Dream Medicine

This book surveys both the scientific and the spiritual terrain of altered states of consciousness, highlighting how extrasensory encounters can be soul-healing balm. It explores a wide range of cultural interpretations of out-of-body experiences, from shamanistic practices to the importance of dreams in ancient world cultures. A dozen or more interviews with health-related professionals present unique, holistic glimpses of our inner lives.

Dreaming takes center stage, with the author presenting her most profound and insidious dreams. Part reference work and part guidebook, this book tells readers how to make the most of their dream experiences through a variety of techniques like incubation, talisman creation, tarot and more.

Kimberly R. Mascaro, PhD, LMFT, is a psychotherapist, educator, and coach with a focus on ecology, spirituality, consciousness, somatics and womens’ issues. She has facilitated workshops and retreats on the topics of globally. For more information on the author, please visit consciouschimera.com.

Kimberly R. Mascaro
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 196
Bibliographic Info: glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8743-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4512-4
Imprint: Toplight

Disclaimer ix

Acknowledgments x

Preface 1

Introduction 9

One. Medicinal Dreaming 15

Dreams Are Real Experiences 15

But What Is a Dream? 16

We All Need Medicine 19

Two. Consciousness and Shamanism 27

Initiations 29

Tasks, Roles and Duties 31

Three. Oracles, Divination and Dream Medicine in

the Classical, Celtic, Nordic and Germanic Worlds 39

Greco-Roman 39

Diagnosing in the Dream State 41

Nordic, Germanic, Celtic 41

Greece, Then and Now 42

Four. All at Once Time 46

Five. Dreamwalking 52

Six. Sleep Yoga, Lucid Dreaming and Dream Yoga 57

Yoga Nidra 57

Lucid Dreaming 60

Dream Yoga 65

Seven. Hypnosis 70

Self-Hypnosis 73

Eight. Intuitive Development 77

The Nervous System 78

Regulation  79

Nine. Italian Folkways 84

Ten. Surprise Visitors 90

Announcing Dreams 90

Disembodied Visitors and Visitation Dreams 93

Along the Recovery Road 102

Eleven. Animal and Plant Spirit Guidance 105

Twelve. Feeding Spirit Allies 114

Thirteen. Sleep Hygiene 125

Fourteen. Dream Incubation 129

Incubating Health 130

Incubation Techniques 136

Fifteen. Dream Reentry 138

Sixteen. Facing Challenges 143

When Nightmares Creep In 143

Recovering the Soul 148

Seventeen. Ancestral Work 152

Altar Crafts and ­Shrine-Making 154

Eighteen. Amulets and Talismans 158

Creating Your Own 159

Cleansing Amulets 163

Nineteen. You Are Your Own Dream Dictionary 167

Lectio Divina 167

Dream Tarot 168

Tracking and Collaging 171

Conclusion 174

Glossary 176

Resources 178

Bibliography 179

Index 185

• “Recent research has discovered that dreams serve us in many ways. They help us to remember important events, to plan for the future, and to work through emotions. In Dream Medicine, Kimberly R. Mascaro describes how dreams can also help to heal the dreamer. In this remarkable book, Dr. Mascaro draws upon historical accounts of healing dreams, linking them with contemporary research and case studies. Dream Medicine comes at a time when people need to discover and utilize their inner resources, and dreams are a resource that is rarely utilized. Dr. Mascaro provides helpful guidance for her readers, and her instructions can promote healing and save lives.”—Stanley Krippner, PhD, California Institute of Integral Studies

• “Somatic psychologist Dr. Kimberly Mascaro explores the fascinating topic of dream medicine for personal and world healing across cultures and through history. Charting her own healing journey, Mascaro elicits the preciousness of life and transmits a palpable sense of wonder. Dream Medicine is a compassionate, informative and inspiring book which will help you to engage with your deepest healing resources via the wise and wonderful portal of dreams.”— Dr. Clare Johnson, author of The Art of Lucid Dreaming and The Art of Transforming Nightmares

• “It’s refreshing to read an author on dreams who speaks directly and openly from her own experiences, recognizes that dreaming is transpersonal as well as personal and understands, above all, that dreams require far more than interpretation: they require action to embody their healing and guiding energy. We know that Kimberly Mascaro’s Dream Medicine is no snake oil because it is grounded in her lifelong passion for dreaming and ever-deepening practice and research. You’ll be prompted to look in your dreams for what our ancestral wisdom teachers knew to be there: clues to the possible future, diagnosis of our physical and psychic complaints, access to our authentic spiritual guides and allies, the God/Goddess we can talk to. You’ll wake up to the fact that if you aren’t tending to your dreams, you are missing not only your night movies, but the chance to become star and director and screenwriter for your life dramas.”—Robert Moss, author of Conscious Dreaming, Dreaming the Soul Back Home and Growing Big Dreams.