Healing Anger through Dreams: What are its possibilities?
Anger is present in our life. Dreams are present while we are sleeping. Interestingly, anger can be present in our dreams. How are these two elements connected to one another and what is their potential in healing processes? In this thesis, I present existing theories and unheard experiences of anger and dreams. My personal history that includes anger and my direct experiences with dreams led me to look deeper into dreams and anger for my research. I present different theories and findings on anger, dreams, consciousness, emotions, and feelings. I used active listening as my approach in order for the participants to share their stories of anger and dreams. As the research reached a final point, I found that there are ways to utilize dreams to heal anger, depending on the openness of the individual towards their dreams and the connection that they establish among dreams, anger, and the self.
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Writing this thesis has led me to experience new dimensions in life, both physical and spiritual. During the writing process, I volunteered for the Innsbruck Nature Film Festival, in the Kufstein Red Cross, the International Children’s Games, I had three part-time jobs at one time, moved to four different flats within less than a year, had several bad flus during the winter season (facing these alone), and counted only one single digit in my bank account for months. Despite that, during these moments I encountered caring, loving, and smart people.. I fell in love with meditation and practiced it every Thursday at 6 a.m. I played rugby every Tuesday evening. Without realizing it, I experienced genuine human connections. When I was asked about my thesis, people started sharing their experiences with dreams, with anger. They opened up, and so did I.