Social dreaming is an ancient practice revived for us by Gordon Lawrence at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in their practice of consultancy to organisations and institutes[i]. It provides images and stories from dreams that may enrich, enable and energise a communal undertaking. 

Let me explain with an analogy.

The naturalist and tracker Jon Young (What the Robin Knows 2013 Mariner Books) advocates finding a spot in nature to visit on a regular basis.  He also teaches how to approach and be in such a place; how to walk and sit in presence so we may ease into the connectivity of species and matter from which our human narcissism can blind us. 

When a person walks through woods mindlessly, crunching leaves and twigs underfoot, perhaps with earphones, or chattering, the space around them is disturbed, small animals, birds, flee from the path. As Jon puts it the zone of disturbance is greater than the zone of perception.  Walking quietly, observing, the zone of perception is greater than the zone of disturbance.  Arriving at one’s chosen place to sit, observing what may come, what plant or tree flirt with your eye, the zone of disturbance reduces even more, with practice and experience perception is enlivened.   As we attend our environment we let ourselves into interactive fields of consciousness of plants, trees, and animals in which we become participants.  

So it is with dreams.  Commonly we think of dreams possessively, as ‘my’ dream.  Rather they are visitors, like a curious bird in the woods, they have their own being.  It may seem a strange idea, but it’s important.

A dreaming matrix is a quiet space of about an hour in which a group as part of a conference or research, we meet to speak dreams. They may be recent or from the past. The dreams are not interpreted. They are regarded as visitors to the matrix not belonging to individual. Dreams and participants may speak briefly and reflectively of something that happens in response: a body feeling, an image or sensation.  We amplify the listening by responding.

Afterwards, perhaps after a break the group will reconvene and reflect on how the themes that have emerged in the matrix may be of significance to their project. Experience shows this to be enriching and energising.

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[i] https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/w-gordon-lawrence/social-dreaming-work/9781855752092?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4Kin_J6IhwMVb6NQBh3c7w2_EAQYASABEgJFb_D_BwE#GOR013619759