Dates: Thursday, July 14, 2022, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET
Available by: Join by Videoconference Only (learn more about videoconference)
Suggested Love Offering: $ 10.00
Facilitated by Rev. Darby Christopher and Rev. Dr. Sushmita Mukherjee
Dream as Medicine
Over the last few weeks, we have been bombarded with news that feels, to many of us, like we are losing precious, hard-won ground in terms of freedom and human dignity. At such times, rage and despair are natural reactions. And yet, the sun continues to shine and the birds continue to sing. Should we then become oblivious to the enchanting beauty and promise of this world? Or can we slowly learn the dance steps that allow us to hold both polarities?
Dreams provide a portal into the unconscious, which often houses the polarity that is absent in our conscious ego-awareness. In this gathering, we will utilize a real nighttime dream, dreamt by an American woman, as she woke from the night after the announcement regarding Roe vs Wade. We will use this dream as our communal portal to explore what, for each one of us, lies on the other side of rage and despair. We will utilize the methodology of Group Projective Dreamwork as the container for this exploration. Join us.
Facilitators:
Rev. Darby Christopher is an interfaith minister and holds a Master of Social Work degree. She is a graduate of the Haden Institute’s Dream Group Leadership Training program. Author of the recently published book From Anxiety to Connection: A Path to Authentic Relating, Darby enjoys speaking, writing, presenting workshops, leading dream groups, and companioning people on their life’s journey.
Rev. Dr. Sushmita Mukherjee’s life and career straddles cutting-edge biomedical research technology, and a spirituality that cannot be easily categorized. Both in scientific and spiritual realms, her work lives at the interface of image, imagination and creativity. As a scientist, Sushmita works as an Associate Professor of Research, and a Co-Director of the Microscopy and Image Analysis Core Facility, at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Her spiritual home is at the One Spirit Learning Alliance, where she is an Academic Dean at the Interfaith/Interspiritual Seminary Program. Sushmita is an ordained interspiritual minister and a trained spiritual companion/counselor.
Sushmita’s spiritual work is deeply influenced by the teachings of Carl Jung and James Hillman, and the creative perspectives of poets and writers, too many to name. Some of her specific interests include myths, dreams, poetry and art, with a special focus on Fractal art, altar building, guided visualizations, and the practice of SoulCollage®. In terms of world traditions, Sushmita’s work draws on Hindu and Greek myths, Earth-based traditions, Taoism, Sufism, and Perennial Philosophy.
Sushmita’s spirituality is squarely oriented toward holding a paradox – finding that “yes, and” place that encompasses apparent polarities of light and dark, masculine and feminine, spiritual striving and community engagement. Sushmita has a keen eye for inclusivity, especially inviting in anyone who feels “otherized” by mainstream traditions.
If you have questions about registering for this course, please contact One Spirit Learning Alliance by email to info@1spirit.org or call 212-931-6840.