ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how dreamwork is enhanced by referring to the themes and concerns of existential psychology. The existential-humanistic movement beginning in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s was an outgrowth of existentialist philosophy, which articulated responses to the breakdown of traditional religious worldviews, giving voice to a spirit of protest, an urge to achieve individuality and overcome self-deception, and a willingness to face the difficult facts of life. Rollo May and Irvin Yalom explained that existential psychology studies how the individual copes with four ultimate concerns—mortality, freedom, isolation, and meaning/meaninglessness. Dreams often present images of mortality, which is a central focus of existential thought. George Vaillant's theory of mature adaptation describes a continuum of defense mechanisms typically used as coping strategies. Responsibility, will, and adaptation require a balance of autonomy and self-sufficiency with social support and collaboration. Many dreams focus on themes of aloneness and relatedness.
