Kristin Morris
(EdTech503 – Instructional Design, Fall 2012)
page 1
Spiritual Language of Dreams
A. Sequencing and Objectives
Learning objectives for 90-minute workshop
Adults of all ages and backgrounds will learn about Interpreting the Personal Metaphors of Dreams. The
context will be that of continuing education, or community or club meetings. The unemployed and underemployed workers in this rural, which has an average unemployment rate of 11 percent, could find useful
insight into life’s challenges by investigating a “critical thinking” approach to interpreting their own dreams.
The estimated duration is two, 90-minute sessions.
GOAL: Adult learners will create a personal dream dictionary of at least 10 unique symbols, will be
able to suggest dream meanings to others and will recognize and record personal dream narratives,
symbols and the meaning these dreams may hold.
1.The learner will:
i. target several areas of her own life in which dreams might give guidance;
ii. identify three levels, or domains, of meaning found in a dream;
iii. describe and interpret the role and purpose of the Dream Censor;
iv. compare, evaluate and select among spiritual techniques for assistance with dream study.
2. Given three examples of common metaphors, the learner will be able to construct a unique
metaphor and will state the implicit, unspoken aspect or characteristic shared by the two items
being compared.
3. After discussing the role of emotional context and social world contexts in interpreting
dreams, the learner will be able to describe a personal example of how a common symbol has
a different personal meaning in a given context.
4. The learner will identify and elaborate an example of a metaphor that hold a unique personal
meaning.
5. Using a poster depicting the main archetypes agreed upon by psychologist Carl Jung and
cultural anthropologist Joseph Campbell, the learner will be able to name seven universal
archetypes found across popular culture. The learner will be able to identify, correlate and
discuss personally meaningful images as stand-ins for these archetypes
6. Given a nmemonic acronym, the learner will list a 6-step procedure for successfully
decoding dreams.
7. Given examples of simple narratives such as in myths or fairytales, the learner will apply the
Movie Title Technique to determine overall significance.
8. Given 12 dream types, the learner will match key explanatory phrases to each type and be
able to note briefly at least one example of each type.
9. The learner will be able to listen to someone else’s dream narrative and, after asking
appropriate questions, apply this technique to offer an interpretation of the overall significance
of a dream.
Kristin Morris
(EdTech503 – Instructional Design, Fall 2012)
page 2
DAY ONE
B. Introduction Strategy
1. Deploy attention to lesson:
To capture their interest the instructor will show a 3-minute video montage of people describing out of
body experiences, a prophetic dream, past-life recall, etc. and ending with a list of many of the notable
scientists, authors and world leaders who claim to have received life-changing information from a dream.
To stimulate an attitude of inquiry, the instructor will ask for a show of hands of learners who get insight
from their dreams, then will play devil’s advocate by asking how they prove what they know.
Instructor maintains their attention by asking everyone to fill in a true/false anticipation guide.
2. Establish instructional purpose:
Dreams are spiritual messages that are a vital part of life, an essential and key element in one’s growth as a
person. The purpose of this workshop is to help you understand the nature and reality of your dreams and,
through the exercises given over this session and next, to show you techniques to master the art of
understanding the spiritual metaphor of dream. Specifically, you will investigate and learn the difference in
dream types, be able to see metaphors, symbolism and archetypes within specific social or emotional
contexts, and be able to determine personally significant meaning.
3. Arouse interest and motivation:
Instructor will ask learners to write down, in their dream journal handout, three aspects of their lives for
which they need wisdom and/or a little boost, maybe related to work, keeping peace at home, with friends or
with health matters. Meanwhile, instructor passes out a notecard to everyone and asks learners to jot down
the biggest obstacle to their personal health and wellbeing, and after collecting and shuffling, will read
random cards, keeping an informal tally of like problems (on white board or poster or display paper).
Instructor will point out that dreams hold the solution for every human problem on Earth, and because they
come to us in the language of the Soul, we each are born hard-wired to access the answers we need.
Read aloud first three paragraphs of “Soul’s Dream of God,” (Klemp, p.285, 1999).
“Everyone has experienced building muscles for a sport, or building stamina for endurance or learning a
craft. Competence comes with coaching and conscious practice. Instructor can give personal example and/or
ask for examples from learners, and their guess about hours of practice required.”
4. Preview lesson:
Instructor will say that, with the concepts and techniques gained in these two sessions on dream
metaphors, learners will know the basic steps. “You’ll learn how to outwit the Dream Censor, work with
symbols, go deeper than the symbols to see each dream as daily, emotional and spiritual guidance; get help in
your dreams, recognize eight types of dreams, explore spiritual geography, create a personal dream
dictionary, and discover a couple of tools for knowing the near future. Although success will require a bit of
effort on your part, and practice – more than just the practice we’ll be doing together today and next time. -each of you will come away with personal proof of the spiritual guidance dreams can give. First, we’re going
to check out the language of Soul.”
C. Body
5. Recall Relevant Prior Knowledge:
Instruction will review the definition of metaphor: comparing two things without using “like” or “as,”
including the implicit, unspoken aspect the compared items have in common. Instructor says, “The definition
Kristin Morris
(EdTech503 – Instructional Design, Fall 2012)
page 3
of metaphor -- comparing two things without using ‘like’ or ‘as’ -- includes the implicit, unspoken aspect the
two compared items have in common. My brother gave me a bear hug compares brother to bear, or more
specifically brother’s hug to that of a bear. Here are a few more examples of common metaphors (Click to
reveal: salt & pepper hair, top dog, rolling in dough, cut-throat policies, etc.). Now, learners in pairs will
construct a few metaphors to share, quickly, in round-robin style.”
Next, the instructor will say that dream metaphors are personal and must resonate as “true” with the
dreamer or be discarded. The emotional and social contexts can totally change a metaphor’s meaning.
Example: A “co-worker with something up his sleeve” may or may not be good. Or the image of a dog
asleep might mean loyal companionship to one person and trouble better left alone to someone else. A pat
on the head might mean a blessing or sign of approval to me, but to Hmong people, it would signify a curse.
Each of us identifies a given image with a unique personal meaning. “At the same time, however, as human
beings, we all share a basic understanding about the types of people we’ll meet in life – such as the mother,
the boss, the temptress, the practical joker, the soldier, the conniver, etc. You may recognize these as many
of the archetypes agreed upon by psychologist Carl Jung and cultural anthropologist Joseph Campbell as
belonging to all cultures.”
Instructor will display the slide “You are the hero” and read, “In Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand
Faces, via numerous myths, he shows how the heroic self seeks an exacting spiritual countenance, that is, a
higher way of holding and conducting oneself. This heroic way offers depth of insight and meaning. It is
attentive to guides along the way, and invigorates creative life. We see that the journey of the hero and
heroine are most often deepened via ongoing perils. These include losing one's way innumerable times,
refusing the first call, thinking it is only one thing when it really is, in fact, quite another—as well as
entanglements and confrontations with something of great and often frightening magnitude. Campbell points
out that coming through such struggles causes the person to be infused with more vision, and to be
strengthened by the spiritual life principle—which, more than anything else, encourages one to take courage
to live with effrontery and mettle.” by Clarissa P. Estes, author of Foreword to The Hero with a Thousand
Faces.
Instructor will ask learners to confer with the group at their table to name characters from movies they’ve
seen who fit the descriptions on the slide. Learners will note these on the Archetypes page of their handout.
Instructor will ask for feedback and display the Star Wars archetypes slide.
After answering any questions, the instructor will say, “Archetypes are the characters we know from
myths and hero tales. Dreams are personalized myths. The people who appear as characters in our dreams
are often people we are close to in everyday life. In many cases, these people really represent something
other than themselves. Most dreamers can learn their own feelings or thoughts about someone by studying
what the dream characters do or say. The people we dream about often appear in archetypal roles ‘quirked
by the peculiar troubles of the dreamer,’ as Campbell says. The point to remember when having a dream
with an archetypal character is, How does the dreamer choose to act or respond as the hero of the story? Can
anyone think of an example?” Instructor will wait at least 7 seconds if response is not immediate. “Here’s an
example: A woman dreams her boss is a vampire attempting to reach her. The archetype is that of the shape
shifter, and we know shape shifters are tricky and up to no good. Plus, there’s the notion in popular culture
that vampires transform their victims into vampires. The missing piece is how the woman feels about her
boss in daily life. Let’s say in waking life she admires her boss as a top-notch professional and is thinking of
confiding in him that she’s planning a career move. What advice would you give this dreamer?” Instructor
will encourage and agree with all responses, and then will say, “Once we start practicing some of this in our
groups, remember to ask relevant questions so that you can rely on the dreamer’s judgment and insight into
what’s going on daily, emotionally and spiritually. The focus must be on the feelings and happenings at play
in the dreamer’s personal life.”
Kristin Morris
(EdTech503 – Instructional Design, Fall 2012)
page 4
6. Process information and examples:
“So, let’s take a look at another example of metaphor and archetype in a dream. Here’s an anecdote about
a person called Mary who was confused by a frightening dream but knew enough to ask for help.” Instructor
will read p. 25, par. 3,4 and p. 218-219.
7. Focus attention:
Instructor will introduce the book, Art of Spiritual Dreaming, by Harold Klemp, pointing out, “He is as
knowledgeable about dream interpretation as Joseph Campbell was about myths. Klemp explains why
dreams can be so unclear because of something he calls the Dream Censor.” Instructor will read pp. 54-56.
8. Employ learning strategies:
Instructor will say, “One of the best ways to get around the Dream Censor is, after writing down as much
as you can remember, step back and pretend you’ve just watched a movie and you have to tweet a friend
what it was about (in 125 characters or less). It’s called the Movie Title Technique, and we’ll get to practice
this in a bit.”
Instructor displays the slide with the 6-step procedure for successfully recording and learning from
dreams. Learners will fill in their guided notes, as instructor presents each point. Then, instructor will ask,
“DFNTS? What’s the DFNTS?” and point to the underlined key word in each step: Detail, Feelings,
Names, Title, Symbol, Question. Instructor will say, “So when you wake up early tomorrow morning and
switch on the flashlight you thoughtfully placed on your bedside table and click your pen to begin jot down
in you dream journal the exciting thing you just did in the dream worlds, ask yourself, ‘What’s the DFNTS?’
The difference is your secret decoder, the DFNTS? -- your 6-step strategy for decoding your dream.”
9. Practice:
Instructor will display fairy tale and myth slide. Slides will present examples from previously
unencountered instances, which range in difficulty and settings. Learners will get to use their newly acquired
knowledge and skills as they work cooperatively to “interpret” the metaphor of common fairy tale situations
and cultural myths according to the DFNTS? of the Movie Title technique. These interpretations may be
written in dreamers’ journal on the Notes page. After about seven minutes, instructor will click beneath each
summary to reveal the “title.”
10. Evaluate feedback:
Instructor will ask for volunteers from each group to offer movie titles for each scenario, taking care to
isolate order of steps, completion of steps, correct completion of procedure.
D. Conclusion
11. Summarize and review:
Instructor will display slide “What Dreams Do” and will say, “Today you have had a brief introduction
into the many functions dreams can have. Dreams can reach, familiarize, introduce, remind, inform,
transform, enlighten, release, heal, revise, spiritualize, alert, warn, test, bless and more. We’ve described the
role and purpose of the Dream Censor; we’ve identified the three levels, or domains, of meaning found in
each dream (daily, emotional, and spiritual); you have targeted several areas of life in which dreams might
give you guidance; we have identified and discussed individually meaningful images as both personal
metaphors and personal archetypes; we’ve learned and practiced the DFNTS? Movie Title technique, one
reliable and efficient 6-step procedure for unlocking the wisdom your dreams hold for you.”
“In Day Two of this workshop, we will look in more detail at 12 types of dreams people commonly
experience. And we will practice using the language of Soul to interpret our own, and each other’s, dreams
Kristin Morris
(EdTech503 – Instructional Design, Fall 2012)
page 5
… so right now, send yourself a mental memo, or otherwise make the conscious intention that you will
dream vividly and well tonight, and start journaling!”
12. Transfer learning / Re-motivate and close:
“When you go to bed, put your dream journal next to the bed, with a pen, and a flashlight, if you feel
especially diligent. Just before going to sleep, give permission to the spiritual teacher you rely on deeply to
help you remember and learn from your dreams that night. Say something like, ‘Take me to the place of my
greatest wisdom and unfoldment. I’m grateful for your loving guidance.’ That’s simple enough, isn’t it?
I know you all will have some amazing dream experiences to talk about next class. See you then.”
DAY TWO
B. Introduction Strategy
1. Deploy attention to lesson:
To stimulate an attitude of inquiry, the instructor will ask for a show of hands of learners who were able to
record a dream or fragment of a dream in their journals. The instructor will ask learners to leave up their
hands if they recognized an archetype, symbol or metaphor of some type in what they wrote. Instructor will
say, “This is a really great start! In fact, just being here is a really great start. Turn to your neighbor and say,
‘Congratulations and a really great start!’”
2. Establish instructional purpose:
Instructor will say, ”We are here today, all of us, because we have question about how to handle all the
stress coming at us every day. We get it that dreams are spiritual messages. We accept that dreams are pretty
important – even essential -- in our growth as humans. But we don’t know what the message IS. It’s like
we’re strangers in a strange land, and there’s no Google Translator on the Smart Phone. We need help with
the lingo.”
3. Recall Relevant Prior Knowledge:
“Last session we learned how the Dream Censor is always trying to hide the truth from us as a protective
mechanism to keep people from knowledge they aren’t ready to hear. We saw how to work with symbols,
and then how to go deeper than the symbols -- to see each dream as guidance and advice about daily life, our
emotional wellbeing and spiritual development. Most importantly, we learned that true dream meanings
arise from circumstances in the dreamer’s personal life.” The purpose of today’s workshop is to get our
bearings on the nature and reality of our dreams and to begin to master the art of understanding the spiritual
language.”
4. Arouse interest and motivation:
Instructor will ask, “How many of you wish there was a magic word that you could say, and ‘Prestochange-o!’ the meaning is there? Impossible? Not at all.”
5. Preview lesson:
Instructor will say, “Today one of the tips we’re going to learn is how to use a magic word, sing it
actually, and the word is HU, an ancient link to divine guidance. Also, we’ll learn more about dream expert
Harold Klemp and gain an overview of the 12 types of dreams he has written about since the mid-1980s.
We’ll practice interpreting the dreams of others and writing dream meanings down. We’ll also touch on
spiritual geography, and finally, we’ll get started on our personal dream symbol dictionary.”
Kristin Morris
(EdTech503 – Instructional Design, Fall 2012)
page 6
C. Body
“So, let’s take a look at examples of other people’s dreams and how most dreams fit into 12 categories
of meaning.
6. Process information and examples and 7. Focus attention:
“Before we take a look at some examples of other people’s dreams and how most dreams fit into 12
categories of meaning, first let’s look at where the information on dream categories comes from.” Instructor
will display the book, Art of Spiritual Dreaming, by Harold Klemp, pointing out, “This author is an ordinary
older guy who grew up on a farm, went to divinity school, served a bit in the military, married, had a family,
divorced and remarried – pretty typical life – except, and remember what you heard last session about putting
in the effort to build skill? – Harold Klemp wanted with all his being to find out who he really was, as Soul, a
child of God. Part of what he’s learned over the years is in this book.” Instructor will read p. 317, then p. xii
par. 4., then p. xiii par. 2-4, then p. 7 par. 1-4.
8. Employ learning strategies:
Instructor will display Types of Dreams Overview and read the appropriate page indicated for each
slide. The Art of Spiritual Dreaming gives eight main categories for everyday dreaming, but this workshop
covers four additional types that are not so common, but are life changing for the dreamer.
Instructor reads:
#8 The Inner Master and the Dream state (p.141)
#9 Singing HU can bring the insight (p. 95)
#10 Type 1. Daydreams (p.122b-123t) (Take action on it)
#11 Type 2. Initiation Dreams (p.123b-124)
Remembering (p.124-125t)
#12 Type 3. Dreams of Intrusion (p.125b-126)
What to do (p.126b-127)
#13 Type 3 cont. 2nd type of intrusion dream (p.127b-128)
Purpose of intrusion dreams (p.129t)
#14. Type 4. Dreams of Release from Fear -- Variations (p.136-137)
#15. Type 4 cont. Example: Unexplained Rescue (p.138-139)
#16. Type 5. The Waking Dream (p. 15, p.142b)
#17. Type 5 cont. Examples (p.143-149)
#18. Type 6. The Golden-Tongued Wisdom -- Purpose and difference defined (p.150t)
Examples (p.151, also p.102 – 104)
#19. Type 7. Dreams of Understanding/Realization -- the Light (p.152-153)
Beached whale lessons (p.153-154t)
#20. Type 7 cont. Golden Seeds (p.154-155t)
Repaying a karmic debt (p.155-156)
#21. Type 8. Dreams with Masters/Light and Sound (p.254)(p. 263)
#22. Type 8 cont. Sound Experience w/ECK Masters (p.158b-159t)
River Run to God (p.159-160)
#23. Type 9. Past Lives – Dream Insight for Our Lives Today (p. 87-89t)
#24. Example: WagonTrain (p.71 – 75t)
#25. Type 10. The Future and fore-knowing, p. 111, The Future Can Be Known (p. 93-94t)
#26. Type 10 cont. Boy in Australia (p. 116-118)
#27. Type 11. Dreams of Service – (p. 264-265)(p. 201-201)
#28. Type 12. Healing dreams – (p. 192-193) (your health p. 194-195)
Kristin Morris
(EdTech503 – Instructional Design, Fall 2012)
page 7
#29. Dream Geography – levels of existence(p.163b-p.164t)(p. 251)
#30. Some dream dictionary symbols that might (or might not) apply to your dreams:
Misplaced shoes, white falcon, water, marriage, being late, a familiar recurring scene
9. Practice:
#31. Let’s Practice. Instructor will ask learners to get in groups of at least three but not more than five
“We’re going to look at a dream experience from each member. Use the DFNTS? -- Movie Title technique
to interpret symbols and emotional context. First, learners should write each dreamer’s narrative in their own
dream journals on the page entitled Practice. Learners should, after asking appropriate questions, offer a
Movie Title and a brief in interpretation of the overall significance of each dream. Example: Career
Vampire: The woman is worried about changing careers and is unsure about her boss’ plans for her in the
company. This is a dream of understanding warning her about how her boss, who looks like a vampire,
wants to “suck the life” from her without regard for her personal identity.
#32. DFNTS? Instructor displays the slide with the 6-step procedure while groups take about 20
minutes to interact and write down and interpret each others’ dreams.
10. Evaluate feedback:
#33. Your examples? Instructor will ask for volunteers from each group to share for the whole class the
best example from each group. Instructor will make sure to point out critical attributes that are present and
ask about critical attributes that are absent from shared examples. Some key attributes: Dreams of Intrusion
seem to be about fulfilling someone else’s desires or expectations against your nature; After a Dream of
Release from Fear, the dreamer feels sense of relief; Dreams of Realization often have recurring scenes that
reflect outer momentum (ex. baseball diamond); Past lifetimes can seem like a scene out of a historic movie;
Dreams of future events warn of things to avoid; Dreams of Service help other people or creatures; Dreams
of healing help correct an obvious imbalance.
D. Conclusion
11. Summarize and review:
#34. We learned today. Instructor will say, “Today you have had a look in more detail at 12 types of
dreams people commonly have. And we have practiced using the language of Soul to classify some of our
own dream experiences and to interpret some of these using the dreamer’s personal insight. You have started
your personal dream symbol dictionary, one that you will use and revise and shape to fit each stage of your
quest for a better life. And you have learned tips to speed your understanding, including how to sing an
ancient love song to God to open the heart to the divine guidance already within reach.”
12. Transfer and learning:
#35. A fascinating and intriguing world. Instructor will say, “The study of dreams opens up a
fascinating, and intriguing world. The dream state is an excellent place to solve problems, get answers to
questions, map spiritual progress and get to know ourselves better. It is an excellent time, when our minds
are stilled, to have great spiritual adventures.”
13. Re-motivate and close:
#36. Dreams are the Proof. Instructor will say, “As you gather your belongings and head back to all the
cares and challenges and laughter and triumphs that carry us along in life, keep in mind the words of French
geologist and philosopher Teilhard de Chardin, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We
are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Dreams are the proof of that. No longer do you have to
take it on faith. You now possess the tools to experience the language of dreams for yourself – the more you
work with these tools, the greater control you will begin to have over your life and the greater your
Kristin Morris
(EdTech503 – Instructional Design, Fall 2012)
page 8
understanding of God’s blessings happening all around us, every moment.”
References
Campbell, Joseph (2008). Hero With a Thousand Faces. Google Books. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2012, from
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=I1uFuXlvFgMC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&ots=oEgo6sUJLg&sig
=4KQqtBueT4kbDQxmS-Byet0h7xk#v=onepage&q&f=false.
Creative Commons / Flickr photography at http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0/
http://www.brilliantdreams.com/product/famous-dreams.htm
http://www.eckankar.org/
http://thinkexist.com/wisdom
Klemp, Harold (1999). The Art of Spiritual Dreaming. Minneapolis: Eckankar Publications.
Moore, Mary C. (1997). How to Master Change in Your Life: Sixty-seven ways to handle life’s toughest moments.
Minneapolis: Eckankar Publications.