The Dream Boat

This week Laura and Rina meet up with Dr Lorraine Levy, the international depth psychologist from the IASD - International Association for the Study of Dreams – to explore her use of dream journalling. Dr Levy, of Pacifica, California, has pioneered a study into incorporating journalling with college students and discusses the results of her work.   The Dream Boat team chats about the value of sha...

We're back with a brand new series and Laura introduces new co-host Rina Malin from the DRI and CCPE - Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education. In this conversation, Laura and Rina delve into the fascinating world of dreams, discussing how to remember them, their meanings, and the importance of sharing dreams with others.   They explore various techniques for dream recall, the significa...

Once again we've come to the end of another series and once again we're going to end with our popular Q&A session. Thanks for listening and joining us on board the Dream Boat this time round. We love having you here and enjoy reading your thoughts and questions.   Dave pops back on board to join Laura for the wrap up and they tackle some great dream themes in this session, including toilet dreams...

What happens at the intersection of dreams and consciousness? In this conversation, Laura is joined again by Maria to explore the profound notion of one very powerful question: WHO IS THE DREAMER. Their guest to help dismantle this philosophical dream knot is Dr. Newton Kondaveti, of Quantum Life University near Hyderabad in India. Dr Kondaveti shares his insights into the relationship between dre...

Laura and Maria delve into the fascinating intersection of psychedelics, dreams, and shamanic practices. They are joined by one of the leading researchers in this field Dr Simon Ruffell of Onaya Science. Together they explore how psychedelics like ayahuasca and psilocybin are being integrated into modern medicine and the role dreams play in this process.     They discuss the cultural significance...

What does it mean when we say that the Sandman has been when we awake? In this conversation, Laura is joined by a new co-host Maria Nazdravan of the DRI and they explore the mythological figures associated with dreams and nightmares such as the Sandman. They consider the Sandman myth, his link with Danish fairytale writer Hans Christian Anderson and various mythical creatures like the Baku and the...

In this conversation, Laura meets 'smellologist' Keren Bester to explore the intricate relationship between smell and dreams. They delve into Keren's PhD research on olfactory perception and its philosophical implications and how this can relate to dreams. They discuss how smell influences memory and personhood, the impact of COVID when many people, who lost their sense of smell (anosmia), realise...

Laura announces the DRI's first retreat in the home of dream incubation – Epidavros in Greece.   Twelve lucky people will join her and Sarah Janes from Dream Mysteries in May (see how to join the retreat link below*) for a full immersion in the ancient temple sleep practices for healing. Laura and Melinda run through the power of these ancient rituals before Laura interviews Sarah Janes about her...

Dave teams up with Laura again to chat about this episode's guest, the celebrated podcast presenter of This Jungian Life, Lisa Marchiano, and the launch of TJL's new book Dream Wise.     And The Dreamboat is pleased to announce that Lisa will be coming to the Dream Research Institute – DRI Centre for Dream Studies in London, UK on May 9 – limited tickets will be on sale via the DRI website. Subscr...

Internationally renowned Jungian dreamer Sven Doehner PhD, protégé of James Hillman, comes on board to discuss the healing power of dreams using sound. Laura and Melinda also attend one of his acclaimed workshops, held at the DRI in London, UK and report back on the results.     Sven talks how healing can materialize not just by playing with dream imagery and diving into meanings and symbolism but...

In this festive conversation, Laura and Melinda are joined by author Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, Dickens' great, great, great granddaughter to explore the profound influence of Charles Dickens on Christmas traditions, dreaming and the cultural significance of his work, particularly 'A Christmas Carol .'     They delve into Dickens' complex relationship with sleep and dreams, which is often explored...

In this first episode of the new series, Laura welcomes TV presenter and psychotherapist Melinda Messenger on board for the first ever Celebrity Dream Lab and then announces some surprise news. Melinda is joining the team as a co-host.   Melinda and Laura tease they can get out their dreamcatchers now Dave is no longer on board though they know he's lurking onshore as the podcast's executive produ...

Your dream questions... answered. It's the end of Series 4, and before we take a little break, we take the opportunity to answer more of the questions sent in. Questions like: What does it mean when I hear music in a dream?  And (the classic): Why do I keep dreaming about my ex? As ever, the answers lead us down some suprising, interesting, and sometimes amusing paths.    Sound bites:  "Music is a...

Time for another Dream Lab! We love these opportunities to hear someone's dream and discuss it in real time with them. We hope you love it too! For this Dream Lab, we hear from Maria about her dream of a beautiful house and a playful and wild German shepherd dog named Bella. But what are all these Americans doing in the house? What parts of Maria's inner world are being dramatised here? Listen to...

Dave and Laura discuss the power of symbols in dreams and explore the ones they have found most meaningful, personally and professionally. Ultimately, the meaning of a symbol depends on the individual. They explore the idea of a private, internal language of symbols in dreams and the importance of understanding recurring symbols. They also discuss the concept of archetypes, symbols that transcend...

Dave and Laura are joined by Maria to talk about recent conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD). They share their impressions and highlights from the conference, including workshops on topics such as AI and dreams, tarot and dreams, lucid dreaming, and surrealism. They also discuss the art exhibition at the conference, which showcased dream-inspired artwork. The...

Dr Deirdre Barrett is a pioneer on the frontier of dreams and technology. This week, we bring you Laura's interview with this Harvard psychologist, dream researcher, clinician and artist who has been pushing the bounds of new technology to increase our understanding of dreams and ask deeper questions about what generative AI tells us about dreams when it generates its own versions of novel dream r...

Talk about your dreams?? 😱😬😧 …But what if there was a place where you could explore your dreams with like-minded people? Lots of people find dream groups to be a supportive environment to expand their understanding of their dreams and themselves. This week on the Dream Boat, Laura and Dave discuss the benefits and experiences of dream groups, exploring the process, symbolism, and healing aspect...

Laura and Dave go head-to-head with an AI trained to interpret dreams. Who (or what) comes up with the most meaningful interpretations? You decide! Elswhere is a dream journaling app that offers interpretations powered by a GPT (generative pre-trained transformer), otherwise known as a generative AI. Kelly Bulkeley and Sheldon Juncker have been instrumental in creating and training Elsewhere to in...

Dave and Laura explore techniques and practices to improve sleep and enhance dream recall. The conversation covers sleep tracking devices, the different stages of sleep, the importance of deep sleep, and the role of REM sleep in dreaming. Drawing on personal experiences with sleep as well as their therapy experience, they share tips for improving sleep hygiene, such as maintaining a regular sleep...

"Dreamers, big dreamers in particular really need to step forward today. It's more important than ever, I think, to bring dreaming into the world." Dave and Laura interview Dr. Kelly Bulkeley about his book, The Spirituality of Dreaming: Unlocking the Wisdom of Our Sleeping Selves . They explore the idea that dreaming is not just about personal insight, but also about spiritual insight for ourselv...

To celebrate World Lucid Dreaming Day (12 April), we're replaying our interview with Robert Waggoner, a leading expert on lucid dreaming. One of the world's top lucid dreamers, Robert Waggoner, joins Dave and Laura for a fascinating journey into the often so-called "rare" dream state of lucid dreaming. But as Robert will show, it's not that rare for some people, and you can try it too.     Author...

In this episode, Laura and Dave answer more of your questions. Questions like, why do certain things enter our dreams but not others? Or, what do shoes symbolise? They also delve into the topics of prophetic and déjà vu dreaming, examining the mysterious nature of these experiences. We love to hear your questions. They always get us thinking! Your dreams are fascinating, too! Get in touch and tell...

Dream Answers to Dream Questions! A 14-year-old boy who was curious about his dreams asked two questions before going to sleep: "Can you dream in colour or in black and white?" And, "Do you need light to dream?" Laurel and Hardy helped bring answers that night, and those answers were unequivocal, funny, and meaningful, and a few decades later Damien Moore has come on the podcast to talk about that...

Yas Floyer is a journalist and mother, and like any mother she worries about her kids (maybe with more reason that some people). So Yas brings the latest iteration of a long-recurring maternal anxiety dream into the Dream Lab to discuss it with Laura and Dave.  We always get lots of questions about recurring dreams and how they evolve over time, so this is an opportunity to talk about recurrence,...