What happens when some 50 dreamers convene on a rainy Saturday in New England?

Among other things they are treated to a dream-inspired Cantata, they share dreams, synchronicities and dream analysis, learn how Jewish mysticism and dreams can work together, and how to use dream incubation to gain creative inspiration.

Those were just a few of the highlights from the “The Creative Power of Dreams: The New England Regional Conference offered by the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD)” on May 25^th at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts.

I was among 11 presenters at the day-long conference, along with Harvard’s Deirdre Barrett, PhD, the author of The Committee of Sleep, Dr. Curtiss Hoffman, a professor of Anthropology at Bridgewater State University (who dreamed up the above-mentioned Cantata), and Dr. Ernest Hartmann, a professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Since “Creativity and Dreams” was the theme of the day we learned of many instances where famous discoveries or works of art and architecture were aided by a dream. Works of literature from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to Steven King’s “Salem’s Lot” were dream-inspired, as have been numerous scientific discoveries and mathematical formulas.

So what should you do if you want to incubate the solution to a vexing problem, or to help you with a creative dilemma of any sort?

1. Write down your question or problem.
2. Review your question or problem a few minutes before going to bed.
3. Once you get into bed, visualize the problem.
4. Tell yourself you want to dream about the problem as you are drifting into sleep.
5. Keep a pen and paper by your bed, so you are ready to record any dreams that you have.
6. On waking, lie in bed quietly for several minutes before getting up to allow your dreams to come to mind.
7. Write down your dreams.