CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS - DEADLINE 15 DECEMBER

If you are interested in presenting a paper, workshop, symposia, panel, morning dream group or Research Hot-off-the-Press, use the online web based submission system at https://asdreams.org/2012  Presenters are entitled to a special conference discount if you register for the conference by 31 December, 2011.

CONFERENCE UPDATES Don't miss out on the annual IASD conference as we go SALING ON THE SEA OF DREAMS at the Doubletree Hotel at the Berkeley Marina, Berkeley, California. This 29th Annual IASD Conference promises to be memorable. There will be three world-renowned keynote speakers, over 150 presenters from around the globe plus a chance to network or relax at our many evening receptions and social events including the dream art exhibition, the costume Dream Ball, the annual Dream Telepathy Contest, a dream hike along the Bay, and a sunset sail on the “sea of dreams” - a special dessert cruise of the San Francisco Bay.

The outstanding keynoters are: Patricia Garfield, Ph.D. is a pioneer and renowned expert in the study of dreams. She is a prize-winning author of eleven books on dreams. Her first bestseller Creative Dreaming (1974) is considered a classic. Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D. aka Dr. Quantum (TM) is a world-renowned physicist, writer and lecturer who also conducts research on the relationship of quantum physics to consciousness. He is the author of 13 books and 3 CD courses. Tracey Kahan, Ph.D. is a full-time faculty member of the Psychology Department at Santa Clara University. Research conducted by Dr. Kahan and her colleagues has shown that waking and dreaming, especially REM dreaming, are more similar than different. Watch the website for our exciting lineup of featured speakers as well, who are soon to be announced.

Information for Student Awards submissions can be found on the conference site. Click on the "Submit your..." menu tab at the top of the page and then "Student Award Application".

2012 Keynote Speakers:

Patricia Garfield, Ph.D. is a pioneer and renowned expert in the study of dreams. She is a prize-winning author of eleven books on dreams. Her first bestseller Creative Dreaming (1974) is considered a classic. Revised (1995) it's still in print and appears in fifteen languages. Dr. Garfield is Co-Founder and Past President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D. aka Dr. Quantum (TM) is a world-renowned physicist, writer and lecturer who also conducts research on the relationship of quantum physics to consciousness. He is the author of 13 books, 3 CD courses, many scientific and popular articles, and received the National Book Award for Taking the Quantum Leap.

Tracey Kahan, Ph.D. is a full-time faculty member of the Psychology Department at Santa Clara University. Research conducted by Dr. Kahan and her colleagues has shown that waking and dreaming, especially REM dreaming, are more similar than different in the occurrence of metacognitive skills such as reflective self-awareness, intentionality, and self-regulation.

IASD PLEDGE DRIVE 2011

Upgrading the IASD web site to more effectively meet the needs of IASD members and the global dream community is a major financial goal set by the executive committee of the IASD Board for the 2011 IASD Pledge Drive.

Recently in your mailbox you received an appeal for donations to this year's pledge drive. We hope you will contribute to the growth of our dream outreach. Upgrade your membership to Patron, by contributing $50 or more to the donation category of your choice at www.asdreams.org/pledge2011 to be included in the 2011 Pledge Wall of Fame and help us reach our $10,000 fundraising goal. In addition to this year's web upgrade goal, proceeds from the annual pledge drive support: research grant awards, student awards, low income memberships, conference scholarships and publications.

Bob Hoss Holds a Bake Sale

Understanding that financial times are tight, IASD board member and past-president, Bob Hoss, came up with a unique plan to raise funds for this year's pledge drive--a plan you might want to emulate.

As the man who has worked most diligently to assure the continuation of IASD's Research Grant Awards, when asked to do a follow-up workshop on a lecture he'd given, Bob decided to hold the event at his home in Cave Creek, Arizona in January, asking participants to make a donation to the Research Grants area of IASD.

He calls this the bake sale model for what other members can do if motivated to raise some fun while raising funds. Here are some similar ideas you might try: have a potluck for dream group members at your house and ask for a small donation; invite friends to a "Dream Ball" that you host; give a lecture; have a dream salon; hold a bake sale.

There are many small things that can be done, all leading to a big support for dreams and the IASD Pledge Drive 2011, which extends to the end of January 2012.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS NOVEMBER 2011 

Spotlight on The Netherlands
Willem Fermont

Several weeks ago I asked Willem to write a Spotlight piece by responding to the questions: “Who am I?” “What is my interest in dreams?” and “How did I become involved with the Rolduc conference?” This is what he wrote.

Actually, although 64 years old, I feel and behave still like a child. The most obvious thread in my life is that I am always wondering about things. I suppose, but I am not sure, that this principal characteristic influenced my career in a peculiar sense. Whatever I became involved in, there was always much outside of it that potentially could draw my attention. I think this facilitated my serendipitous career. I have been employed in many different positions in my working life including: working in a steel factory in Germany, teaching geography at a secondary school, being a geologist at the State University of Utrecht, wrote a thesis in palaeontology, worked as a coal petrologist and as an organic geochemical oil and gas researcher, overseen petroleum system analysis, and have been head of the curators of the National Museum of Ethnology (NME) in Leiden. Generally, my professional work is characterized by excellent global networks and cooperation in international projects.

After the NME position I concentrated for several years on art, in which I exercised different skills such as drawing and painting, and metal and wood sculpturing. I also explored art installations, developed musical theatre, and investigated other interdisciplinary art projects. The last ten years of my life I felt a need to consider the philosophical aspects of art and science. Questions regarding the existence of time (or non-existence as I believe nowadays), the process of imagination, and the origins of consciousness and creativity, became more and more a substantial part of my life. I felt that these questions could be approached using many of my previous research tools, hypotheses, and study materials. However, researching for myself, rather than as part of a group, I decided to study myself, i.e. my dreams. For a period of two years I wrote down very extensive dream reports, produced several hundred dream drawings and made separate daily analyses of influential factors. Meanwhile, I put everything in a huge database that I am currently analyzing. It was a rich period of retrospection, and I learned tremendously from my dream analyses, even though I was sleep deprived during the time. This dream study brought me to the exploration of existing professional dream study organisations. Once I found IASD, I became a member.

In 2009 I attended my first IASD conference in Chicago, not only to present my first results, but also to investigate how IASD functioned. That was an adventure. Lonely, without knowing anyone, I stood with my lunch in hand, looking for a place to sit. Then, someone kindly asked: “Are you a dreamer?” It was Patricia Garfield. She invited me to join her at a table where old friends were having dream discussions. Rita Dwyer, Jean Campbell, David Kahn, and some of the others were incredibly friendly. I had no idea at the time who they were. Later I spoke at length with David Kahn. He told me that there was a great interest within IASD concerning future conferences, and that the Netherlands had been considered several times, but that there had not been much progress made. Several years ago I decided to finish management activities to concentrate on the things I really want to do. Piece by piece, I analysed the urge and after having met so many friendly people in IASD, I decided to explore the possibility of hosting an annual IASD conference in the Netherlands. I became involved and I was appointed as conference manager. I organized several key Dutch figures, who did a tremendous amount of work, like Harry de Bont, Yamuna Hollink, Bart Koet, Marja Moors, Barbara Roukema, Annette Visser, and Suzanne Wiltink. We had very close working relationships with principals in the IASD leadership such as Bob, Hoss, Jean Campbell, Richard Wilkerson, and many others. After long discussions, we chose an old monastery for the conference location, which dated back to medieval times: Rolduc Conference Centre. Steeped in mythology and history, Rolduc seemed ideal for an IASD conference in Europe. At present, I hope to finish analyzing the results of my dream studies, and moreover, together with Paulien Dieteren and several other friends we are initiating a beautiful art project in which I endeavor to integrate many of my thoughts on art, science and philosophy. The project is called “Les Mystères de la Meuse.” It concerns an artistic investigation on imagination, the origins of cultural diversity, and ways to enhance cross-cultural contacts and create a cultural melting pot.

Willem Fermont

Call for IASD Board Nominations

The IASD nominating committee is soliciting recommendations for members to serve on the board of directors for the term beginning in July 2012. Nominees should be members in good standing who are willing to serve. Please send your recommendations to the Nominating Committee Chair, Scott Sparrow, gscotspar@gmail.com  by December 31, 2011.

Membership Inquires

Please feel free to contact Jennifer Parker at any time with membership questions or concerns. I always welcome new volunteers. You are the future leaders of IASD and we want your energy, help and visions.

Jennifer Parker: jenniferparker917@btinternet.com

Regional Representatives

Please check the IASD website for up-to-date names and contact information for the regional representative in your area. The Regional Representative webpage is divided into regions, making your search more user-friendly. If you do not have a regional rep for your area, consider volunteering to become one! You could serve an important networking role for IASD.

To become a regional rep, contact Jennifer Parker, jenniferparker917@btinternet.com

Join IASD'S Facebook page and visit out new fan page

Be sure to join our Facebook group page! We have 427 friends and growing!

Please let your Facebook friends know about IASD’s group page, fan page (with 934 Likes) as well as its website. You can help us reach a lot of new people by taking a few minutes to post the urls of these three IASD sites on your Facebook page.

Dream Cartoon by Al Moniz