The Dream Journal

What if nightmares are not something to escape—but something to dance with? In this episode, we’re joined by Lana Nasser, dreamworker, ritual facilitator, and creator of The Dream Hive, for a deep exploration of dreams, nightmares, embodiment, and collective dreaming. Together, we explore how dreams connect us to the more‑than‑human world, how ritual can transform fear, and why symbols like bees and snakes carry powerful intelligence for our time. This conversation weaves together ritual dreamwork, ecofeminist perspectives, embodied practice, and collective healing, offering a grounded yet imaginative approach to working with dreams—not as private puzzles to solve, but as living relationships to tend. Whether you’re a dreamer, therapist, ritualist, artist, or simply curious about the wisdom of the unconscious, this episode invites you into a deeper way of listening. 00:00 — Opening: Dancing With Dreams & Nightmares Introducing the episode and the invitation to meet dreams as living teachers rather than problems to fix. 03:45 — Lana Nasser on Ritual Dreamwork How ritual creates a container for working with dreams safely, creatively, and collectively. 08:20 — Nightmares as Initiation Reframing nightmares as gateways to embodied knowledge, not signs of failure or pathology. 14:10 — The Dream Hive: Collective Dreaming in Practice Exploring shared dream spaces and why dreaming together matters in times of crisis. 20:05 — Embodiment & the Body’s Dream Language Why dreams are not just images, but sensations, movements, and felt experiences. 26:30 — Bees, Snakes & Dream Symbolism Working with non‑human dream figures without reducing them to fixed meanings. 33:40 — Ecofeminism, Earth, and the Unconscious How dreamwork intersects with ecological grief, care, and re‑enchantment. 40:55 — Ritual, Safety & the Nervous System The importance of pacing, consent, and grounding when working with intense dream material. 47:25 — Dreaming With Others Without Appropriation Ethics, humility, and listening when dreams cross cultural and ancestral lines. 54:10 — Closing Reflections: Living in Dialogue With Dreams How to continue the relationship with dreams beyond the night. The annual IASD conference will be in Ashland OR June 13-17. Information at IASDconferences.org/2026 The Wisdom of the Mothers online conference will be April 22-23. Information at https://www.yerusha.org/wotm2026 BIO: Lana Nasser is a writer, performing artist, and dream-weaver, she guides individuals and groups in ritualizing dreams—using theater, movement, props, and nature—to enter dialogue with the imaginal. Her practice reveals insight, fuels psychospiritual exploration, and births communal and personal ritual art. An ecofeminist shapeshifting storyteller, she bridges worlds through embodied dreamwork and innovative performance-making practices. Contact our guest: LanaNasser.com This show, episode number 356, was recorded March 26, 2026  and originally broadcast on March 28, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Videos available on YouTube at youtube.com/@experientialdreamwork. Popular playlists: “Dream Journal shorts” and “FULL LENGTH VIDEOS”.     Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in: Holding Space for the Mystery with Bonnie Buckner, PhD How Dreamwork Strengthens Intuition: Lucidity, Meaning, and the Medial Archetype with Athena Laz Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones. SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites. A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe, and tell your friends.

How do dreams support emotional health—and how can we use our feelings more skillfully in everyday life? On this episode of The Dream Journal, host Katherine Bell is joined by psychiatrist Dr. Loma K. Flowers, author of Catching Your Feelings, for a practical, grounded conversation about emotional competence and the role dreams play in mental health. Dr. Flowers introduces her model of emotional competence—balancing thinking, feeling, judgment, and action—and explains why ignoring emotions can lead to stress, illness, and impulsive decisions. Through real‑world examples, listener call‑ins, and a live demonstration of the dream interview method, she shows how dreams can function like an “emotional MRI,” revealing insights that help us make better choices. The episode includes a step‑by‑step dream exploration of Katherine’s rearview mirror dream, tools for journaling facts versus feelings, and practical guidance on using good judgment as risk assessment. Listeners also share how dreams helped with major decisions, physical healing, and navigating life transitions. This episode is ideal for anyone interested in dream interpretation, emotional intelligence, mental health, psychology, therapy tools, or personal growth. Topics covered include: What emotional competence really means How dreams help regulate emotions and improve judgment The dream interview method (live example) Using journaling to separate facts, feelings, and opinions Managing anger, impulsivity, and emotional overload Why practicing on “small moments” builds emotional skill Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to The Dream Journal & why dreams matter 02:36 – Introducing psychiatrist Dr. Loma K. Flowers 03:43 – Emotional competence: thinking, feeling, judgment, action 07:03 – Ignoring emotions and the body: a powerful personal story 08:09 – Dreams and psychosomatic health (blood pressure case) 10:29 – Dream interview method explained 10:36 – Rear‑view mirror dream: live dream exploration 13:30 – Handling rudeness, anger, and emotional triggers 19:34 – Journaling tool: facts vs feelings vs opinions 22:44 – Good judgment as risk assessment 33:50 – Listener calls: dreams for medical and life decisions BIO: Loma K. Flowers, MD served as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF and was the first Chairman of the Board of the IASD in 1984. She collaborated with Gayle Delaney for over ten years as the Delaney & Flowers Center for the Study of Dreams. Dr Flowers has many peer reviewed articles addressing the application of dream exploration for healing mental health issues including substance abuse and psychosomatic illnesses. She developed the Emotional Competence curriculum in 1994 that includes dreams as a powerful internal resource. She is recipient of the APA Distinguished Life Fellow and the 2019 Solomon Carter Fuller Award. Her new book is  “Catching your Feelings, Skills to Direct Your Emotions into Constructive Action.” This show, episode number 356, was recorded during a live broadcast on March 21, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Videos available on YouTube at youtube.com/@experientialdreamwork. Popular playlists: “Dream Journal shorts” and “FULL LENGTH VIDEOS”.     Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in: Trauma is Universal but So Is Healing with Wendy Correa Understanding Your Mind with Jesse Lyon   Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones. SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites. A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe, and tell your friends.

Heather Taylor-Zimmerman, PhD — psychologist and visionary artist who leads transformational art programs. Greg Mahr, MD — psychiatrist running a nightmare clinic and author on dream wisdom. They explore nightmares as meaningful signals, dream rescripting and active agency, using the Dream Wisdom Oracle cards to clarify imagery, visionary art and creative flow, and links between dreams and psychedelic-like brain states.

Paul Kalas, PhD, an astrophysicist and author who tracks precognitive dreams, shares striking anecdotes and a 300+ dream archive. He discusses what makes dreams feel predictive, a dream that anticipated an astronomical discovery, evolutionary reasons precognition might exist, and futuristic ideas like large‑scale dream recording, AI analysis, and time‑traveling information.

Athena Laz, psychologist, intuitive, and bestselling author of books on dreams and the medial archetype, joins to explore dreaming as a bridge between inner and outer life. They discuss the medial archetype, how dreamwork mediates inner conflict, playful practices to rebuild intuition, lucidity and working with nightmares, and the power of shared dreaming and community.

🎙️ The Dream Journal Dreams, Astrology, & Cosmic Downloads with Madi Murphy From the studios of KSQD in Santa Cruz, host Katherine Bell welcomes astrologer and author Madi Murphy, founder of CosmicRx, for a powerful conversation on dreams as divine guidance systems. In this episode, Madi shares how vivid childhood dreams, prophetic moments, and visitations from her grandfather led her from a publishing career in New York City to shamanic training and evolutionary astrology. Together, Katherine and Madi explore how dreams function as “cosmic downloads,” how astrology offers a blueprint for soul purpose, and why Pisces season is a portal for intuitive insight. If you’ve ever wondered whether your dreams mean something more — or how to move from comfort zone to cosmic zone — this episode is for you. 🌙 In This Episode, We Explore: The dreams that changed Madi’s life What it means to be a “night worker” How to set intentions before sleep The North Node, South Node, & soul destiny Do we choose our birth moment? Pisces season & the power of Neptune Dreams as upgrades to your emotional operating system Using astrology as “divine dress-up” A dream of letting go of an old lollipop to be able to enter the candy store ⏱ Chapter Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to The Dream Journal04:40 – Childhood Dreams & Prophetic Experiences07:10 – Healer & Shaman Dreams That Changed Everything10:05 – Night Workers & Dream Healing17:00 – “Google North Node”: Astrology as Soul Blueprint23:30 – Do We Choose Our Birth Moment?34:55 – Pisces Season, Neptune & Dream Portals43:00 – What Is a Cosmic Download?45:00 – Dreaming Your Future Into Being52:00 – Final Reflections: Trust Your Dreams 🔮 About the Guest Madi Murphy is an astrologer, author of In the Cosmic Zone, and founder of CosmicRx, a moon-powered movement helping people decode the stars and embody their highest potential. Blending ancient wisdom with modern empowerment, Maddie teaches astrology as a living roadmap to radical alignment. 💫 Connect & Continue the Journey Explore Katherine’s dreamwork at experientialdreamwork.com Discover Maddie’s work at cosmicrx.com Subscribe, rate, and review to help spread interest in dreaming ✨ A dream can be meaningful — even if you don’t know what it means. VIDEO available on YouTube at youtube.com/@experientialdreamwork. Popular playlists: “Dream Journal shorts” and FULL LENGTH VIDEOS”     This show, episode number 351, was recorded during a live broadcast on February 21, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in: Wisdom of the Soul Astrology and Dreamwork with Jill Eras Transrational Dream Guidance with Hadley Fitzgerald Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones. SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites. A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Closed captioning is available on the YouTube version of this podcast and an automatically generated transcript is available at Apple Podcasts within 24 hours of posting. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe, and tell your friends.

What if your dreams weren’t symbols to decode… but living encounters? Celebrating seven years of Dream Journal episodes, host Katherine Bell welcomes natural dream work practitioner, artist, and druid priestix Laura Smith Riva for a fascinating conversation about rewilding the dream, animism, and reconnecting with the living intelligence within dreams and nature. Together they explore how dream figures can be experienced as relational beings, how ritual and creativity help integrate dream wisdom, and how fear, vulnerability, and imagination open doorways to transformation and healing. You’ll hear powerful dream stories, live listener dream exploration, and practical guidance on how to begin working with your own dreams. ✨ What You’ll Learn What “rewilding the dream” means How animism changes the way we understand dreams Why dream symbols may be experienced as living encounters Techniques used in natural dream work How ritual, art, and creativity help integrate dream messages How dreams support healing, intuition, and imagination Ways to start your own dream practice ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Rewilding the dream: animism, dream wisdom & spiritual awakening02:06 What is druidry? nature spirituality, animism & learning from trees07:22 Natural dream work explained: why dream symbols are living experiences12:06 Sacred dream encounters: fear, transformation & emotional thresholds16:36 Dream rituals & creativity: using art, altars and symbolism to integrate dreams31:50 Listener dream analysis: how dreams reflect memory, ancestry & emotional healing47:15 How to start dream work: practical steps, courses & following your dream intuition 🔗 Learn More & Connect Laura Smith-Riva is a Natural Dreamwork Practitioner and Priestix of the Green Mountain Druid Order in Vermont. She works with dreamers from many parts of the globe and in her personal work is interested in the connection to the natural world through dreams and vision work and offers expressions of her journey using art, poetry and prose. Visit Laura Smith Riva’s work:👉 https://laura-smith-riva.com Explore Experiential Dream Work:👉 https://experientialdreamwork.com 👍 Support the Channel If you enjoy conversations about dreams, spirituality, creativity, and personal growth: ✔ Subscribe✔ Like the video✔ Share with a dream-loving friend✔ Comment with a recent dream or insight   Find a video clip of the conversation @ExperientialDreamwork on YouTube on the “Dream Journal shorts” playlist. Click here to watch the latest short: Find the video recording of this conversation @ExperientialDreamwork on YouTube on the “Dream Journal podcast FULL LENGTH VIDEOS” playlist. Click here to watch the latest show: This show, episode number 350, was recorded during a live broadcast on February 14, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in: Dreams and the 12 Steps w Guest Laura Smith-Riva Finding Sacredness in the Mundane with Andrusa Lawson Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones. SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites. A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Closed captioning is available on the YouTube version of this podcast and an automatically generated transcript is available at Apple Podcasts within 24 hours of posting. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe, and tell your friends.

Dr. Michael Mollura, a licensed clinical psychologist and composer blending Jungian depth psychology with improvised music. He discusses creativity as therapy, treating symptoms as symbolic language, listening for the world’s sound, starting dream work with mood and feeling, and improvising live dream soundtracks to reveal the unconscious.

We are the dreams of our ancestors; we are their hopes for the future. But sometimes their trauma is transmitted to us through nightmares. Today’s guest, Dream Journal regular Linda Schiller, will be talking about how to heal that intergenerational pain and focus on the gifts of ancestral connection. Linda talks about her own ancestors and how her grandfather, who she called Grandpa Joey, fled Kiev with his family at age of three because of the pogroms and how making borscht soup always helped her feel more connected to that side of her family. We talk about the trauma that we inherit from our ancestors but also the caring and resilience. Linda also talks about synchronicity, public trauma vs private trauma, drawing up a family tree, and dream incubation. After the break, we explore a dream of Katherine’s about doing numerical computations like she used to during her NASA career and about why she might be having this dream now over 20 years after leaving that position. BIO: Linda Yael Schiller, MSW, LICSW is an international teacher, psychotherapist, and dream worker. She is professor emeritus from Boston University School of Social Work and the post-graduate Trauma Certificate program. She is the author of three books: “PTSDreams: Transform Your Nightmares from Trauma through Healing Dreamwork” her classic, “Modern Dreamwork: New Tools for Decoding Your Soul’s Wisdom,” and her new book “Ancestral Dreaming: Healing Generational Wounds with Active Dreamwork” which comes out this summer and is currently available for pre-order through Llewellyn publishing. Find her at LindaYaelSchiller.com Find a short video clip of the conversation @experientialdreamwork on YouTube on the “Dream Journal shorts” playlist, or click here: Find the full video record of the conversation @ExperientialDreamwork on YouTube on the “Dream Journal podcast FULL LENGTH VIDEOS” playlist, or click here: BIO: Linda Yael Schiller is an international teacher, psychotherapist, and dream worker. She is professor emeritus from Boston University School of Social Work and the post-graduate Trauma Certificate program. She is the author of three books. Her new book is “Ancestral Dreaming: Healing Generational Wounds with Active Dreamwork”. Find our guest at: LindaYaelSchiller.com This show, episode number 348, was recorded during a live broadcast on January 31, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in: Healing Nightmares through Dreamwork with Linda Schiller Trauma, Nightmares and Spirituality with Linda Schiller Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones. SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites. A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Closed captioning is available on the YouTube version of this podcast and an automatically generated transcript is available at Apple Podcasts within 24 hours of posting. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe, and tell your friends.

Dream​s bring us back to our true self. ​Today’s guest, Dr. Bonnie Buckner, speaks about the visual language of dreams ​which awakens in us feelings​ which are the base of our inner knowing.​ Dreaming ​also reminds us of wonder and mystery​. By embracing mystery, we discover more of our own potentials and possibilities of transformation in the outer world. Bonnie starts by describing some of the competing pulls we have including the desire to fit in  vs the desire for connection. She says our true self is often crowded out by thinking, but that dreams bring us back to a visual and feeling-based language. After the break, we take a question from Stacy from Canyon Lake Texas who shares a dream about filming a waterfall and NOT filming a topless woman. We also take a question from Max which starts a conversation about how to bring wonder into our daily experience. Here is a link to a short video clip of the conversation: The Full-Length video can be found here: BIO: Bonnie Buckner, PhD is founder and CEO of the International Institute for Dreaming and Imagery®, author of THE SECRET MIND, and Program Lead for George Washington University’s One Humanity Leadership Coaching Certification Program where she uses dreaming and imagery work to develop coaches. Find our guest at: bonniebuckner.com and at institutefordreamingandimagery.com Her new book is the Secret Mind: Unlock the Power of Your Dreams to Transform Your Life This show, episode number 347, was recorded during a live broadcast on January 24, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in: Dreams as Medicine with Stephanie Trager Stop Thinking and Start Imagining with Catherine Shainberg, PhD Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones. SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites. A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Closed captioning is available on the YouTube version of this podcast and an automatically generated transcript is available at Apple Podcasts within 24 hours of posting. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe, and tell your friends.