The question of ethical dreamwork is about the
acceptable behavior related to values. However, what is valued will differ from
individual to individual and situation to situation. Thus the ideas of
transparency and disclosure have become important in relation with ethical
standards and behavior. These ideas are even more important in an online global
community where people from vastly different value systems may be interacting.
Basically, the productive application of disclosure and transparency mean that
your group is up-front about what they expect from one another and from other
groups and individuals. Can the group tell others outside the group what they
heard during a group discussion, or are some or all of the conversations
confidential and only shared within the group?
Whether offline or online, dream sharing group boundaries of behavior are not
standardized and especially open to a wide variance of unspoken expectations.
Dreamwork flows between the boundaries of therapy, spirituality, the occult,
personal growth, the arts and grassroots support groups. Each of these large
fields of behavior have their own sub-sets of groups, each with their own
values, goals and expectations. Adding to this the multicultural differences
brought about by global communications multiplies the variance an makes the task
of developing clear and accessible ethical guidelines ever more urgent.
What I would like to recommend here is that you as an individual develop your
own ethical statement, and then use this when you join a group as a measure to
decide if the group is going to fit for you. If you would like help in
developing this personal statement, you are in luck, as many people in the
Association for the Study of Dreams have been working on this process for
sometime.
The Association for the Study of Dreams (ASD) is a non-profit, international,
multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the pure and applied investigation
of dreams and dreaming. Their purposes are to promote an awareness and
appreciation of dreams in both professional and public arenas; to encourage
research into the nature, function, and significance of dreaming; to advance the
application of the study of dreams; and to provide a forum for the eclectic and
interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and information.
In 1997 the ASD Ethics Committee, Chaired by Carol Warner, developed a dreamwork
ethics statement that could be used as a guide for weighing and evaluating the
ethics of a dream sharing venue or group. http://www.asdreams.org/ethics.htm
In 2000, Ed Kellogg provided a template which could be used for other groups
to develop similar ethical statements.
http://www.asdreams.org/dreamwork_ethics_template.htm
"We (or name of organization/website) celebrate the many benefits of
dreamwork, yet recognizes that there are potential risks. We agree with the
ethical position taken by the Association for the Study of Dreams (link to ASDs
ethical statement page), in that we support an approach to dreamwork and dream
sharing that respects the dreamer's dignity and integrity, and which recognizes
the dreamer as the decision-maker regarding the significance of the dream.
Systems of dreamwork that assign authority or knowledge of the dream's meanings
to someone other than the dreamer can be misleading, incorrect, and harmful.
Ethical dreamwork helps the dreamer work with his/her own dream images,
feelings, and associations, and guides the dreamer to more fully experience,
appreciate, and understand the dream.
Every dream may have multiple meanings, and different techniques may be
reasonably employed to touch these multiple layers of significance. A dreamer's
decision to share or discontinue sharing a dream should always be respected and
honored. The dreamer should be forewarned that unexpected issues or emotions may
arise in the course of the dreamwork. Information and mutual agreement about the
degree of privacy and confidentiality are essential ingredients in creating a
safe atmosphere for dream sharing.
Dreamwork outside a clinical setting is not a substitute for psychotherapy, or
other professional treatment, and should not be used as such.
We recognize and respect that there are many valid and time-honored dreamwork
traditions. We invite and welcome the participation of dreamers from all
cultures. There are social, cultural, and transpersonal aspects to dream
experience. In this statement we do not mean to imply that the only valid
approach to dreamwork focuses on the dreamer's personal life. Our purpose is to
honor and respect the person of the dreamer as well as the dream itself,
regardless of how the relationship between the two may be understood."
---------
The Electric Dreams used this template to create their own statement below.
Note that the Electric Dreams community has several dream sharing venues, some
of which follow this guide and other that don't. The DreamWheel, for example,
follows the guides very closely as it is an intimate sharing in a confidential
setting among peers. However, the Electric Dreams e-zine is a free speech forum
for dreams and dreamers, and thereby allows a wider range of response that is
less moderated and guided by the ethics statement.
"Electric Dreams DreamWheel Dreamwork Ethics Statement"
The Electric Dreams community celebrates the many benefits of dreamwork, yet
recognizes that there are potential risks. We agree with the ethical position
taken by the Association for the Study of Dreams (http://www.asdream.org), in
that we support an approach to dreamwork and dream sharing that respects the
dreamer's dignity and integrity, and which recognizes the dreamer as the
decision-maker regarding the significance of the dream. Systems of dreamwork
that assign authority or knowledge of the dream's meanings to someone other than
the dreamer can be misleading, incorrect, and harmful. Ethical dreamwork helps
the dreamer work with his/her own dream images, feelings, and associations, and
guides the dreamer to more fully experience, appreciate, and understand the
dream.
Every dream may have multiple meanings, and different techniques may be
reasonably employed to touch these multiple layers of significance. A dreamer's
decision to share or discontinue sharing a dream should always be respected and
honored. The dreamer should be forewarned that unexpected issues or emotions may
arise in the course of the dreamwork. Information and mutual agreement about the
degree of privacy and confidentiality are essential ingredients in creating a
safe atmosphere for dream sharing.
Dreamwork outside a clinical setting is not a substitute for psychotherapy, or
other professional treatment, and should not be used as such.
We recognize and respect that there are many valid and time-honored dreamwork
traditions. We invite and welcome the participation of dreamers from all
cultures. There are social, cultural, and transpersonal aspects to dream
experience. In this statement we do not mean to imply that the only valid
approach to dreamwork focuses on the dreamer's personal life. Our purpose is to
honor and respect the person of the dreamer as well as the dream itself,
regardless of how the relationship between the two may be understood.
The Electric Dreams Community, March 2000
|