ABSTRACT
Trauma can constrict the imagination and damage imaginative abilities. In these cases, meaning is transferred from the past to the present without transformation, creating the repetition compulsion and making it difficult to learn from experience.
Dreams are a potentially creative space for traumatized patients. Embodied Imagination can be adjusted to work with trauma to repair and expand the imagination. One approach is to concentrate on aspects of the dream that are different from how the traumatized dreamer remembers the actual event, creating space for imaginative representations. As the patient begins to weave in new material and view the trauma from different perspectives, she develops the flexibility and strength to stop the repetitive reliving of events. The trauma no longer remains heavy in the body and mind, undigested. A traumatic memory can also be worked as a dream. Multiple examples are given.
The use of art can be an effective means of representing and working through trauma, as it provides an open space to generate meaning and work toward the transformation of traumatic memory. The imaginative responses of trauma victims in the service of survival are included in this category. The issue of how to encourage resilience is also considered.
