BADG is a networking organization of people who live in the vicinity of San Francisco, California, USA. We are psychotherapists, artists, writers, educators, researchers, healers and community dreamworkers. In the public forum, we might host a dream group, hold workshops, present dream-inspired products or author a book. We are people who "work with our dreams," and the dreams of others. We usually do dreamwork at meetings. And that can be very heavy, very serious.

Fortunately, from the beginning, we've held the tradition that each meeting is also a pot luck affair. Everyone who attends, contributes something to eat. Sometimes the pickings are meager, othertimes quite hearty. But the break for eating is an opportunity to relax a bit and be sociable.

At least once a year, during the winter months, this sociability graduates into a formal event. And for our annual holiday party, "badge" members bring dreams, not to "work" with, but to hang on the tree. The holiday dreams are a gift to ourselves, to each other in BADG and to those who attend the waking state event.

Creating and packaging a dream gift may seem like a game of solitaire. But actually, the "gift of dreams" is a game you play, not just for partners, but with partners, too.

Primary partner is your very own dreaming self. Some BADG members write down their dream reports on paper, postcards or Christmas cards (that are clipped with a clothespin or attached with ribbon to the tree). Other dreams are converted into artwork-ornaments made of wood, ceramic or paper. Thus, these "badgers" retrieve a dream produced by their playful selves and make it into a creative product.

Other folks make a creative suggestion and the playful side of self responds with a dream. Those members don't contribute just any old dream of the month; they intentionally incubate a dream for the occasion.

There's something about the sociable nature of this process that inspires resonance. When you share a gift with others, you often get a gift in return, and not just from your dreaming self...from other people and other people's dreaming selves. Sometimes it's simply that your dream corresponds with another person's dream. The dreams have symbols or themes in common. Is this coincidence or not? No one seems to care. It's the synchronicity that's the delightful plum in the holiday pudding. Nevertheless, when I read the BADG dreams, I find psychic stars sparkling in the midst of the dream gifts. Perhaps one might be a precognitive dream of the party. Perhaps another dream will be telepathic of someone else's daily life.

But psychic or not, the themes tend to be upbeat and creative. Sociable dreams. Flying dreams. Dreams of music, art and laughter. Oh, yes, and punny dreams. In other words, the Bay Area Dreamworkers Group holiday dreams take a vacation from the usual conflicted fare that peppers therapeutic dreamwork. And this shift to dreamplay may be the greatest gift of all.

Now, I don't know about you, but I think it's very healthy to vacation, and not just once a year. Optimum health requires R & R at least once a week. Isn't that what weekends are for? I think my dreamworker colleagues are "Type A" managers. Sure, they'll party, as waking egos, in the waking state. But offer their dreaming selves the same favor? Ha! I mention "dreamplay" rather than "dreamwork" and they respond, oh, that's nice and turn around and talk about the "serious" stuff of life. You know, the "real" reason we're supposed to be paying attention to dreams: our heritage from Freud and Jung and all the spiritually motivated folks. But even Mr. God rested on the 7th day.

And, the fact of the matter is that our dreaming selves LIKE to play. But how often do we give them the chance? Not much opportunity if we presume that they're only supposed to serve us, as healers, advisors, problem solvers, ad nauseam. Yeah, some help we are. Slave drivers. Party poopers. So they have to sneak in playful dreams, when our backs are turned and our guard is down.

Well, I looked high and low to find a welcome mat for our playful dreaming selves. Yes, there are plenty of dreamworkers and authors who talk about games and play and creativity and even the Inner Child. But they're usually referring to art therapy and recovery from abuse and manipulative "games." Dreamwork in disguise. Like bringing your cellular phone and portable computer to the beach.

But where is that tropical beach in the world of dream where all your dreaming self has to do is hang out and have fun? Where she's not expecting you to translate her experience (via the "phone" of expression or the "computer" of interpretation) into something practical for you? (And where, if you do those things, you are MISSING THE POINT!)

I think dream play occurs when, instead of expecting that our dreams serve us, we turn tables and give...to each other. And to our dreaming selves.

Well, I found no place on (or off) the Internet that supports this sort of dream play. That's when I knew I'd have to create it. Yeah, play founder again. Fortunately, there have been a few folks who joined me. Some are even dream-workers! We call ourselves the Fly-By-Night Club. I invite you to check us out. Your dreaming self will thank you.

http://members.aol.com/caseyflyer/fbnc/fbnc01.htm (Fly-By-Night Club)
CaseyFlyer@aol.com