Cosimo Author, Markku Siivola to Speak at the International Association for the Study of Dreams Conference

The 29^th Annual International Association for the Study of Dreams Conference is in Berkeley, California, this year at the Doubletree hotel. The location is beautiful, but that’s not all this interesting conference has to offer. This year there are over a dozen presentations to choose from. Topics range from shamanism to neuroscience to dreams of soldiers and dreaming in prisons. Among these informative and scintillating presentations will be one from Cosimo’s own author, Markku Sivvola.  

In November 2011, Cosimo published Markku Siivola’s book Understanding Dreams: The Gateway to Dreams without Dream Interpretation. This informative and interesting book about the dream group process was originally written and published in Finnish and is now available in English from Cosimo. 

While Markku’s presentation will surely be exciting, the conference has much more to offer as well. There will be art and other workshops, academic papers, a juried art gallery, and morning dream-sharing groups and the annual conference ball night of fun: the Dream Ball and its dream-character costume contest.

Review of Understanding Dreams

In Understanding Dreams, Markku Siivola offers a practical, clear, easy-to-follow formula for conducting dream groups according to the Montague Ullman method. The beauty of this method is that it can be applied by anyone prepared to follow it to the letter, and requires no prior knowledge of, or training in, dream theory. Siivola likens a dream to an artwork, a fine sculpture, whose different sides and aspects can be revealed by illuminating it from different angles, until the dreamer receives an emotional connection – an aha – that enlightens his personal understanding of his dream. Siivola is careful to state that the goal is not dream therapy or psychotherapy, but simply that the dreamer reaches an understanding of his dream, though this in itself can be therapeutic for both the dreamer and the dream group participants.

Siivola is at his best in his final chapter where he freely explores and adores the sense of mystery inherent in and beyond dream reality. He draws on physics, quantum physics, biology, brain science, philosophy, metaphysics, spirituality, and art, to entice us toward connecting with the deeper realities of our existence.

-By Jane Teresa Anderson, Dream Therapist, author of Dream Alchemy

June O'Brien, Author and Dream Blogger, Reviews Understanding Dreams

Understanding Dreams is an exciting and remarkable book.  It avoids the formulaic and dictionary-like approach of most dream books which are so misleading, and even destructive. The process presented by Dr. Siivola provides an approach to understanding dreams that is distinctly useful to individuals, or informal groups. It respects the poetry of dream language while empowering the individual dreamer to understand.  The group process he offers is structured enough to be safe for participants, but with enough exploratory freedom to allow the dream to unfold.  Ordinarily I avoid dream-books and encourage others to do the same, but I am pleased to have this one brought to my attention.  The approach he presents is similar to the one I use, but I had not organized it into usefulness to others as he has.   

June O'Brien is the author of From the Bone and A Language of Shape and Shadow. She is also the blogger for the blog Dream Talk.