Dreams that Matter; Books that Reveal

Dreams That Matter: 
Egyptian Landscapes of the Imagination
Amira Mittermaier
University of Califormia Press
Berkeley Los Angeles  London
2011


There are some books which deal directly with Freemasonry and yet are peripheral to Freemasonry's essence, and there are some which do not touch on the subject of Freemasonry directly, but could not be more central to them. Dreams That Matter Egyptian Landscapes of the Imagination by Amira Mittermaier 

The official description that the publishers offer states that 

"Dreams that Matter explores the social and material life of dreams in contemporary Cairo. Amira Mittermaier guides the reader through landscapes of the imagination that feature Muslim dream interpreters who draw on Freud, reformists who dismiss all forms of divination as superstition, a Sufi devotional group that keeps a diary of dreams related to its shaykh, and ordinary believers who speak of moving encounters with the Prophet Muhammad. In close dialogue with her Egyptian interlocutors, Islamic textual traditions, and Western theorists, Mittermaier teases out the dream's ethical, political, and religious implications. Her book is a provocative examination of how present-day Muslims encounter and engage the Divine that offers a different perspective on the Islamic Revival. Dreams That Matter opens up new spaces for an anthropology of the imagination, inviting us to rethink both the imagined and the real. "

Mittermaier writes an interesting and connected account of her research on contemporary oneriology* and anthropology in Cairo. The obligatory academic self-insertion in the discourse is in this case sufficiently muted. What does such a text have to do with Freemasonry? Well, it is concerned with dreams in Egyptian society. In spite of centuries of Islamic control, Egypt, is a country with profoundly old cultural roots. Pre-Islamic traditions permeate Egyptian society, from the Coptic language and church to pre-Islamic folk practices including spirit possession. 

Masons who are intrigued by the links to Egypt and Hermeticism must want to learn more about the spiritual traditions of the realm of the Gods on the Nile. Hermeticism, in its current form, modern esoteric orders not withstanding, is essentially a tradition of personal and self exploration. Techniques of self exploration utilizing dreams is foreign neither to modern society, islamic traditions, nor to African traditions. Lest westerners try to forget, Egypt is an African nation. 

While her focus is largely on dreams of Jihadist inspiration, she none the less gives a fascinating glimpse into the spiritual and religious interaction in the realm of dream and dream symbolism in contemporary Egyptian culture. Although her focus is rooted in Islamic traditions, it must be emphasized that nothing in Egyptian culture is solely Islamic in character. When we speak specifically of spirituality as opposed to religion, we find the geography is less well marked than we expect. Islam and Christianity exchange traditions and behind the mask of contemporary folk and popular practices, we may find ancient Egyptian mysticism in a modern form.

Vincent Crapanzano  remarked  about Amira Mittermaier's book that it is a"sensitive, intellectually challenging, indeed a courageous, investigation of the psychological, ontological, and ethical assumptions that lie behind dreams, visions, and dream-visitations in contemporary Egypt-where the dream is a vibrant site of political, religious, and interpretive contest."

Anyone interested in dreams, visions, psychoanalysis, meditation, or Hermetic sciences, will find this book a worthy and thought provoking addition to their library.

 *from Greek ὄνειρος, oneiros, "dream"; and -λογία, -logia; the scientific study of dreams. 

The Creative Power of Dreams

International Association for
the Study of Dreams
New England, Regional Conference 

"The Creative Power of Dreams"

Saturday, January 12, 2013* Snow date: January 26, 20139:30 a.m - 4:30 p.m.
Regis College
Weston, Massachusetts
Contact: Curtiss Hoffman

For millennia, creative people in all cultures have relied upon their dreams for inspiration.  Come and celebrate the creative power of dreams at this one-day IASD regional conference!   Keynote speakers are Deirdre Barrett, the author of The Committee of Sleep, and Ernest Hartmann, the author of The Nature and Functions of Dreaming.  In addition, there will be a performance of excerpts from Curtiss Hoffman's Gilgamesh Cantata, based on dream texts from C.G. Jung's Red Book and using musical themes derived from his own dreams.  Additional speakers will present papers on various aspects of dreaming and creativity.

Regis College is located in Weston, Massachusetts, near the intersection of Routes I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) and I-95 (Route 128).  It is accessible by bus from the Riverside Green Line T station.  Buses run about every half hour to and from Riverside. 

Early Bird Registration before December 15th, 2012
Regular $68; Student/limited income $38
(After Dec. 15th - regular $78; student/limited income $38)

Registration includes morning hospitality (coffee/tea/pastries) and a buffet luncheon. We regret that we cannot guarantee lunches for registrations received after January 1, 2013. A more complete listing of speakers and topics & transportation information to reach Regis College will be made available in late October 2012.

All USA mail-in registrations must be postmarked by January 2th, 2013 Download and mail in your registration form and send a check made out toIASD-New England Regional for the full amount in USD to the:

IASD Office1672 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94703.
or pay online using our secure PayPal system.

Keynote Speakers:
Ernest Hartmann:  The Nature and Functions of Dreaming:   The Dream is the Beginning of a Work or Art.
Deirdre Barrett:   Dreams and Creative Problem Solving

Papers:
Jeffrey Armano:  Shamanic Dreams: The Power to Regenerate
Linda Yael Schiller:  Creativity, Kabbalah, and Dreams
Lesley Zaret: Dreams and the Body
Tzivia Gover:  Dreaming on the Page: The Intersections between Dreams and Writing
Laura Atkinson:  Focus on the Dream: Photographic Techniques to Connect with a Dream
Ryan Hurd:  It's Daemonic! Reclaiming Access to the Daemon-Muse in Sleep Paralysis Visions and Lucid Dreams
Beth Scanzani: Dreaming on Purpose:  Discovering a Path to Joy and Fulfillment...While You Sleep
Gloria Sturzenacker:  Tiuken, Jorbor, Beseta: A Long-Term Search for the Meaning of Three Unknown Dream Words

Special Presentations:
Curtiss Hoffman: The Gilgamesh Cantata:  A Dream-Based Creative Process
Beth Scanzani and Lesley Zaret:  Stories from the Night Shift (dream group)

For additional information, please contact Curtiss Hoffman

Here's the webpage where you can find the active links and the registration form:http://www.asdreams.org/regionals/2013newengland/

Dreaming the Eye in the Triangle

The world of dreams is where we are most alive and come closest to realizing our true potential. If you are a complete materialist, I've already lost you. However, if you have ever been curious about what lies beyond the Gates of Horn and Ivory, then perhaps you remember some special dream which seemed more vibrant or more exciting than the waking world. Maybe you have even explored methods for remembering your dreams or gone even further, seeking techniques to explore various aspects of your dream existence. Stay with me here. Dreams are recognized not merely by visionaries and artists as being important but also by psychologists and even biologists. Without dreams we would not maintain good mental or physical health. So, even though science does not understand as much about dreams as artists, musicians, and mystics do, they know we cannot live healthy lives without plenty of them. 

My Early Experiences of the Dreamscape

I first became interested in dreams beyond the casual curiosity that children may have, when during the winter of my tenth year I came down with a severe case of flu. I must have been running a pretty good temperature because I found one night I was catapulted into an extremely vivid, colorful and dramatic dream. Not only that, but the following night, the dream picked up where it had left off. This went on for three or four days. Then my dreams returned more or less to normal. I was obsessed with finding out how to recapture this intense form of dreaming. I didn't have a great deal of immediate success, but this was when I first began committing my dreams to the page. Having already been keeping a diary, this was not perhaps such a giant leap. It was however an important one. I have kept written records of my dreams almost without interruption since, although over the years, unfortunately, a few volumes have been lost.

Techniques of the Dreamer

There are many techniques which can be utilized to benefit from dreaming. Learning to value dreams is the first step. You will not remember your dreams if you do not value them. If you do not already have strong dream recall, start talking to yourself about your dreams. You might want to do this silently to avoid losing friends and alienating family and coworkers. However, setting up a desire and expectation that you will remember your dreams will aid immensely in developing recall. Biological science already assures us that the average adult human dreams about 5 times per night. So, the issue is developing recall.

There are a few simple steps to doing this.1. State or write your intention to recall your dreams
2. Act to confirm that intention. By this I mean, set out materials to write your recalled dreams down; write them out as soon as you awake whether in the middle of the night or in the morning.
3. Repeat 1 and 2 every night.

You may not recall them at first, but if you persist, you will succeed.

Then, find books and other material on dreams. There's a wealth of material out there. Look and explore as many of them as you are drawn to. Avoid formulaic books; that means dream dictionaries. Every dreamer has his or her own language of dreams; you need to learn your own. How can you do this? If you wish to achieve true dreaming,  you need to keep or recapture your pure, calm, imaginative spirit

The Dream Lodge

How does any of this relate to Freemasonry? Well, Freemasonry, whether the UGLE likes it or not, has long been associated with Hermetic science. Hermeticism is concerned with gaining a profound vision of the creative force behind existence.  What Hermeticism teaches is that the consciousness in you which sees and hears is the eye of god; your mind is god. If you can understand that, then the light will be yours.

By this, we do not mean that the conscious self is God, but rather that God dwells within us and is directly, at least potentially available to us through our minds. This is the point of Hermetic study, and indeed, even of the major Christian mystics over the centuries.

Don't freak out. We're going to step back a bit from that precipice. What can you do that is practical and doesn't deconstruct your early 21st Century materialist brain beyond repair? OK, here's something a lot more conservative. You may have been exploring Masonic symbolism. You may even have ignored your Grand Lodge's admonitions and have read such heretical tomes as those written by McNulty, in the process breaking the most important landmark of them all, "Thou shalt not read anything intelligent about Freemasonry."  So, we're going to discuss how to create a dream in which you explore the symbols of Freemasonry.

Incubating the Masonic Dream

For this exercise, imagine your lodge. Attempt to visualize all the details from the doors to the four corners, to the tiled floor. Imagine the furniture, the lights, and the entire ambiance of your lodge. If you have an ideal or preferred lodge to your actual one, you may choose to visualize that ideal lodge. If for example, you love the appearance of Kilwinning No. 0, then imagine Kilwinning. Bring to mind the symbols you wish to explore. Pick only one or two. Spend some time examining a wide range of images depicting these specific symbols. Make those images as diverse as you can find.

Sit on the side of your bed and quiet you body and mind. Next, hold your images in mind for a few moments, then lie down. As you prepare for sleep, gently ask yourself to have and clearly remember a dream that explores both the images and meanings of these symbols. As you drift off to sleep, hold your intention, confident that the dream you remember will bring your symbols to life in unexpected and wonderful ways. If other thoughts distract you, return to your incubation focus.

When you wake, whether in the morning or at any point during the night, write down any dreams or recollections that you have. Do not attempt to analyze anything, just write out  whatever you remember.  Even if you don't remember any dream at first,  persevere.  You have begun a journey and if you keep on you will begin to recall a great deal. Such an exercise can make the meaning and importance of dreams and masonic symbols far more vibrant than any other approach. Take notes and keep going. This can be the beginning of an amazing adventure; one which may last a lifetime.