Dream Mysteries: Come and dream with me in Greece!

I adore Greece, and I know there is no where better in the world for divinely inspired dreams.

Our retreats are for anyone who wants to connect more deeply with the dreamself, and particularly those interested in an experiential and exploratory education in the history, culture and philosophy of ancient dreaming.

During our small, fun and friendly retreats, you will discover many of the sites that were associated with ancient dream culture, as well as the goddesses and gods of these dream ‘otherworlds’. Certain sacred places and personifications were famous across Greece for miraculous healing and dream oracles, and many ancient myths and legends find expression in the rituals and festivals of Greek Orthodoxy.

In some of the sacred precincts you will visit during your stay, I will lead you in easy but powerful dream incubation techniques and rituals for ‘divine dream’ experiences.

In ancient Greece divine dreams or temple sleep (Gr. enkoimesis) were well-established and powerful ways of honouring the gods and requesting divine intervention. Such dreams might also arise spontaneously, unsolicited, and give a devout dreamer a direct experience of having an audience with a deity.

For dream incubation, quite often the goal would be that a pilgrim or devotee would be visited by a god or goddess whilst sleeping. A goddess appearing in a dream might offer useful counsel, proffer a healing remedy, give an oracular statement or provide an answer to an important question. Ancient dreamseekers would visit a particular god’s shrine or temple and sleep within the sacred precinct. They would offer sacrifices, fast and pray, perhaps taking part in an ancient Greek ‘sacred meal’ - an early form of communion. To sleep within a temple was to sleep within the god or goddess’s house, so it was an ideal place to encounter them in a dream.

We know from testimonies that were recorded by temple attendants and priests in ancient Greece, that such divine dreams felt extraordinarily real. The dreamer sometimes describes upon waking an experience of gnosis, which might result in spontaneous healing, epiphany and most frequently a sense of awe, a feeling of ecstasy and rapture. Divine dreams feel very initiatory in nature and they often herald a meaningful life transition.

In the case of the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidavros, here we have a truly holistic health complex, in which dreaming played a significant role. The surgeons and physicians operating in this centre were acquainted with a vast range of remedial treatments. They used an impressive pharmacopeia, understood the benefits of catharsis, fasting and purging. They employed anaesthetics, performed complex surgeries and set broken bones, they allowed patients access to rich natural areas, with exquisite views, fresh air and clean spring water. Ancient Greek healers knew that beauty and harmony had the power to heal, so they utilised aesthetics alongside healthful hygiene, exercise and intellectual and spiritual stimulation in their cure.