One kind is about life. The other is about loss. Both are useful.

Most people have only one thing in mind when they hear those words, “big dream.” You know about that.

“Grief itself is transformative. It is a process of disassembly.”
– Rebecca Cathcart

In an article in the Science Times Section of The New York Times, writer Rebecca Cathcart explains the current thinking on the role dreams play in grief.

“Grief itself is transformative. It is a process of disassembly. The bereaved must let go of the selves they were, as well as the loved ones they have lost. The dreams we have while grieving are an important part of that process,” she writes.

“Our dreams have to do with how we internalize the people we love,” said Pamela McCarthy, director of counseling services at Smith College. “You have to learn to look within for the loved one and the particular function that person played in your life, such as caretaking or guidance in the case of a parent. This becomes part of a function that you can provide for yourself.”

This is a thoughtful article which talks about topics often avoided. Death. Grief. Dream interpretation — most people think of scenes from a Woody Allen movie.