is present, but kept away by the sunlight. We are aware
of the presence of the Lord ...

      These dreams bring into intriguing focus an important
question about dream interpretation. When is a dream
"about" the dreamer, and when may it be "about" the
external situation, in this case, the dream project?
Perhaps this process of pooling dreams about a shared
venture will provide an enlightening arena not only for
learning something about the manner of symbolization in
dreams, but also for reflecting on the venture itself.
      Some of the dreams, in fact, have provided remarkable
insights into the hidden meaning of my earlier dream of
the "research dance." Some of them have seemed to
excavate the universal, archetypal root images contained
in this dream. Others brought forward the ancient
symbolism into a contemporary perspective, suggesting
new theoretical dimensions to an experiment in
communal dreaming. Elsewhere in this journal, in my
essay on the "Sundance Experiment," I discuss this
ancient mythological motif and its possible contemporary
renewal as suggested by modern dreams. But appreciate
here, if you will, the fact that none of us in the project
"knew" of the existence of this mythical theme when we
started. It was not until a year after the project's
completion, when I began library research on the Sun
Dance motif, that I recognized the universal images in
many of the project dreams. All along, without our
knowing it, our dreams were providing clues to the
mythic dimension of our research venture.
      Summing up, I think that it would be fair to evaluate
our cooperative and mutually self-disclosing research
venture as being fruitful. The research ideal was
fulfilled, as participants were able to benefit themselves
while at the same time generating useful information.
One of the most important findings of the project was
that it does indeed pay off to engage dreams in active
dialogue. The response of the dreams to our common
venture inward not only encouraged the individual

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