The Effectiveness of Ullman's Dream Interpretation Group Sessions on Exploratory, Action, and Experiential Insights in Healthy Women

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, Psychology and Educational Science Faculty, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz , Ahvaz, Iran

2 Department of Psychology, Psychology and Educational Science Faculty, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz , Ahvaz, Iran.

3 Department of Consulting , Humanities Science Faculty, University of Hazrat Masoumeh, Qom, Iran

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of an intervention program of dream interpretation group sessions using the Ullman method on exploratory, action, and experiential insights in healthy women. This is an applied and quasi-experimental study with a pretest/posttest and a control group. The population includes all Persian-speaking women living in Iran, aged 20 to 45 years, with at least a diploma, and able to access and work with the Internet in 2020, who were eligible to participate in the study based on the inclusion criteria. After publishing the invitation on the websites and virtual advertising pages of various cities, 20 people from this population were purposively selected (based on the inclusion criteria) and then randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (10 people in each group). Data collection instruments were the Gains from Dream Interpretation (GDI) questionnaire and the intervention program, including the Ullmann's Appreciating Dreams Protocol (UADP), conducted online in 11 sessions of 90 to 120 minutes. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS-24 software. The results showed that the intervention program of group interpretation of dreams according to the Ullmann's method had a significant effect on exploratory and action insight (p < 0.05), but was not significant on experimental insight. Therefore, the Ullmann's Appreciating Dreams Protocol can be used to promote insight in the non-clinical population.

Keywords


Adler, A. (1936). On the interpretation of dreams. International Journal of Individual Psychology. 2, 3–16.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing, Arlington, VA.
Blagrove, M. (2011). Distinguishing continuity/discontinuity, function, and insight when investigating dream content. International Journal of Dream Research. 4(2), 45-47.
Blagrove, M., Edwards, C., van Rijn, E., Reid, A., Malinowski, J., Bennett, P., …, & Ruby, P. (2019). Insight from the consideration of REM dreams, non-REM dreams, and daydreams. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory Research, and Practice. 6(2), 138-162. https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000167
Bulkeley, K., & Schredl, M. (2019). Attitudes towards dreaming: Effects of socio-demographic and religious variables in an American sample. International Journal of Dream Research. 12(1), 75-81.
 
Crits-Christoph, P., Connolly Gibbons, M. B., & Mukherjee, D. (2013). Psychotherapy process-outcome research. In M. J. Lambert (Ed.), Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change (p 298-340). New York, USA: John Wiley and Sons
Cohen, M. Z., & Bumbaugh, M. (2004). Group dream work: A holistic resource for oncology nurses. Oncology Nursing Forum. 31(4), 817-824.
Coholic, D., & LeBreton, J. (2007). Working with dreams in a holistic arts-based group: Connections between dream interpretation and spirituality. Social Work with Groups: A Journal of Community and Clinical Practice. 30(3), 47-64.
Darsaud, A., Wagner, U., Balteau, E., Desseilles, M., Sterpenich, V., Vandewalle, G.,… & Maquet, P. (2011). Neural precursors of delayed insight. Cognitive Neuroscience. 23(8), 1900-1910.
Edwards, C., Ruby, P., Malinowski, J., Bennett, P., & Blagrove, M. (2013). Dreaming and insight. Frontiers in Psychology. 4, 979.
Edwards, C., Malinowski, J., McGee, S., Bennett, P., Ruby, P., & Blagrove, M. (2015). Comparing personal insight gains due to consideration of a recent dream and consideration of a recent event using the Ullman and Schredl dream group methods. Frontiers in Psychology. 6, 831.
Elliott, R., Shapiro, D. A., Firth-Cozens, J., Stiles, W. B., Hardy, G. E., Llewelyn, S. P., et al. (1994). Comprehensive process analysis of insight events in cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapies. Counseling Psychology. 41(4), 449-463.
Freud, S. (1900). The interpretation of dreams: Standard Edition of the works of Sigmund Freud. (J. Strachey, Trans) (Vol. 4 & 5.). London: Hogarth Press.
 
Freud, S., & Breuer, J. (1895). Studien über Hysterie. Leipzig and Vienna, Franz Deuticke.
Friedman, R. (2011). Dreams and dreamtelling: A group approach. In J. L. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of group psychotherapy (pp. 479–497). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Gilchrist, S. A. (2013). Dreams and well-Being. Ph.D. Dissertation. Philosophy (Human Sciences), University of Tasmania.
 
Grosse Holtforth, M., Castonguay, L. G., Boswell, J. F., et al. (2007). Insight in cognitive-behavioral therapy. In L. G. Castonguay, & C. E. Hill (Eds.), Insight in Psychotherapy (pp. 57–99). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
 
Heaton, K. J., Hill, C. E., Petersen, D. A., Rochlen, A. B., & Zack, J. S. (1998). A comparison of therapist-facilitated and self-guided dream interpretation sessions. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 45(1), 115-122. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.45.1.115
 
Hill, C. (1996). Working with dreams in psychotherapy. New York, NY: Guildford Press.
 
Hill, C. (2004). Dream work in therapy: facilitating exploration, insight, and action. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
 
Hill, C., & Knox, S. (2010). The use of dreams in modern psychotherapy. InternationalReview of Neurobiology. 92, 291-317.
Hill, C. E., Spangler, P., Sim, W., & Baumann, E. (2007). Interpersonal content of dreams in relation to the process and outcome of single sessions using the Hill dream model. Dreaming. 17(1), 1-19.
 
Jennissen, S., Huber, J., Ehrenthal, J. C., Schauenburg, H., & Dinger, U. (2018). Association between insight and outcome of psychotherapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry. 175(10), 961–969.
 
Jung, C. G. (Wd.). (1964). Man and His Symbols. New York: Dell.
 
Kautner, J. V. (2005). The experience of older people participating in an Ullman dream group. Ph.D. Dissertation. Retrieved from Dissertation Abstracts International, (UMI Number: 3194550).
Knox, S., Hill, C. E., Hess, S. A., & Crook-Lyon, R. E. (2008). Case studies of the attainment of insight in dream sessions: Replication and extension. Psychotherapy Research. 18(2), 200-215.
Lawshe, C. H. (1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel Psychology, 28(4), 563-575.
Lewis, J. (2019). Montague Ullman and group dream appreciation. In K. Valli, R. J. Hoss., & R. P. Gongloff (Eds.), Dreams: Understanding biology, psychology, and culture (pp. 455-460). Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood.
 
Malinowski, J. E., & Edwards, c. (2019). Clinical application of dreamwork. In K. Valli, R. J. Hoss., & R. P. Gongloff (Eds.), Dreams: Understanding biology, psychology, and culture (pp. 469-477). Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood.
 
Messer, S. B., & McWilliams, N. (2007). Insight in psychodynamic therapy: Theory and assessment. In L. G. Castonguay, & C. E. Hill (Eds.), Insight in psychotherapy (pp. 9–29). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
 
Moss, E. (2002). Working with dreams in a bereavement therapy group. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 52(2), 151-170.
Nielsen, T. A., & Lara-Carrasco, J. (2007). Nightmares, dreaming and emotion regulation: A review. In D. Barrett, & P. McNamara (Eds.), The new science of dreaming (pp. 235-284). London: Praeger.
Pascual-Leone, A., & Greenberg, L. S. (2007). Insight and awareness in experiential therapy, in Insight in Psychotherapy. In L. G. Castonguay, & C. E. Hill (Eds.), Insight in Psychotherapy (pp. 31–56). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
 
Perls, F. (1969). Gestalt Therapy Verbatim. New York: Bantam.
 
Pesant, N., & Zadra, A. L. (2004). Working with dreams in therapy: What do we know and what should we do? Clinical Psychology Review. 24(5), 489–512.
 
Schredl, M. (2011). Listening to the dreamer. International Journal of Dream Research. 4(Suppl. 1), S17.
 
Stimson, W. R. (2013). Montague Ullman’s Dream Appreciation. The Humanistic Psychologist. 41(2), 178–198.
 
Strachey, J. (1934). The nature of the therapeutic action of psychoanalysis. International Journal of Psychoanalysis. 15, 127159.
 
Taylor, J. (2013). Dream work toolkit. Retrieved January 9, 2013, from http://www.jeremytaylor.com/dream_work/dream_ work_toolkit/index.html.
 
Ullman, M., & Zimmerman, N. (1979). Working with dreams. New York: Delacorte/Eleanor Friede.
Ullman, M. (1994). The experiential dream group: Its applications in the training of therapists. Dreaming. 4(4), 223–229.
Ullman, M. (1996). Appreciating dreams: A group approach. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Valli, K., Hoss, R. J., & Gongloff, R. P. (2019). Dreams: Understanding biology, psychology, and culture. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood.