“VSP Reads” Book Group with Barbe
Why We Dream: The Transformative Power of Our Nightly Journey
by Alice Robb
Mondays, September 19th through October 24th
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. EST
What story is your dream telling you?
Would you love to stop forgetting your dreams and, instead, use them as a creative writing prompt?
Do you find yourself struggling with quality of sleep because of nightmares, insomnia, or anxiety?
Do you always put your own needs last, continually shifting “self-care” to the back-burner?
Do you crave having authentic connections with others in the military community?
Are you constantly focused on the daily grind but yearn to expand your mind?
Yes? Then come join us for a fascinating six-week book discussion and dream group using science journalist and author Alice Robb‘s book: Why We Dream: The Transformative Power of Our Nightly Journey.
Named a “Must-Read Book of the Fall” by Vogue, Elle, Literary Hub, TIME, New York Magazine, and The London Evening Standard!
About the Book
“In a book that looks at the historical and social importance of dreams, and analyzes the latest science, Robb attempts to correct our misguided forsaking of this feature of our unconscious. Dreams don’t make for boring conversation, Robb argues in this persuasive, personable book.”—Vogue
“Why We Dream is a spirited, cogent defense of dreams and dream-telling…We may not know why dreams ‘traffic in garbled metaphor and disjointed imagery,’ but by learning to decode them, we can learn to decode ourselves… All we need to do, Robb wants us to know, is pay attention.”—NPR.org
https://alicerobb.com/whywedream/
What to Expect from VSP READS
Starting on September 19th and ending on October 24th, our book and dream group will meet on Zoom every Monday evening for 6 weeks. If you’re military-affiliated in some way, you’re “good to go” and free to join us!
Led by Barbe Tarantino, we will explore selected chapters of Why We Dream while learning how to participate in a respectful, imaginative dream group. If you’ve ever been left wondering about the meaning of your dreams, the science behind them, and the historical context in which they have previously been framed, we encourage you to come explore with us!
Some of the many dream-related topics we’ll delve into include:
- problem-solving
- dreams as therapy
- universal dream motifs (every milspouse probably shares PCS and deployment dreams…or nightmares!)
- nightmares or “dream delusions”
- PTSD or other trauma-connections
- recurrent dreams
- dreams and indication of physical health/diagnoses
- the positive psychological impact of belonging to a dream group
- dream group “community” and journaling
- anxiety-reduction
- lucid dreaming
During each of our Monday evenings, you can expect:
- a check-in with the other members of your group
- mindful meditation led by Barbe
- discussion of chapter content
- dream-sharing and non-judgmental group interpretation
- a peaceful closing
How You’ll Need to Prepare
- REGISTER on the form below! We want to make sure we’re ready to make the experience perfect for you!
- We ask that group members purchase the book early and read the introduction before we get started with our first meeting on September 19th.
- Where can you purchase Why We Dream: The Transformative Power of Our Nightly Journey? Click the hyperlinks below!
- ThriftBooks
- Your local library! 🙂
- You’ll need a dream journal for writing down what you dream each night! It doesn’t have to be any specific size or shape! (Psst! There are some pretty gorgeous ones on Etsy, though! 🙂 )
- Be sure to have a good internet connection for the Zoom calls, along with a comfy space to chat with your fellow readers!
- Notes:
- If purchasing Why We Dream would currently be a financial hardship for you, please reach out to VSP on our contact page here. That’s one roadblock we’re more than happy to remove for you.
- We strongly encourage everyone to attend all six sessions for the best possible experience, but we understand that schedules get packed and emergencies happen. With that said, please don’t let the pressure of perfect attendance discourage you from registering for VSP Reads: Why We Dream.
Optional recommended companion text: Cloud Nine: A Dreamer’s Dictionary by Sandra A. Thomson
