Psychodynamic Practice

Individuals, Groups and Organisations

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rpco20

Ullman’s experiential dreamwork group approach

versus Islamic dream interpretation: the dream of
a psychologist Muslim women

Maria Campo-Redondo, Mai Nasser Ali Azayez Alsheraifi & Mariam Awad
Mehmas Alshamsi

To cite this article: Maria Campo-Redondo, Mai Nasser Ali Azayez Alsheraifi & Mariam Awad
Mehmas Alshamsi (2023) Ullman’s experiential dreamwork group approach versus Islamic
dream interpretation: the dream of a psychologist Muslim women, Psychodynamic Practice,
29:4, 397-415, DOI: 10.1080/14753634.2023.2207446

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/14753634.2023.2207446

Published online: 03 May 2023.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 41

View related articles

View Crossmark data

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rpco20
Psychodynamic Practice, 2023
Vol. 29, No. 4, 397–415, https://doi.org/10.1080/14753634.2023.2207446

OPEN SPACE
Ullman’s experiential dreamwork group approach versus
Islamic dream interpretation: the dream of a psychologist
Muslim women
Maria Campo-Redondo, Mai Nasser Ali Azayez Alsheraifi
and Mariam Awad Mehmas Alshamsi

Department of Clinical Psychology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United

Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

The purpose of this article is to draw attention to, and exemplify, how a dialogue
between the Islamic vision of dreams could be compared with those premises
proposed by Montague Ullman. Specifically, we are interested in unveiling the
application of the Ullman’s Experiential Dreamwork Group Approach and
intertwining it with the Islamic understanding of dreams in Muslim women.
To do so, we first review the premises of psychodynamic theory and relate them
to the Ullman method. Second, we deploy ideas of dream interpretation in Islam.
Thirdly, the mental health of Muslim women in Middle Eastern culture is
discussed. We then present an in-depth autoethnographic documentation of the
dream of a Muslim woman who is in the final phase of her academic training as
a clinical psychologist in a Middle Eastern country, and who received intensive
training in the Ullman’s approach. We intend to show the overlaps, and some­
times conflicts, of the two epistemologies, Western (Ullman) and Eastern
(Islamic), in understanding and treating dreams. At the end of the article,
conclusions are derived and implications for future research are discussed.

The interrelation between psychodynamic dream theory and the Ullman’s

Experiential Dreamwork Group Approach
Dreams have fascinated humanity for a long time and entered the psychology
realm in the 1900s, after Sigmund Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams
(Freud, 1900). His hypothesis on the nature of dreams and their significance on
the dreamer’s psychological welfare invited researchers, including Montague
Ullman, to unearth other theories and approaches to work with dreams. In the
psychodynamic tradition, dreams are seen as a window into the unconscious

Corresponding author. Maria Campo-Redondo Department of Clinical Psychology,

College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain H1
1149, United Arab Emirates Email: mcampo@uaeu.ac.ae

© 2023 Crown Copyright

398 M. Campo-Redondo et al.
mind, where thoughts and emotions can be expressed symbolically. The psycho­
analytic approach to dream analysis involves uncovering these symbolic mean­
ings to gain insight into a person’s underlying psychological conflicts and needs
(Freud, 1997).
From Freud’s and Jung’s publications on the study of dreams came many
advances in dream analysis. For example, in the 1940s, Foulkes (1964) devel­
oped an approach to dreams, which focuses on the internal mental processes that
occur during sleep. He believed that dreams were the result of the brain’s
attempt to make sense of the random signals and experiences that occur during
sleep, and that they serve an important cognitive function by helping people
process and organise information. Foulkes developed a group technique in which
he combined psychoanalytic concepts with an understanding of the social and
interpersonal functioning of the dreamer. Foulkes’ method of dream analysis
involves exploring the dreamer’s subjective experience and feelings during the
dream, and using this information to interpret the meaning of the dream. He
believed that dreams have both manifest content (real images, events, and
characters) and latent content (symbolic meaning), and that exploring the drea­
mer’s feelings can help uncover the latent content. Foulkes also emphasised the
importance of context in dream analysis, including the dreamer’s personal
experiences and cultural background.
According to Cabaniss (2016), Freud used the term ‘dreamwork’ or ‘dream-
work’ (Traumarbeit) to refer to the operations that transform the latent dream-
thought into the manifest dream; therefore, dreamwork is the process that trans­
forms the latent or hidden content of a dream into a story (the manifest or textual
narrative of the dream), using the properties of primary process, condensation,
displacement, and symbolisation. Interpreting the dream thus involves under­
standing the dream in order to work back to unconscious material.
The psychoanalytic community holds that sophisticated training is required
to unravel the mysteries of dreaming. The message here is that dreams have
value, but that working with them should be left to professionals, both because
of the complexity involved in deciphering them (the disguise factor) and the
risks involved in dealing with the unconscious.
Influence by Freud, Jung, and Foulkes, the Ullman method of dream analysis
was conceived by Montague Ullman in the nineteen seventies (Ullman &
Zimmerman, 2017; Ullman, 1996, 2001). He was an American psychiatrist and
psychoanalyst, who is considered one of the most influential authors in elucidating
how dream work could apply to clinical and non-clinical populations. For him,
working with dreams was that of an ‘art’ rather than a science, and he shied away
from the term ‘dream interpretation’. In fact, Ullman viewed dream appreciation
as going over and above merely interpreting. Accordingly, the Ullman’s
Experiential Dreamwork Group Approach (UEDGA) differs from traditional
psychodynamic treatment of dreams because there is no hierarchy. The group
assumes the role of co-dreamers in order to create a climate of trust and safety and
to interact with the dreamer in a helpful manner, while respecting whatever limits
 Psychodynamic Practice 399
the dreamer has established. Ullman saw dreams as having a greater connection
with art than with science (W. R. Stimson, 2013; W. Stimson, 2009).
The UEDGA seeks to uncover the metaphoric meanings of our ‘nocturnal
guests’. However, it differs from the traditional psychodynamic approach in that
it is a collaborative, between the dreamer and the members of the group. In the
UEDGA, the dreamer is encouraged to explore their own dream images and
emotions to find personal meaning, while the group leader, along with the
members of the group, help facilitate the process by asking open-ended ques­
tions and avoid making suggestions or interpretations.
Both psychodynamic principles and UEDGA rely on the idea that dreams have
metaphorical meanings that can reveal important dynamics about an individual’s
inner world (Cabaniss, 2016; Ullman, 2001). They also both emphasise the impor­
tance of exploring the unconscious mind to gain insight into an individual’s
psychological functioning. However, the UEDGA differs in its collaborative and
exploratory approach to dream interpretation, whereas the traditional psychody­
namic approach tends to be more interpretive and focused on uncovering specific
psychological conflicts. In addition, according to Ullman (2001), there is no need to
have special professional training to facilitate or participate in the UEDGA.

Description of the Ullman’s Experiential Dreamwork Group Approach

(UEDGA)
The UEDGA (Ullman, 2001) proposes four axioms of dreamwork and their use
in the healing process:

(1) dreams begin in the present: hence, dreams are ignited by the current
emotional context of a person.
(2) dreams extend from the present context to the past period in a mechan­
ism that connects different traumas that have happened to a person in
their waking life.
(3) dreams are intrinsically honest since they originate from an incorruptible
core of our being, meaning that they provide a true account of what a
person is going through in their daily life.
(4) the neurophysiological concept of dreaming is a common phenomenon
in all mammals and is part of the cycle of life.

Sela-Smith (2000)1 provides a simple, straightforward overview of the stages of

the UEDGA. Notably, in every step of the process, prior to transitioning to the
following stage, the facilitator first takes permission of the dreamer. This
signifies that the control of the process ultimately lies with the dreamer, as it
is his/her dream that is shared, and a dream is of a truly personal essence. If he/
she is uncomfortable with continuing the process, then the dreamer’s will must
be respected. As for duration, the process as a whole take 2–3 hours. Figure 1
summarises the stages of the UEDGA
400 M. Campo-Redondo et al.

Figure 1. Stages of the Ullman’s Experiential Dreamwork Group Approach.

Islam interpretation of dreams

Islam has traditionally shown more curiosity about dreams than Judaism and
Christianity, and that it has done more to incorporate dreams into the lives of its
adherents. Islam has a long and rich history of active engagement with the dream
imagination, from the early revelatory visions of Muhammad to the many dream
traditions of modern Muslims. It appears that the inhabitants of several Muslim
nations place a much higher value on sleep than is typical anywhere in North
America or Western Europe, and that value is rooted in the fundamental beliefs
about sleep contained in the Qur’an and the Hadith (Bulkeley, 2002).
Historically, Islamic societies revere dreams mainly because of religious
considerations derived from the Holy Scriptures (Hadith and Qur’an). The
Hadith, a collection of Prophet Muhammad’s accounts, devotes an entire cate­
gory to dreams and dreaming experiences; this book documents approximately
100 prophetic accounts of dreams. Similarly, several passages in the Qur’an
discuss this phenomenon by describing seven dreams across four chapters
(Suras). According to Muslim beliefs, dreams act as an experiential confirmation
of a person’s faith, link people to divine realities and powers, as well as assure
them of the presence of God in their lives (Salem et al., 2009).
The Muslim faith developed in Arabia in the seventh century B.C.E. as a
radical reinterpretation of early Judeo-Christian tenets and practices. The
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) derived a regard for dreaming as a common theme
from the texts of these two faiths. The Qur’an, like the Jewish Torah and the
Christian New Testament, places a high value on dreams as a means through
which God speaks to humanity. Dreams can provide heavenly direction and
solace, forewarn of imminent peril, and reveal future events.
While dreams have a rich history in the Middle East and Arabic culture,
societies began understanding their importance through Tabir, the Islamic
science of dream interpretation. Salem et al. (2009) note that this dynamic
body of knowledge materialised in the 9th century AD by integrating the
Islamic faith with Greek and Romanian heritages.
Considering the ideas above deployed, it could be implied that in Islamic
societies dreams are highly considered due to religious and spiritual factors
(Askari et al., 2021, 2022). Due to religious reasons, Islamic communities
 Psychodynamic Practice 401
have a strong interest in dreams and dream interpretations have been in existence
for many centuries, as dreams are considered as having spiritual insight or truth
in the Islamic cosmovision (Bahammam et al., 2018). To add, Islamic belief
recognises dreaming as a channel for gaining insight into the spiritual realm.
Different stages of sleep and dreaming are called different things in the Quran:
Ru’ yaa (vision), Man’am (sleep), Hulum (dream), and Bushra (revelation)
(tidings). In addition, Muslims use the Arabic terminology ‘Tafsir’ or ‘Tabir’
to describe dream interpretation, also known as oneiromancy. Over the last 1500
years, several Muslim philosophers and intellectuals have presented numerous
hypotheses and observations on how to interpret dreams.
According to these Islamic doctrines, when understanding dreams, the inter­
pretation should be formulated with caution, as dreams exist in three subtypes
(Asadzandi, 2018; Salem et al., 2009)

(1) The Ru’ya are dreams of divine origin that carry important and truthful
messages, such as glad tidings or premonitions is that the dream is a
message from God, and could be interpreted in a way to guide the
dreamer to take a certain step towards the right direction. And at
times, it could be a form of vision, where the dreamer can know what
may happen in the future. However, visions are rare according to the
Islamic Dream Interpreters.
(2) The Shaitan are dreams sent by the devil. These dreams are to tempt
people to commit sins or distort their way of thinking. According to the
Islamic way of dream interpretations, the easiest way to know whether a
dream is sent by a Shaitan is by the existence or appearance of blood in
a dream.
(3) The self-talk dreams, are a recollection of the dreamer’s preoccupation
the ones created by our minds. Those dreams can be recollections of
what the dreamer experienced during their waking time. Those dreams
are the most common and have no clear religious meaning.

The Islamic culture in the Middle East, perceives dreams usually as indicators of
positive or negative life events. The emphasis on symbols and dream interpretation is
heavily engrained, to an extent that historic Muslim scholar, Ibn Sirin, had authored a
dream interpretation book, akin to an encyclopaedia, that sat in almost every family’s
household. Many mothers owned a copy and referred to it when a significant dream
happened within the family and wondered as to what the dream meant. Some accounts
note that Ibn Sirin interpreted the same dream by two different people in different
ways, meaning there is some evidence that the symbols did not apply independently to
interpretations, but rather required context on the dreamer.
Because dreams are highly considered in Islam, making dreamwork could be
a suitable therapeutic strategy for Muslim women. Thus, although dream sharing
is common among women, their interpretation is influenced by cultural history
and religious faith.
402 M. Campo-Redondo et al.
As stated in the preceding paragraphs, the importance of dreams is outlined
in the Quran and Hadith; hence, a substantive number of Muslim women in the
Middle East are expected to embrace dream processing, as in this region religion
is intertwined with the everyday life. A study by Askari et al. (2021) in Iran
found that over ninety percent of participants reported that they had shared their
dreams at least once.

Mental health of Muslim women, the Middle East culture, and dreamwork
Islam associates sickness and health with the state of a person’s relationship with
God; hence, Muslim women often associate the onset of psychological symp­
toms with their relationship with Allah (Al Darmaki et al., 2016). Furthermore,
symptoms of mental illness can be linked to external affliction from evil spirits,
evil eyes, curses, or the devil. Such afflictions can only be halted through the
help of religious figures, strengthening relationships with God, and reciting the
Quran. Women also go to religious healers for traditional treatment, which
carries less stigma than visiting a therapist or psychologist.
There is a long way to go to change the help-seeking behaviour of
Muslim women with mental health issues within the Middle East culture.
For instance, many negative narratives exist around mental health in Emirati
culture (Al Darmaki et al., 2016). Although several women see the need to
seek help for mental health problems, most of them go to a religious leader
before consulting a psychotherapist. Others shun professional psychological
help because they are uncomfortable talking about their feelings. Even using
the term mental health has negative connotations, leading to preferences for
self-help coping strategies.
Askari et al. (2021) link dream sharing with positive mental health, and have
found that Muslim women, especially in Middle Eastern countries, feel comfor­
table with the practice of sharing a dream with a close person. A study by Salem
et al. (2009), found that women are more interested in learning the meaning of
dreams compared to men. However, there is a long way to go to change the help-
seeking behaviour of Muslim woman with mental health issues, especially in the
Middle East region. Many negative narratives exist around mental health in the
culture of these societies concerning accepting issues related to mental health.
Given the longstanding interest in dream sharing in the Middle East
Islamic culture, women make good candidates for participating in the
UEDGA, as this method contains elements consistent with the cosmovision
of Muslim women and could present less cultural barriers and taboos com­
pared to one-on-one psychotherapies, making the collaborative efforts within
groups less stigmatising (Salem et al., 2009). The UEDGA could be an
opportunity to break barriers to psychotherapy among women in the Middle
Eastern countries, as dream processing uncovers qualities of subjective per­
ception and relates them to what is happening in waking life (Sparrow &
Thurston, 2010, 2022).
 Psychodynamic Practice 403
The UEDGA could be a positive strategy for promoting professional matura­
tion for practitioners working with women (Bentley, 2022). Applying the tech­
nique to a group of Muslim women would give therapists information that the
dreamers might not have disclosed in a clinical setting. Therefore, dream
analysis could become a useful technique in therapeutic situations for people
who place a high value on dreams, like Muslim women. Participation of women
as leaders and members of the dream group would make them feel confident and
comfortable with the method. The power of the UEDGA comes from promoting
safety and discovery. The healing and discovery process can help Muslim
women dealing with mental health issues face their fears, develop solutions to
dilemmas, understand life circumstances that previously seemed unexplainable,
and discover blind spots (Askari et al., 2022).
Another potential goal of the UEDGA is education on the value of psy­
chotherapy. Research has shown (Kaźmierczak et al., 2021) that women interpret
dreams in relation to their identities, which can create tensions and struggles
during the dreamwork process, Thus, for the process to be effective, it must give
Muslim women participants a sense of autonomy.
Posing intelligent and open-ended questions in a dream group of Muslim
women would enlarge their horizons. Despite dream sharing being a common
phenomenon in the Middle East culture, they are rarely used for therapeutic
sessions. Clinicians must train the group on the processes, principles, and
responsibilities to ensure they own the process. When applied correctly, the
UEDGA could work well to illuminate what is stored in unconscious cultural
identifications (DeHart, 2010), as was the case of the dream and the aftermath
dreamwork deployed in the following documentation.

Islamic dream epistemology and the Ullman’s Experiential Dreamwork

Group Approach: the dream of Ysha, a psychologist, Muslim woman
We employed autoethnography as a form of qualitative methodology to show
the possible interrelationship between the UEDGA and an Islamic interpreta­
tion of dreams. We used the personal experience and keen observations of a
Muslim woman psychologist, who was in intensive training with the
UEDGA. Ysha is the fictitious name given to this dreamer-clinician who
explored the personal and cultural dimensions of her dream experience. She
was both a subject of knowledge and a reflective clinician who elaborated the
theoretical and conceptual components of dream analysis. She used her own
experiences, as well as those provided by the various methods she employed
(Islamic and UEDGA), to generate knowledge and insights into the dynamics
of her own identity as a Muslim clinical psychologist in the Middle East
region. Table 1 displays the documentation of her reflections as a dreamer,
with two different modalities of dream interpretation.
 404

Table 1. A dream: Islamic interpretation and the Ullman’s Experiential Dreamwork Group Approach.

Preface Roughly five months ago, I2 embarked upon the beginning of a beautiful ending. The semester
commenced, where I was due to take my final course, an elective requirement, as part of the Masters
of Science in Clinical Psychology program at a University in my country. The course I had
registered in was called “Seminar in Mental Health”, and as someone experiencing a mild ‘Senior
Slump’, I had not given it much thought prior to registering, but I had presumed it would surely
provide a mundane theoretical overview of mental health. I had no expectations for the course, as I
was more excited by the thought of completing my requirements and transitioning to the ‘real world’
of practice. Little did I know that what I had signed up for was in fact nowhere near what I initially
had in mind. Over the course of five months, with a group of ~15 students that met once a week, I
was introduced to Montague Ulman, and the Ullman method of dream appreciation. Far from being
a traditional theoretical course, I sat through an unconventional, immersive, and experiential
course. I had witnessed first-hand what it means to appreciate the power of dreams, unraveled
through the power of the group dynamic, evolving, and growing closer with each session. As the
class came to an end, I appreciated the privilege to have been part of it and felt obliged to share
M. Campo-Redondo et al.

insights from the Ullman method. I reflect both as a Muslim woman, and as a clinical psychologist
who would integrate dream work with more traditional methods of psychotherapy.

(continued )
Table 1. (Continued).

Ysha’s dream I was in a swimming pool in one of my cousins’ houses, let us call him Cousin A. And I used the word
swimming pool very loosely because it was more like an aquarium rather than the traditional pool
anyone would be familiar with. I was underwater and was surrounded by glass walls. I looked above
me and saw that the water was touching the ceiling then I realized that I desperately wanted to
breathe. I started swimming and saw other people in the aquarium. I started recognizing them one
by one. They were all female family members. We were all dressed in swimsuits, and they were all
gathered at one spot at the very top part of the aquarium. I went towards their direction to
investigate and hoping that the exit from the inside of the aquarium was there. After reaching them, I
discovered they were surrounding the place not to leave, but to breathe. The ceiling there was
broken the size of a palm. One by one, they would go and desperately try to get some air. Some are
more successful than others. Eventually I got my turn to get some air and I immediately started
swimming around trying to look for an exit. When looking around, I noticed my surroundings were
peculiar. The inside of the aquarium was the brightest. The outside was very dim compared to the
outside. What was visible was the structure of the whole area. I looked like an amphitheater and the
aquarium was in the middle, as if my family members and I being stuck in a predicament was some
form of entertainment. And some silhouettes were seated, watching, and talking about us. I tried to
communicate to them to help us, but none did. My search for an exit continued, and I found two
Psychodynamic Practice

lounging on a sofa, and they were the closest to the aquarium. They were close enough that the light
of the aquarium made their facial features discernible. I knew them, they were my two male cousins
that I would see in important religious holidays such as Eid. I will call them Cousin B and Cousin C.
Happy that I found someone I am familiar with, and I knew they would do their best to help us. I
somehow got the message across and got them to understand that we need a way out. Cousin B took
a remote control and with the click of a button, the glass walls of the aquarium disappeared and the
water that reached the ceiling returned to normal level. The aquarium turned back into a regular
pool.

(continued )
405
 406

Table 1. (Continued).

Islamic Method of Dream Interpretation
I woke up from my dream at 3 am in the morning. I made sure to note down what I remembered in the
dream to later seek a dream interpreter. The next day, I got the call center number for dream
interpreters that was provided by the government in my country and called them. Within seconds,
someone replied. The person that answered my call was a Muslim Sheikh who was specialized in
dream interpretation. I described the dream, and he gave me a few questions regarding the family
members that I saw in the dream. He was particularly focused on Cousin A, whose house and pool
were the location of the dream but did not appear in the dream. He also asked about the relationships
between cousins A, B and C. If they were on good terms or not. Unfortunately, that particular cousin
is one of the most vague and mysterious people I have ever encountered in my life.
Most of the questions regarding A, I could not answer fully. After addressing all the questions, he
asked me to stay on the line and he will give me an interpretation. He needed to consult a more
experienced Dream Interpreter. After staying on the line for 10 minutes, the line got reconnected.
According to him and his interpretation of the dream, Cousin A is drowning in debt and will
possibly be incriminated. The members of his household and those he is responsible for are also
affected by his debts and are finding ways to try and decrease the debt. However, possibly soon
M. Campo-Redondo et al.

Cousins B and C will aid him. Specifically, Cousin B will loan A the money to pay the debt. I asked
the Sheikh how he interpreted the dream. The Sheikh told me that the most accurate way to interpret
dreams is by referring to the completion of Ibn Siren. He ended our call by saying that the
interpretation may be wrong, and that Allah (God) knows best.

(continued )
Table 1. (Continued).

UEDGA: Clarification and “IF THIS
WERE MY DREAM”
Five days after having the dream, I presented it to my classmates of the seminar in Mental Health. In
the class, the chairs are formed in a circle so the group can face each other. The leader asks, ‘if
anyone is willing to share a dream’. I replied, ‘I have a dream’ The leader thanks me and asks me to
narrate my dream slowly so that the group can write notes about it. After I narrated the dream, the
leader informs the group that they may ask questions that are about the dream. Questions about my
waking life are not to be asked at this stage.
The first question was, ‘What was real?’ I replied, ‘The pool exists but it’s different, the people I
identified were real’.
Another questioned ‘What were your feeling during the dream?’ I said ‘In the beginning, I was
confused and lost due to the structure of the pool. When I realized I was underwater and that I could
not breathe, I panicked. Majority of the dream is full of anxiety and fear. I would say a few times I
was filled with false hope. The moments of relief were rare’.
Another asked ‘How is your relationship with the people you recognized in the dream?’ I said, ‘The
ones that were with me in the aquarium were all my female family members. I usually see them twice
a month. As for the male cousins, I rarely see them. Maybe once or twice within a year’.
The leader then describes the next stage. In this stage, also called by Ullman The Game (Ullman,
2001) the dreamer is a listener and is advised to take notes. The group members express their
feelings and thoughts if the dream was their own dream. The group members start to participate and
try to make sense of their feelings. One said ‘If this were my dream, I would feel exposed and
Psychodynamic Practice

frustrated. People on the outside see me and others are suffering yet they do not try to assist us in
any shape or form”. Another expressed anger ‘If this were my dream, I would be angry at my
cousins B and C. They could see us having difficulties and could have helped us earlier. They helped
only after I asked for their assistance’.
The leader explains to the group that in this stage the group members should try and find metaphors in
the dream as if the dream was their own. One of the most interesting replies was ‘If this was my
dream, a metaphor I can recognize is the double standards that exist in society towards women. Only
women were in the aquarium, and they were judged and talked about as if they were a form of
entertainment’. A young lady shared ‘If this was my dream, one of the metaphors are how men can
easily fix a problem us women will have much difficulty in. I am so used the phrase “let the men
handle it”. It is an undisclosed fact that if a man is the one to try and fix an issue, it will be handled
more simply and thoroughly compared to a woman’.
407

(continued )
 408

Table 1. (Continued).

UEDGA: Context The leader gave me back my voice and told me, as the dreamer, I may now explain what I thought the
dream was telling me.
I told the group that a lot of the metaphors I heard, I agreed with. I also shared that even the feelings
they had resonated with me. I had a belated reaction and feelings such as anger at my cousins for not
helping me from the beginning of the dream. I also shared my beliefs in the way our society may
pressure us to act in a certain way. Because if we acted in a way that does not coincide with the
image our society makes of us, we bring shame not only to ourselves but to our family as well. But,
when men act out, those shameful acts are brushed away and the phrase ‘boys will be boys’. Even
then, they are not reprimanded. They are free to act, and society will protect them.
After sharing my thoughts, the leader informed me that sometimes our beliefs can be translated into
dreams. The leader thanked me for sharing and asked if the group members had any questions or
needed any clarifications.
The leader explained this stage as the looking into the dreamer’s waking life. Specifically, the night the
dream occurred. The leader emphasized that the group may ask questions related to the dream, and
any overly personal questions are not allowed. The leader then told me that I am not forced to
answer all questions. I choose what is to be shared.
M. Campo-Redondo et al.

The leader asked me what my last thoughts were before or during lying in bed. I replied that I do not
remember. A group member asked, ‘What were you doing before going to be?’ I said ‘I just came
back from the mall from a different city, and I was exhausted. However, I was also happy because I
managed to purchase all the items I previously wanted. As soon as I reached home, I showered and
got myself ready for bed and immediately slept. I rarely wake up in the middle of the night’.

(continued )
Table 1. (Continued).

UEDGA: Playback The leader asked for a volunteer to read the dream back to me. The leader told me after each segment
is read to me, I can respond or comment. A group member volunteered and read me the dream in
segments. The volunteer started ‘You were in a pool that looked like an aquarium in your cousin’s
house. You were underwater and had trouble breathing and started panicking and feeling anxious.
After the volunteer paused and looked at me expectantly, I commented ‘Another way you can
describe the pool, is that it almost looked like a fishbowl’. The volunteer continued ‘You started
swimming around looking for an exit and saw you were not alone. Women were gathered at a spot at
the top. When you got near them, you recognized them as family members. After reading that
segment, I commented ‘Now that I think about it, all the people present in my dream are from my
paternal side of the family. I have not seen anyone from my mother’s side’.
All group members started noting this comment. After writing their notes, the volunteer continued ‘All
the women were gathered at that area because there was a hole in the ceiling. One by one, they
would get a turn to catch their breath. You got to breathe and started to look for an exit’. To which I
replied ‘I was looking for an exit the moment I realized I was underwater. Also, the hole was small.
I could barely fit half of my face and getting air was difficult. But after getting a fresh supply of air,
I started to desperately look for an exit. You could say my energy was renewed’.
After that clarification, the volunteer started with the next segment ‘The surrounding area was dim,
and you could only see silhouettes of people staring at you and your female family members. You
Psychodynamic Practice

tried to communicate to them to save you and you were ignored’. I took a moment and found
nothing to comment upon this segment. The volunteer added ‘After not receiving help from the
faceless silhouettes, you continued investigating and found two men sitting on a sofa close to the
aquarium. You identified them as Cousins B and C’. I shared again my feelings of relief ‘As soon as
I saw them, I immediately knew everything will somehow be solved’.
The volunteer proceeded with narrating “After you informed them that you and your family members
want to leave the aquarium, Cousin B took a remote control and the walls of the aquarium
disappeared and everything returned to normal”. I then replied ‘I still cannot believe how easily he
resolved the issue, with a touch of a button. I now remember in the dream that I expected them to
need to break the glass and even then, they might have difficulty helping us. But no, just with one
press, all our struggles were gone’.
I can still feel thankful to them for getting us out of that predicament, but I admit, there are new
409

feelings of resentment that did not exist prior to this session.

(continued )
 410

Table 1. (Continued).

UEDGA: Orchestration
UEDGA: “Dreamer Last word Stage”
The leader asked me if I still want to continue to the next stage, to which I agree. Most of the members
had similar points of view and agreed with me and with each other’s previous discussions. Some
said the dream is showing me that I rely too much on my male family members when I am
struggling with these issues in a bravery manner. Others commented I may be overestimating their
abilities and, in a way, undermining my own.
A surprising factor to my dream, was that the “Islamic vision” became true. A week after my dream, I
was told by a family member that Cousin A had overwhelming debts and Cousin B did loan him
money. Shocked by that news, I tried to turn it into a coincidental occurrence. But that does not
explain how the one in need of help and the one willing to help were in my dream. Especially if they
are people whom I rarely interact with on a yearly basis.
M. Campo-Redondo et al.
 Psychodynamic Practice 411
A dream: Islamic interpretation and the Ullman’s Experiential Dreamwork
Group Approach
Muslim women and the Ullman’s Experiential Dreamwork Group Approach
One of the main ideas that we can stress from this documentation is how the
external dynamic of society are intuitively captured and reflected in dreams.
In an interview with Hillman (2006), Ullman describes how in Sweden
women had a repetitive dream in which a farmer owns his cows. Ullman states
that although Sweden is a country that enacts similar freedoms for men and
women, deep in the psyche of women this inequality of power sharing between
men and women still prevails, and this is portrayed in the dreams of Swedish
women. We observed a similar pattern in Ysha’s dream: women and men are
segregate and women depend on men to ‘be saved’. With the application of the
UEDGA not only the individual but also social awareness of the dreamer and the
group members were achieved.
Some Middle Eastern countries are based on patriarchal structures with a
legal dichotomy; women must conform to the legal duality of legal requirements
and Islamic laws. As a result, women in this part of the world need the approval
of their male guardians before performing most of the functions imposed on
them by the Constitution. Therefore, women’s rights and responsibilities are
mainly influenced by religion. For example, adult women over the age of
eighteen must seek the approval of a guardian before travelling outside the
country or marrying (Sergon, 2022). In addition, the law sets the age of consent
for marriage at eighteen, although the Qur’an sets it at puberty, meaning that
women can legally marry before the age of eighteen with the approval of a
guardian and a judge. Moreover, in some Middle Eastern countries women need
the consent of a male guardian to work, which is usually the father (Sergon,
2022). Thus, legal duality remains one of the biggest obstacles to achieving
gender equality. These dynamics are reflected in the metaphorical imagery of
Ysha’s dream, as it was discussed in her documentation.
We have deduced the UEDGA’s benefits. For instance, as clinical psychol­
ogists and Muslim women, we are conversant with the need to share one’s
afflictions, though intimate modalities such as the UEDGA. Our participation
as Muslim women in the UEDGA made us feel confident and comfortable with
the method. As shown in the documentation of Ysha’s dream, the power of the
UEDGA came from promoting safety and discovery. The healing and discovery
process helped the dreamer dealing with her mental health issues and her
intuitions of the cultural reality she is immersed in, as she has never dealt
before, allowing the dreamer to face fears, develop solutions to dilemmas,
understand life circumstances that previously seemed unexplainable, such as
the difference standards for men and women in her society, and, as Askari et
al. proposed (Askari et al., 2022), discover blind spots.
412 M. Campo-Redondo et al.
Final thoughts on Ysha’s dream aftermath personal findings on both methods
of dream analysis: Ullman and Islamic
Islamic dream interpretations may seem foreign, unapproachable, and even
irrelevant to the major concerns of Western-trained psychologists who study
dreams. This perspective is disappointing since there is excellent opportunity for
cross-cultural communication that stands to increase understanding on both
sides, as happened in the analysis of Ysha’s dream.
With the narrations documented by a Muslim, psychologist woman, we have
sought to demonstrate that the UEDGA had its benefits. As Ullman has claimed
(Ullman, 2001), dreams have an intrinsic honesty; they seem to come from an
incorruptible core of our being that registers the truth when it sees it. As it happened
in Ysha’s dream, she was truly discovered during the session. She rediscovered herself,
especially in the social dimension related to how gender is treated in her society.
The Islamic epistemology of dream interpretations was cautious with Ysha’s
dream. People of the Arab culture hold a strong meaning to dreams and so their
dreams have a significant meaning to them and play a vital role in the way they
view and live their life, especially in the third type of dream in Islam which is
‘self-talk’ dreams. Self-talk dreams refer past or present events or concerns of
the dreamer or emotional or psychological distress which is reflected as a dream
(Elzamzamy & Salem, 2020). For example, as Muslim women, we believe that
good dreams are messages from God while bad dreams are from the devil; we
hold this belief because of a specific ‘hadeeth’. A hadeeth are words of wisdom
by the prophet. The hadeeth in question is as follows: The Prophet (pbuh) said,
‘A good vision (ru’ya) is from Allāh and a bad dream (hulm) is from Satan; so if
one of you sees anything (in a dream which he dislikes), he should spit on his
left side thrice and seek refuge with Allāh from its evil, and then it will never
harm him’. According to this practice, the interpreter in Ysha’s dream was
careful with his wording and what was shared was a form of a vision.
The emphasis on deciphering symbols according to the Islamic interpretation
does not fully harmonise with the UEDGA, where the emphasis is more on
associations to waking life, emotions, and metaphors rather than literal symbols.
Additionally, it is noteworthy to share that it is commonly believed that in the
Islamic tradition, nightmares, or bad dreams, should not be shared with anyone,
as dreams are believed to have a spiritual power, and sharing a bad dream may
increase the likelihood of it turning into reality. Rather, one is advised to brush it
off, pray to be protected, and go back to sleep, as they are perceived as
whisperings of the devil, or Satan. There is also a thin line it seems between a
good dream, and a vision or spiritual illumination, where one has an auspicious
dream that becomes a reality in the near or far future (Bulkeley, 2002).
By applying the two methods to analyse a dream, we hoped to have revealed which
method is more beneficial: the Muslim religious method of dream interpretation or the
UEDGA. Both methods have benefited this woman in various ways. However, based
on Ysha’s reflection on her dream, the UEDGA seems to have been more applicable
and generated a more beneficial form of reflective consequences.
 Psychodynamic Practice 413
As described in Ysha’s documentation, the UEDGA appeared to have generated
a deeper understanding of Ysha’s fears by gaining insight into the gender inequal­
ities of the society in which she lives. In Ysha’s experience, approaching the dream
with the UEDGA was not as difficult as she had previously believed; rather, it
required a methodical approach to making relevant connections, informed by an
understanding of the dream’s unique qualities. The dualistic aspect of this strategy,
which can help the individual feel more comfortable talking about their dreams, also
seems quite reassuring. Working with the UEDGA, this psychologist, Muslim
woman found that others found it easier to help her see the truth and gave her the
encouragement she needed to take the next step towards both, self and cultural
awareness. She discovered that dreams are a great reflection of our personalities, as
well as the social reality we are immersed in, as her dream showed. What struck us
the most, though, was the group’s reaction to and recognition of the candour
displayed in the dream. Since she as a dreamer put her faith in the group’s good
intentions, the dreamer was able to share her thoughts and feelings with them.
Muslim women in Middle East countries are one of the groups that view
psychotherapy as a last resort because seeking help for mental health problems is
stigmatised. However, dreamwork using the UEDGA could be a welcome
strategy for psychoanalysis and therapy because dream sharing with family
members is a common practice in Islamic culture. The principles underlying
the UEDGA could alleviate concerns regarding safety and fear in dream sharing
as a healing strategy. As such, the UEDGA could confront some flaws of certain
Middle East social structures that undermine the help-seeking behaviour of
women with mental health issues by providing a supportive and safe group
atmosphere for dreamers to acknowledge personal truths and heal.
Ysha understood that there are some similarities between both methods, the
Islamic Interpretation and the UEDGA. First, they both give importance in the
appreciation and personal space of the dreamer. Secondly, they both seem to have
specific explanations about symbols, which are then used as metaphors for a particular
meaning about the situation that the dreamer has been experiencing in their dream.
Muslim women perceive dreams as an important spiritual sign; therefore, we can
consider the UEDGA as a therapeutic strategy in our practice with our patients,
especially Muslim patients, as they value dreams and take them seriously in their
lives which will help them to heal their emotions and let them know themselves better.
As we have tried to show in this article, the Islamic view of dreams frequently
diverges from Western views, which are primarily shaped by scientific theories.
Islamic dream beliefs may seem foreign, unapproachable, and even irrelevant to
the major concerns of Western-trained psychologists who study these traditions.
It is important that individuals not let the large language and cultural gap
between Islamic and Western traditions prevent them from trying to bridge that
gap. The fact that we all dream serves as a unifying factor between the two
approaches, as all humans share this universal experience of dreaming.
Finally, we would like to point out that the interpretation of dreams in the
context of mental health practice seems to call for an integration of culturally
414 M. Campo-Redondo et al.
appropriate epistemologies. The Islamic worldview of dreams, in combination
with a more phenomenological approach, as would be the case of the UEDGA,
seems to generate assimilable results, especially in Muslim women. From our
perspective, this seems to be the most appropriate path to integrate Eastern and
Western approaches to dreams. Future research of dream work in Islamic
populations, would give us more insight into the phenomenology of dreams,
especially in Muslim women psychologists.

Notes
1. The number of stages defined differ slightly based on the author providing the
description. Ullman’s original account included three main stages with sub-stages,
that were then divided into four stages for simplicity, by subsequent authors.
2. To respect the dreamer’s personal narrative, we kept the textual annotations, as well
as the pronouns and tense verbs as they were initially recorded.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors
Maria Campo-Redondo is an experienced clinical psychologist, psychodynamic thera­
pist, and professor emeritus at the University of Zulia in Venezuela. She currently teaches
in the Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology at the United Arab Emirates University in
the United Arab Emirates.
Mai Alsheraifi is a psychologists and full-time graduate students, doing their final
internship in the Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology at the United Arab Emirates
University.
Mariam lshamsi is a psychologists and full-time graduate students, doing their final
internship in the Master's Program in Clinical Psychology at the United Arab Emirates
University.

References
Al Darmaki, F., Thomas, J., & Yaaqeib, S. (2016). Mental health beliefs amongst Emirati
female college students. Community Mental Health Journal, 52(2), 233–238. https://
doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9918-9
Asadzandi, M. (2018). Dream theory from the perspective of Islam. International Journal
of Psychotherapy Practice and Research, 1(3), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.14302/issn.
2574-612X.ijpr-18-2243
Askari, F., Davoudi, I., Neysi, A., & Zargar, Y. (2021). Dream sharing and positive
mental health in Iranian culture. Dreaming, 31(3), 252–261. https://doi.org/10.1037/
drm0000169
Askari, F., Davoudi, I., Neysi, A., & Zargar, Y. (2022). The effectiveness of Ullman’s
dream interpretation group sessions on exploratory, action, and experiential insights
in healthy women. Journal of Applied Psychological Research, 12(4), 47–65. https://
doi.org/10.22059/japr.2022.320347.643782
 Psychodynamic Practice 415
Bahammam, A., Almeneessier, A., & Pandi-Perumal, S. R. Medieval Islamic scholarship
and writings on sleep and dreams. (2018). Annals of Thoracic Medicine, 12(2), 72. In
press. https://doi.org/10.4103/atm.ATM_162_17
Bentley, M. (2022). Exploring the value of group dream experience (GDE): A qualitative
study of psychotherapists’ experiences of group dream sharing and dream work.
(Doctorate Thesis, The University of the West of England). Retrieved from https://
uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1491226.
Bulkeley, K. (2002). Reflections on the dream traditions of Islam. Sleep and Hypnosis, 4,
1–11.
Cabaniss, D. L. (2016). Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: A clinical manual. John Wiley &
Sons.
DeHart, D. (2010). Cognitive restructuring through dreams and imagery: Descriptive
analysis of a women’s prison-based program. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation,
49(1), 23–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509670903435449
Elzamzamy, K., & Salem, M. O. (2020). Dreams and their role in Islamically integrated
mental health practice. Applying Islamic Principles to Clinical Mental Health Care.
Freud, S. (1900). The interpretation of dreams (Standard ed.). Hogarth Press, 1953.
Freud, S. (1997). The interpretation of dreams (A. A. Brill, Trans). Wordsworth Editions.
Foulkes, S. H. (1964). Therapeutic group analysis. Allen and Unwin. Reprinted 1984,
London: Karnac Books.
Hillman, D. (2006). Deborah Hillman interviews Montague Ullman, MD [Video].
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zykTry-7YBQ
Kaźmierczak, I., Szulawski, M., Masłowiecka, A., & Zięba, M. (2021). What do females
really dream of? An individual-differences perspective on determining how narrative
identity affects types of life projects and the ways of telling them. In Current
psychology (pp. 1–10). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01739-y
Salem, M. O., Ragab, M. A. L., & Razik, S. Y. A. (2009). Significance of dreams among
United Arab Emirates university students. International Journal of Dream Research,
2(1). https://doi.org/10.11588/ijodr.2009.1.150
Sela-Smith, S. (2000). The Ullman method of dream analysis: Content and context.
Dream Work, 19(1). Retrieved from. https://dreamnetworkjournal.com/bcpov6rssull/
the-ullman-method-of-dream-analysis
Sergon, V. (2022). Women’s rights in the United Arab Emirates. Expatica. Retrieved from
https://www.expatica.com/ae/living/gov-law-admin/womens-rights-in-the-united-
arab-emirates-71118/#Laws.
Sparrow, G. S., & Thurston, M. (2022). Viewing the dream as process: A key to effective
dreamwork. International Journal of Dream Research, 15(1), 64–72. https://doi.org/
10.11588/ijodr.2022.1.82928
Sparrow, G. S., & Thurston, M. (2010). The five star method: A relational dream work
methodology. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 5(2), 204–215. https://doi.org/
10.1080/15401383.2010.485113
Stimson, W. (2009). The hidden dimension of Chinese culture as seen in the dream of a
Taiwanese woman. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/
13674670903433678
Stimson, W. R. (2013). Montague Ullman’s dream appreciation. The Humanistic
Psychologist, 41(2), 178–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/08873267.2012.694124
Ullman, M. (2001). An atheoretic bidirectional experiential group approach to working
with dreams. Issues in group psychotherapy. Journal of the Group Department of the
Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, 5(1).
Ullman, M. (1996). Appreciating dreams: A group approach. Sage Publications.
Ullman, M., & Zimmerman, N. (2017). What’s in a dream? Working with Dreams, 20–33.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315105604-1