Consciousness Activity – Dream Interpretation
Purpose: Toapply theories of dream interpretation. To evaluate dream theories. To synthesize dream theories into a personal explanation of dreams. To form an argument based on evidence and to communicate that argument to the class.
Objective: Apply current theories of dreams to make interpretations of dreams.
Materials: Presentation slide with a table displaying the different theories that try to explain dreaming.
Student preparation: Students have read about the theories of dreaming in their assigned reading.
Procedure:
- The presentation slide of the theories of dreaming is presented and briefly reviewed.
- A dream is narrated. An example of a dream is: Sally dreams she is sailing on a harbor. She is thinking carefully about navigating through the water and avoiding obstacles. She can feel the boat rocking and the wind is blowing against her cheek.
- The instructor points to one of the dream theories displayed on the slide and asks a volunteer from the class to interpret the narrated dream based on that particular theory.
- When each theory has been applied, the instructor asks students to write a brief essay on which theory or theories the student believes is most plausible and why. Students are invited to communicate their theory to the class.
- The brief essays are collected. Both the essays and the student communication of the theories are used as part of a class participation grade.
- Students are told that they will be expected to recognize dream theories and dream interpretations based on those dream theories on the exam.
Inspired by a conversation with Michelle Leichtman Associate Professor of Psychology, University of New Hampshire.