The first time I encountered the work of Henry Reed I was immediately impressed. That was many years ago and I have been awaiting the time when he would again publish another book on his dreamwork. Now, that time has come. Henry’s new book, Dream Medicine, an expansion of his earlier book Getting Help From Your Dreams (1985), is a very interesting journey through his introduction and research into dreamwork in the 1960’s, at the beginning of what has been called the dream movement. In detail, Henry describes how his interest in dreams began and how they moved him forward into areas of dreamwork that had not yet been explored. Paying mindful attention not only his own dreams, but the dreams of others, Henry has established new ways to work with dreams which have enhanced the work and taken it to even deeper levels. What impressed me about Dream Medicine is the way in which Henry’s passion for the work has motivated new and innovative ways to work with dreams, not only for ourselves, but also for others.
This is not a book about dream interpretation, it is a book that encourages the dreamer to honor their dreams by being in a very different relationship to and with the images. Many chapters are devoted to a variety of ways in which to work with dreams, so, depending on what kind of involvement you find most appealing, you are sure to find new ways of working with your own dreams by using any one, or many, of these methods. I found the book to be insightful, fun, and easy to read, and although there is some repetition, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Henry adds a very personal touch to his book by adding in his own artwork to the pages which is a delightful way of continuing to add to the dimension of the dreamtime.
