Interview with (female) Helper Five (H5) 

I: In your opinion, do you think the seeker was helped by the process?

H5:  Yes, I do.

I:  A lot, a little bit?

H5:  Probably a lot.  As far as information, I'm not sure about the information helping him so much as just the energy of the people and [their] concern.  I think he really needs to be "held" at this point.

I:  The things in your dream…do you think it was specifically related to his issue?

H5:  Yes, I definitely do.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to things in your life? 

H5:  No, I don't think there's any common ground.  My dream was a small help to me too.  But as far as the realities matching up, no, I don't think so.

I:  Do you now feel like you have a connection with the person you were helping?

H5:  Yes, we were already connected.  But I think we connected a little further with it.

I:  Would you do it again?

H5:  Sure!  (laughs)  Probably will.

I:  Why would you do it again?

H5:  Because I plan to come back [to A.R.E. camp].  I probably won't do it at home with anybody.  I think there are more expeditious ways to get information...like just "knowing."  That's what I shoot for.

I:  How do you think this Dream Helper process works?

H5:  I think it's a gift that we give each other because we're already all connected.  It's just an opportunity to give it back.

I:  What do you think we learned about dreams from this experience?

H5:  They're certainly helpful, and clearly they'll do whatever we ask them to.

I:  What kind of questions do you think I should be asking folks to learn more about this?

H5:  I think you've done a real thorough job here.  Did you ask me how I felt about it?

I:  No.  Please, tell me.

H5:  It's kind of a warm, fuzzy thing.  It's intellectually stimulating to sit around with people and look for patterns.  I didn't shout things out because I had been privileged to information so I didn't say much.  It's exciting to process something for people.  A good question would be "What would you do differently?"

I:  Consider it asked.

H5:  A follow-up session where you had the option to talk more.  I sat with Robert today and said, "there was a piece of my dream that I didn't mention, and I think it was pertinent."  But it didn't feel important until it was all over.  Suddenly I thought it was the biggest part…that he handled it in a certain way, and the little bit of information that I hadn't remembered explained why he did it this way and why it was getting out of hand.  Sometimes when you think of things later, they're the most important.

Interview with (female) Helper Six (H6)

I: In your opinion, do you think the seeker was helped by your dream?

H6: Yes.  I don't know if we specifically solved the issue at hand, but I think that just being able to open up and see what other people had learned was helpful.

I: Things in your dream: do you think it was specifically related to the issue?

H6:   Well, I didn't remember my dreams.  But what I experienced in the night, I had a very restless, anxious sleep.  She seemed to feel that it was relevant.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to things you may have worked through in your life?  Did you have a personal experience there?

H6:  Perhaps not directly the issue, but more the underlying issues.  Definitely, I've dealt with those.

I:  Do you now feel like you have a connection with the person you were helping?

H6:  Yes, to some extent, yes.

I:  Would you do it again?

H6:  Oh, yes.  Definitely!

I:  OK, why would you (not) do it again?

H6:  It was quite fascinating to me, and just to see the insight and the connectedness of everyone there working…so genuinely working together to try and help this person, and they didn't even know what it was.  Really searching within themselves, all of us together searching to solve this unidentified problem.

I:  Was this your first time working with dreams this way?

H6:  In this group setting, yes. 

I:  You normally work with your own dreams?

H6:  Yes, and maybe one on one with another person.

I:  How do you think this works:  what we did for the Dream Helper Ceremony?  If a scientist walked up and said, "Tell me what you did, and how did that work?"

H6:  That's a difficult question.  It seems like we all are very psychically connected even in our conscious, waking days.  But we're not aware of that, we don't allow ourselves to see that, and connect to it.  I think that with the true intent to help someone else, perhaps your Higher Self allows that to happen on a more collectively conscious level.

I:  What did you personally learn about dreams as a result of your experience?

H6:  I guess I already knew how relevant other people's dreams can be to your own life.

How much you can learn from someone else's dream and even the process they're going through to discover what it means.  That's what I learned the most about, kind of trying to peel the onion, what's really trying to be said there.

I:  What kind of questions do you think I should be asking people to learn more about this process?

H6:  What is your goal?

I:  To explain this process, …if it is helpful, which it seems to be, to provide some encouragement and some means to other folks.

H6:  I can't think of any at this time.

Interview with (female) Helper Seven (H7)

I: Do you think that [seeker] was helped by the process?

H7: Yes, I think [she was helped] a lot.  She was confirming what she believed on the inside and it just made her more calm.  I noticed that right away.

I: Regarding the things in your dream, do you think they were related to [seeker's] issue?

H7:  Not the issue that she presented, but it was what happened three weeks before when her father passed away.  I gave what was wrong with her father in the hospital.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to things you may have worked through in your life? 

H7:  Some of it, yes.

I:  Do you now feel like you have a connection with [seeker] as a result of that process?

H7:  Yes, I do.

I:  Would you do it again?

H7:  Yes. 

I:  Why?

H7:  Because you're helping somebody else and it's neat to see how a group of people can help one person, instead of one on one.  You can get more feedback and information in a group.

I:  How do you think the process works?

H7:   I don't know.  I think it was our subconscious that's doing it, or our intuitive self.  It was a new experience for me all the way around.  Like old information of what I used to do [being used] to help somebody in the dream state, but this seemed more reliable, more tangible, more pinpointed, [and had] more correspondence.

I:  What did you learn about dreams as a result of your participation?

H7:  As I've always felt, trust them.  They will figure out if you have a problem, your inner self will figure out the answer and give you choices.  You have to decide which one is right for you.  Sometimes it doesn't give you choices, it's "go this way."  And that's the way you go.  It will never steer you wrong.

I:  What kind of questions do you think I should be asking people to learn more about this experience we had?

H7:  I can't think of any off-hand.  I had questions from the 70's [when I was] learning about dreams compared to nowadays, but they've been answered.  I've always believed in my dreams and went by them. 

Interview with (female) Helper Eight (H8)

I: In your opinion, do you think [seeker] was helped by the process?

H8:  Yes, I felt he was.  Since prayer was one of the main recommendations, a lot of it's going to be up to him and the Creative Forces how this plays out.  But he did seem reassured.

I: The things you dreamed about, do you think it was related to his issue?

H8:  Hmm…embracing the tree, it seemed to be to him.  That's all I can say.  I don’t think it was the family tree thing, but I'm trying to remember what it was.  For me it was to spend more time in nature and get comfort from nature and just tune in, because he seemed strung out with just worry and sadness.  So I think there was a little something there.  Just how much he recognized, I'm not sure.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to anything in your own experience?

H8:  Not particularly that I could see, no.

I:  Do you now feel like you have a connection with [seeker] as a result of the process?

H8:  Yes, and I hadn't been connecting with him particularly before.  I made an intuitive choice about where to go to, and it was different from who I first thought it would be.  Yes, I definitely felt much more connection with [seeker] afterwards.

I:  Would you do it again?

H8:  Oh, yes!  I've done it before and had more dramatic, evidential dreams in the past.  It's always really neat taking part in this.

I:  OK, why would you do it again?

H8:   I'm really interested in dreams myself, and the potential for dreams to be helpful for other people, so it's just something that I'm very interested in.  If I were in some kind of dilemma, I would love to have people dream for me too.

I:  How do you think that whole process works?

H8:  Through intention.  I think that's how tuning in with another person works in general, just the intention to put oneself temporarily in the other person's place.  It's like muscle testing for me, in order to tune in to the issues.

I:  What did you learn about dreams this time?

H8:  Here's one thing anyway, even when my dream recall is very sparse like it is currently.  I often have very little dream recall at camp for one reason or another.  I'm shorted on sleep, the bell comes in, and then there's whistling, and things like that.  So, retrieval is often difficult.  That showed me that even when retrieval is very difficult, I was still able to get something when I meant to.

I:  What questions do you think I should be asking to learn more about this process?

H8:  Nothing comes to mind.  I think you have it very well covered.

Interview with (male) Helper  (H9)

I: In your opinion, do you think the seeker was helped by the experience?

H9: Yes, I think it was noticeable.  In all of his social interactions, you can see that he's much brighter.

I:  Do you think the things you dreamed were related to [seeker's] issue.

H9: I didn't think it was at the time I dreamed it, but then after talking it all out, yes it was related.  Just mildly, I don’t think they would have been sufficient to draw a lot of good out of them by themselves.  It was the collective process that brought out how they were related.

I:  Did [seeker's] issue relate to things you've experienced?

H9: Yes, sure.  Everybody has.  If you have a family, sometimes you're going to have a problem with that family.

I:  Do you think you made a connection with [seeker]?

H9:  I do. I do.  I'll remember him.  I always will.

I:  Would you like to do it again?

H9: Yes, I would.  I think it would be a lot of fun.  It was a lot of fun just doing it.  I think we were a lot of help to him, just letting him get it off his chest. 

I:  Why would you participate in the future?

H9: Well, I'd like to actually be in the seat of the person being dreamed for.  Just to experience it from that angle.  It's a lot of fun to discuss dreams with people when you have a problem to work on, just to see how it works.

I:  How do you think it works?

H9: Well, I think we all have a collective unconscious, and sometimes it creeps into conscious daily life.  I think we're all connected at a subconscious level, I really think so.  I can't give you any specific mechanics, of course, but maybe one day!  (laughs) 

I:  What did you learn about dreams from your experience?

H9: Well, I learned something about dream recall.  That's if I pay attention specifically to recall a dream, like when I first woke up on the morning I dreamed for [seeker], I remembered only one dream, and it seemed to be only a nonsense dream.  I thought; "I'm not going to be able to remember my dreams!"  But then I rolled over on my stomach and I recalled all my other dreams.  I think it was just an act of volition to draw them to the surface.  I just had to want to.

I:  What questions do you think I should ask to learn more about dreams?

H9: Hmmm…that's a good question!  Just to learn about dreams in general.  I'd like to learn about people dreaming together and sharing a dream.  I've heard of that happening but I've never experienced it.

Interview with (female) Helper Ten (H10)

I: In your opinion, do you think the seeker was helped by your dream?

H10: I think it helped her.

I: The things in your dream, do you think they were related to the seeker's issue?

H10: What I remember of it, yes.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to a personal experience in your own life?

H10: Maybe a long time ago, but not recent circumstances.

I:  Do you now feel like you have a connection with the person you were helping?

H10:  Oh, yes.

I:  Would you do it again?

H10:  Of course!

I:  Why?

H10:  Because I think it is helpful, beneficial for both sides.  I think we both learned something from it.

I:  How do you think this dream thing works?

H10:  It's some kind of Higher Power energy, I can't tell you any more than that.  I don't know, it just seems to click and work.

I:  What did you learn about dreams as a result of participating in the experience?

H10:  I think dreams can be beneficial in helping you solve everyday or more complex problems if you allow yourself to dream.  But I have trouble doing it though, and remembering it.

I:  What kind of questions do you think I should be asking people to learn more about this experience we had?

H10: I can't think of any at the moment.  What are you trying to accomplish?

I:  Just a collective understanding of what happened.  How people felt about it, how it…the benefits of it, just general impressions of how it works, how it can be improved, how it can be made more personal, more relevant.

H10:  Ask for some of the ways they set themselves up to remember the dreaming.

Interview with (female) Helper Eleven (H11)

I: In your opinion, do you think the seeker was helped by the process?

H11: Somewhat.

I: Regarding the things in your dreams, do you think they were related to the seeker's issue?

H11:  I would say that some of it was.  Not all of it.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to things you've experienced in your own life?

H11:  Yes, I think so.  Because he was working on how he could come here and make enough money to live on in the future.  That's been an issue with me too, how to balance what you want to do with making money.

I:  Do you now feel like you have a connection with [seeker]?

H11:  I don't know if it was so much as…it gave me a greater insight into what's going on in his personal life.  Because I was on his KP and we played Uker every night.  So there were other connections too.  It's hard to say which one.

I:  Would you do it again?

H11:  Sure.  I've done it many times in the past.  I came here years ago when Henry presented it and we took it home to our study group and we've used it many times with good results.

I:  OK, why would you do it again?

H1:  Because I think it's helpful for the person who has an issue to see different viewpoints of the issue.

I:  How do you think it works?

H11:  I think the intention to help someone helps you to give your dream if you have one.  Sometimes I've participated when I didn't have a dream.  I've tried multiple nights over a whole week's time and had no dreams to remember.  But I think the intention is the most important thing to help the other person.  The dreams usually pertain to what's going on in your life too.

I:  What did you learn about dreams from this experience?

H11:  I don't know if I learned anything because I've done it before so many times.  I would say that we're all connected, and that even little snippets of dreams can be important.  A lot of people say that they don't have much because they only have this little piece.  But it turns out that their little piece, plus two or three other people's piece comes together and it creates a story and you can see the commonality.  Lois Ann in her dream had a theme of three.  In my dream there was a theme of three, the seeker himself had a theme of three.  So it wasn't a long dream, but the themes fit together so well.

I:  What kind of questions do you think I should be asking people to learn more about this experience we had?

H11:  It would be interesting to find out what the results are.  In my study group, you know because you see the people week after week.  There was one woman who was having an issue with her husband.  He had left his job and she was having difficulty with that, the money issue and her being the one bringing in the money and all that.  Some of the dreams that we had, had to do with that whole issue.  I think it was a barrier between her and her husband.  They seemed to be drifting apart.  But after the Dream Ceremony, it seemed to bring them back together because she was able to see it from a different viewpoint.  We could see over time (and I still know this person) how that Dream Ceremony affected her life and kept her from maybe splitting with him.  I don't know if that's the complete reason, but it at least gave her a new viewpoint and you could see their relationship change.  So the follow up would be helpful I think.

Interview with (male) Helper Twelve  (H12)

I: In your opinion, do you think the seeker was helped by your dream?

H12: She seemed to be, and said she was when I asked her about it afterwards.

I: Regarding the things in the group's dreams, do you think they were related to the seeker's issue?

H12:  Yes, there were underlying themes that were in my dreams and several other people's, that she said really spoke to her.  Also, I was one of two people who had a specific physical recommendation.  Whether or not that was meaningful to her or not, she was going to consider trying that out.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to experience in your life, or things you've dealt with in the past?

H12:  I guess in a general way.  She had an extreme situation she was wrestling with, and I haven't dealt with that specific situation.  But the general one of having to get release and find peace, certainly.

I:  Do you now feel like you have a connection with the person you were helping?

H12:  Definitely!

I:  Would you do it again?

H12:  Absolutely!

I:  OK, why would you do it again?

H12:  I think the process was good on several different levels.  I think it was a good group dynamic, it connected people together in our group which I really liked.  But specifically as an intervention or helping tool, from what I could see in our group and what I've heard from the other groups, it seemed to bear out as well, that the target getting the help felt helped and got help it seemed.  I think that's a healthy thing to happen as well as to be a part of.  The last thing was something Henry mentioned, we each would probably experience getting some help with that process about our own issues.  Right at the end, when "looking in the mirror" and getting the name of the dream, at that point I realized that element of the dream applied to her, but it absolutely applied to my issue.  Wow, OK, I got more out of my dream than I would have realized otherwise.

I:  How do you think that whole process works, the mechanics?  How are we able to do that?

H12:  I don't know specifically, but it's the whole thing that we are tied in together at the unconscious and superconscious levels.  The dreaming and working with the unconscious operates on so many different levels, that you can participate in somebody else's' dream and get help from it, and someone else can participate in your dream and get help from it.  In the process of giving help to someone, you get help yourself at different levels.  But how that happens, I don't really know.

I:  What do you think we learned about dreams from that experience?

H12:  I don't know if I learned anything new, but I think I re-experienced stuff I had experienced before and it reawakened me to the loveliness, the quickening energy that's in dreams and how helpful that can be.  That's always kind of exciting to have that stirred back up again.

I:  What kind of questions do you think I should be asking to learn more about the process?

H12:  Hmmm…that's a good question.  I do tend to think about that, but I haven't in this case.  The other thought I had was [her] issue was more of a pondering.  Her issue had to do with the possible murder of her father.  Whether it was a suicide or not, was just real painful for her.  None of us directly tied into that.  It reminded me of some parapsychological research  I saw several years ago dealing with adolescent boys who couldn't deal with sexuality.  When photos of nude women were mixed in with the normal symbols of the testing that they do, there was psi missing all over the place among those young boys because it was just a taboo subject.  Whereas the college men did much better with among those photos, and I wondered if  that was just such a hot, painful,  scary subject that none of us could face it even in our unconscious dreams.

          Now we did have some things happen, two us were sat on in the dreams.  Real unpleasant!  "Why is this going on?  Why am I being sat on by somebody?"  It was incongruous in the midst of the dream, somebody sitting on you.  So I think we were picking up elements of it, but it was hard for any of us to integrate that thing.  We still dealt with her, because her question was how can we find peace.  I think that was answered and given to her.  It was interesting and intriguing to me that we could not label what the problem was.  It was a tough one.  That was my musings.

Interview with (female) Helper Thirteen (H13)

I: In your opinion, do you think he seemed helped by your dream?

H13:  He seemed very helped, he seemed very moved.

I: The things that you dreamed, do you feel they were related to the seeker's issue?

H13:  Yes, mine was real scattered images and things.  Robert was actually in my dream and some things seemed to be with him, right on.  So, that was interesting to me because just remembering my dreams was a big deal.  Then having them actually hit home with him was really cool.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to things you've experienced?

H13:  No.

I:  Do you feel like you have a connection with the person you were helping?

H13:  Yes, I do feel like I did.

I:  Would you do it again?

H13:  Oh, definitely! 

I:  Why would you  do it again?

H13:  I really liked being on the dreaming side of it, but it would be cool to be dreamed for also.  I think both sides are equally rewarding.  What a cool process!  I've never done that before.  I thought it was very cool.

I:  How do you think that whole thing works?

H13:   I don't even know.  I guess just sending it out there, I remember meditating before I went to bed, "Dream for Robert, dream for Robert" and just by saying it, , just by speaking it in my head brought on the dreams and that was so simple.

I:  What did you learn about dreams as a result of it?

H13:  I learned that they are a lot more powerful than I thought they were.  I didn't realize they could be in that psychic realm.  I knew dreams were in a different realm because they are unconscious when you're sleeping and your subconscious is giving you these images.  But I didn't know they could be that specific and directed.  I didn't know you could really direct them in that way.  That was very neat.

I:  What kind of questions do you think I should be asking people to learn more about the whole process?

H13:   I don't know.  Those seemed thorough.  I could write to you if I come up with anything.

Interview with (male) Helper Fourteen (H14)

I: In your opinion, do you think the seeker was helped by your dream?

H14:  Yes, I do.  He was helped more than a little bit, I'd say medium high.

I: Regarding the things you dreamed, do you think they were related to the seeker's issue?

H14:  Yes, I do.

I: Did the seeker's issue relate to things you may have worked through in your life?  Did you have a personal experience there?

H14:  Yes, I do.

I:  Do you now feel like you have a connection with the person you were helping?

H14:  I do feel like I made a connection…with the people in the group, and with the person I was helping.

I:  Would you do it again?

H14:  Oh, yes.  Absolutely!

I:  Why is that?

H14:  Well, I enjoyed it and I like helping people, and I think that it is helpful.  I think dreams are wonderful gifts from God, and I wouldn't mind one day being helped myself like that.

I:  How do you think that whole process works?

H14:  The process we can understand best is the one we're discussing.  The process of dreaming is a mysterious thing to me.  As to what extent, or even whether the dreams become explicitly for the person we're helping, I don't know.  Maybe the dreams become designed in that way.  But at the very least, it's thought provoking that you can find patterns in anything that will be helpful to others if you just reflect upon it.  I don't know whether the dreams really do become psychic.  I'm not a naysayer, I just don't know.  I can say that the process where we sit down and have the dialogue, that's the important part in my mind.  That just comes from cooperation and the desire to be helpful and to be present.

I:  What did you learn about dreams as result of this ceremony?

H14:  Well, I don't know.  I can't think of anything new I've learned because I've worked with dreams for a long time.

I:  OK, what did you confirm?

H14:  I confirmed that there's an importance in being thoughtful toward ourselves and to others with dreams, that it's important to approach these things carefully and reverently.  I confirmed that there's a great deal of spiritual growth that can come just from the desire and willingness to approach dreams and each other in such a reverent and careful manner.

I:  What kind of questions do you think I should be asking people to learn more about this experience we had?

H14:  To incorporate a question about ideals.  I believe ideals are very important and can have an impact on dreams and the intention of dreams.  Such as "Did you use any ideals, do you think it would be helpful to use ideals for this process?"  But that might be tricky because everyone has different ideals.  I guess it's because I have a fascination with ideals, so maybe that isn't a good question to ask.

          Maybe another one would be, "If they planned to use this process spontaneously with friends in the future."  I know people that just do that, they'll just have a dream helper thing with less formality.  You might just plant that seed in their mind.  "Would you do this with friends?  Are you interested in sharing this with other people on any kind of regular basis?"