Book excerpt: "Kelly Bulkeley guides readers on an evocative journey through dreams that have transformed people’s lives. In clear, engaging language he shows how all dreamers can benefit from their nightly images and become receptive to their own ‘big dreams.’ Highly recommended."—Patricia Garfield, Ph.D., author of Creative Dreaming and The Dream Messenger"An inspiring book that will transform how you understand your dreams. From Jacob’s and Achilles’ dreams to contemporary dreams, Kelly Bulkeley weaves ancient wisdom with unique and practical insights into life’s most memorable dreams and nightmares."—Alan Siegel, Ph.D., president, Association for the Study of Dreams At least once in our lives, each of us experiences a dream of extraordinary power and intensity, a dream that strikes a chord deep within us that continues to resonate, often for the rest of our lives. From the dawn of history, people have regarded such dreams as an important source of spiritual wisdom and insight. Science, too, has long recognized the importance of these "big dreams"; psychologist Carl Jung referred to them as the "richest jewels in the treasure-house of the soul."In this inspiring book by internationally recognized dream scholar Kelly Bulkeley, you will learn how to make sense of those special dreams that "by their very nature, invite people to grow beyond themselves." And you will learn how to apply the lessons they have to teach you about love, growth, empowerment, and acceptance to your daily life. Drawing on his landmark research and an array of sources ranging from Eastern and Western mythologies and religions to state-of-the-art brain science and neurology, Bulkeley explores the roles that erotic dreams, nightmares, flying dreams, and dreams of dying have played in people’s lives throughout history. He describes an original method of dream interpretation, developed over his years as a researcher and leader of dreamsharing groups, that integrates both spiritual and psychological approaches. And he explains how to use it to unlock the meanings of your most memorable dreams in order to deepen your self-knowledge, broaden your emotional awareness, and liberate your imagination.