Paranormal Dreaming (replies accepted until Dec 10th)

Dreaming about the future, about other people accurately, or about events that are occuring that one cannot know about appear to be common occurances. Over the years people have reported these forms of dreams but because scientists could not explain them, they igorned them. More recently scientific studies have begun delving into this realm of consciousness and found that they do in fact occur. Why might humans have the ability of paranormal dreaming (which actually appears to be normal dreaming) and what would be the advantage of this evolutionary phenomena to persist in humans?

Why would dream therapy be important to women with breast cancer?

Breast cancer is an illness that often is accompanied by repeated nightmares or negative dream imagery. This in itself is a symptom that should not be ignored but rather, treated along with other treatment modalities for the illness. A study by DeCicco and colleagues found that women with breast cancer in treatment found working with their dreams particualarly helpful in that they found deep meaning in their imagery which directly related to waking day life. For example, they could find meaning in their treatments and in their recovery process. The meaning they found went beyond the illness itself and into other areas of their lives such as their waking day relationships. Given the findings from this study, what important avenues should this research now take in order to help other people suffering from negative dreams or nightmares? How should this research be conducted?

Working with Dreams in Psychotherapy (Hill)

Dr. Clara Hill is a professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland. In her book, "Working with Dreams in Psychotherapy" she provides clinically tested methods for exploring dreams with patients in psychotherapy. Her method is not self-guided like The Storytelling Method or The 2A Method, but rather, a psychotherapist is needed to work with the patient. Her method is appropriate for clinical practice since it helps people deal with waking day issues at a deeper level. When should a person use the self-guided methods and when should they use therapist-guided methods?