This study aimed to explore the essence of dreams and the experience of dream analysis, which are assumed to represent the unique qualities possessed only by humans, at a time when interest in human uniqueness is newly emerging. To this end, individua...
This study aimed to explore the essence of dreams and the experience of dream analysis, which are assumed to represent the unique qualities possessed only by humans, at a time when interest in human uniqueness is newly emerging. To this end, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of five middle-aged adults—three men and two women—who had experienced dream analysis, and the interview data was analyzed using van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenology.
The research results revealed a total of four fundamental themes and fourteen sub-themes. The first theme was traversing the fields of force and power. This was composed of sub-themes: the power of courage arising from the desperation to break free from the field of force; grasping a thread of hope while wavering at the boundary between reality pushed by life roles and free dreams; the power of fullness felt in the overwhelming yet infinite field of transcendence; and the strength to endure together the stumbling at the boundary between reality and dreams.
The second theme was the restoration of presence, enabling one to be freed from the bondage of time and exist solely in the present. The sub-themes were encountering and re-experiencing one's past, present, and future selves; simultaneity, where the same events occur in dreams and reality; and moments of enlightenment akin to a lamp encountered on the journey of life.
The third theme was listening to the voice of truth sent by the body. It consisted of sub-themes: encountering bodily memories imprinted unwittingly, the liberation of the body that had cowered in the field of power, living dreams unfolding in a spiral, the trio of brain and body, and moving forward relying on the sense of stability rising from the center of the body.
The fourth theme was oneness connecting node to node. The sub-themes were taking the first step toward a true encounter with myself and those around me, reconnecting with the world through newly established roles and work, and my path of becoming connected to the Self.
The essential theme of the dream analysis experience derived from the research results revealed that dreams serve as an internal resource supporting human life, and that dream analysis can play a key role in the Self-realization and individuation processes, particularly for middle-aged adults. Based on this, the study emphasized the active introduction of dream analysis into the development promotion, counseling, and psychotherapy of middle-aged adults, and finally, discussed the significance, implications, and limitations of the research.