Aug 23rd 11 Posted by Renee Coleman

echidna dreaming

Not long ago I had to visit to my dentist for a root canal. While waiting for the numbing to take effect, the doctor asked what I do “for a crumb.” Upon hearing that I work with dreams, he made some comment about how he never dreams. “Actually,” I said, “scientists tell us that all mammals (and birds, for that matter) dream, and that, on average, human beings dream for about 2 hours every... read more

Jul 26th 11 Posted by Renee Coleman

the dreaming heart

Recently my twelve-year-old asked me to help her study for an upcoming biology exam.  Using a series of flashcards that she had prepared specifically, I called out various “biological” terms as she endeavored to recite their definitions.... read more

Jun 7th 11 Posted by Renee Coleman

choose comedy

The word “theatre” comes to us from the Greeks.  It means “the seeing place.” Aristotle essentially took the Mysteries and more or less made them public through the form of drama. Individuals were introduced, taken into, and exposed to something so utterly unknown that it crumbled all they knew or thought they knew.  Thus, a kind of transformative catharsis was made possible in the “seeing... read more

May 10th 11 Posted by Renee Coleman

expectations

Why is it that we often treat total strangers with more courtesy, respect, and kindness than those we love and cherish?  In a word: expectations. Expectations get us into a lot of trouble with a lot of people a lot of the time.  Though our expectations for others frequently go unvoiced by us, there seems to be a direct correlation between how close we are to folks and the expectations we have of or for... read more

Apr 25th 11 Posted by Renee Coleman

dreams as afterlife?

We have long held this idea that, well, when a person dies, they die, and that’s it. Death is understood as a moment—and we assume that a person knows if they are dead or alive. But as scientists are pushing through... read more

Mar 2nd 11 Posted by Renee Coleman

dream of a house

Because people so frequently dream of being in a house–whether it’s their waking-world house, the house they grew up in, someone else’s house, or different houses that are very much “theirs” in a felt-sense... read more

Feb 15th 11 Posted by Renee Coleman

becoming who you are

Joseph Campbell, the late, great mythologist of the last century, said that “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.”  Yes.  But I’m here to remind you that becoming who you are is undoubtedly the hardest work you will ever endeavor. ... read more

Jan 4th 11 Posted by Renee Coleman

follow your star home

The late astronomer Carl Sagan coined the phrase “We are star stuff” to explain how we came from the stars, albeit in a very, very, very long birth process. Turns out, life on Earth was made possible by the death of stars.  Atoms like carbon and oxygen were spewed forth in the last few dying gasps of stars as their supplies of hydrogen fuel were finally used up.  And it’s precisely this “star... read more