Event Details

Event: Day Conference: Spiritualities and Dreams.
 
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Date: Saturday 19 November 2016.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Day Conference: 10am-5pm.

Event Description: The purpose of this conference is to:

1. learn about and explore aspects of Spiritualities and Dreams;

2. provide a forum for networking among those who are interested in aspects of Spiritualities and Dreams;

3. facilitate open and mutually respectful enquiry and communication among scholars and the wider public regarding aspects of Spiritualities and Dreams.

The primary themes that we are inviting the presenters/speakers to explore are:

1. Psychological/Transpersonal/Jungian - Mike Wilson

2. Shamanic/Indigenous - Astrid Gude

3. Cultural/Celtic - Phyllida Anam-Aire 

4. Experiential Exploration of Personal and/or Collective Dreams - MaryCatherine Burgess


Diversity of understandings and experiences:

Different people and spiritualities will have varied understandings and experiences of the role and nature of dreams, and we are not assuming any one understanding, but rather we are holding a space and inviting in diverse understandings and experiences among those who participate.


Organised by the Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace, EICSP, Scottish Charity, SC038996.


Co-chairs: Neill Walker and MaryCatherine Burgess.


Date: Saturday 19 November 2016


Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.


Further, here are some focusing questions:

1.         Does your thematic strand/tradition have a theory of dreams that addresses one or more of the following, and if so, please describe:

a.              what they are;

b.              where they originate;

c.              their general meaning; and

d.              how to interpret them?


2.         From your perspective (and that of your thematic strand/tradition), what role do dreams play for individuals, communities, and/or nations in any of the following:

a.              life and death;

b.              health, well-being and healing;

c.              spiritual formation and awakening;

d.              creative life?


3.         Does your thematic strand/tradition have specific spiritual practices and/or methodologies to help individuals, communities, and/or nations learn in practical ways how to:

a.         interpret their dreams;

b.         discover meaning in their dreams;

c.         understand the various roles dreams play; and

d.         incorporate the wisdom of dreams into their lives and work?


It's not that each question has to be answered definitively, but reflecting on those questions may help address the issues of why dreams might be important and what difference they might make - from each of these four perspectives or worldviews.


Workshop format and understanding:

1.         Our understanding of a workshop includes both presentation and group participation.

2.         In light of that, please use the following as a general guide for planning your 75-minute workshop:

a.              40-45 minutes - provide input regarding content/subject matter;
                       (Note that this ‘content portion’ can include something experiential.)

b.              5 minutes – personal reflection;

c.              10-15 minutes – small group (3-5 people) discussion; and

d.              15 minutes – large group cross sharing.

3.         However you organize your workshop, we want to assure that participants have time to process whatever input you have provided – whether presentation, experiential, or both. Personal reflection, small group discussion, and large group sharing are useful ways to facilitate their processing of your input.


Proposed Schedule:

9.30am-10am: Arrival and Registration.

10am-10.15am: Welcome and Setting Intentions for the Day.

10.15am-11.30am: Workshop 1

11.30am-11.45am: Tea/coffee break

11.45am-1pm: Workshop 2

1pm-2.15pm Lunch break

2.15pm-3.30pm: Workshop 3

3.30pm-3.45pm: Tea/coffee break

3.45pm-5pm Workshop 4

5pm-5.15pm: Facilitated Group Reflection and Integration of the Day

BIOS OF PRESENTERS

with

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF WORKSHOPS

Michael Wilson

Mike Wilson is a UKCP registered psychotherapist in private practice in Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed. His book Resource Focused Counselling and Psychotherapy is published by Routledge (2017), and his co-authored book Creative Ethical Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy is published by Sage (2012). www.michaelwilson.uk.com

Phyllida Anam Aire

Phyllida is the mother of 2 adult children, and also is Grandmother.

Since the 80's she has been working with the topic, death and dying, and spent ten years training with and working alongside Dr. Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross in Europe and the USA.

For the past decade Phyllida has given workshops, trainings and concerts in Bavaria.

Here she also published 3 books and 7 CD's.

Now in her 70s she has come to the City of Edinburgh to be with her wee family.

What is important to me says Phyllida is self-compassion which includes self honouring.

Aite or Bardos in the Context of "Walking the Dream Time”

Phyllida Anam Aire is Irish and speaks and sings the Gaelic language of the Seanbheann (Wise Woman.) She has explored the rich landscape of Celtic consciousness, and believes that because we have forgotten our true 'natural' roots, we are vulnerable to all kinds of patriarchal influences. Some of these influences no longer serve us as women and men on our earth journeys.

Astrid Gude

Astrid Gude is an educator, therapist, shamanic practitioner and teacher accredited by Sandra Ingerman, with a background in diverse spiritual paths.

Shamanic Visioning: Dreaming the New Dream

Shamanic cultures place great value on the world of dreams. In dreams and shamanic journeys veils between worlds disappear, help and guidance becoming available through a connection with non-ordinary reality. We dream the world we live into being and our present world asks us as a collective to dream a new dream

MaryCatherine Burgess

MaryCatherine has an interdisciplinary educational background, a diverse work history, and a rich array of experiences. Her love of learning has led to several postgraduate educational degrees, professional licensures and certifications, and in-depth training in shamanism, shamanic healing, mystery school, social artistry, and values as cultural transformation tools. She is a Trainer, Educator, and Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry, Group

Psychotherapy, and Sociodrama; a Graduate Facilitator for the IONS Conscious Aging Programme; and a facilitator/co-facilitator of various programmes and conversations that explore death, dying, and living.

MaryCatherine has kept a dream journal since her teens; belonged to a small dream group in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, throughout the 1990s; has facilitated various ‘dream’ psychodrama explorations; integrated dreams in her work with shamanic clients; and contributed as panelist at a Methodist College dream conference in Omaha in 1997. From 2004 - 2011, she worked as a multifaith and spirituality chaplain at the University of Edinburgh and wrote one book – A New Paradigm of Spirituality and Religion. In her role current role as Honorary Fellow at the University, she networks with various University compassion initiatives and also serves on the UK Charter for Compassion Task Force.

Experiential Exploration of Personal and/or Collective Dreams

This workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to choose whether they want to form small dream groups and work with their own dreams – using guidelines that they can augment and/or use not only during the workshop, but back in their own communities, or remain together as a large group exploring in action (i.e. a re-enactment) a dream that emerges from the dreams of those present and is chosen sociometrically by the group as a dream with larger social, global implications that they imagine will be meaningful and relevant to all present and our larger community.

Cost: Day Conference: £30/£25 (Concessions)/£10 (Students).