these dreams.
Prior to January 15, I was very busy with the fundraising being done for the Aid for Traumatized Children Project conducted by the Peace Bridge. So I didn't have time to verbally explain to Liz that I had been thinking how nice it might be to have a PowerPoint presentation about the Peace Bridge work, and have it ready for the conference. No problem there though, her dreaming self had not only gotten the message already, but also completed the presentation. Hopefully it will be as easy a job in waking state as it was in dreams.
Next month again, on February 15, The World Dreams Peace Bridge will hold a DaFuMu dreaming for World Peace. We hope you will join us. If you would like to know more about the work of The World Dreams Peace Bridge, take a look at our web site at
http://www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org, and if you would like to join us in discussion, just send a post to
worlddreams-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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