Ancestral Dreaming
Heal Generational Trauma through Dreamwork
Linda Yael Schiller’s spiritual guide Ancestral Dreaming takes a fresh approach to healing inherited wounds and trauma.
Drawing on the science of epigenetics to support its thesis, the book asserts that unhealed wounds and unresolved traumas experienced by one’s ancestors can modify gene expressions in their descendants. As an example of how this plays out, tests given to the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors are referenced. They revealed more trauma-related symptoms and elevated levels of stress hormones than appeared in the results of nondescendants. Moreover, the book argues that unresolved grief, shame, and fear are passed on through family dynamics and shape people’s behaviors and emotional response patterns through the generations.
Asserting that dreams can reveal hidden ancestral trauma, and that, through the exploration of family roots, stories, and dreams using dreamwork techniques, healing can be achieved for oneself and future generations, the book includes compelling examples, as of a woman whose repeated nightmares bore similarities to her grandmother’s sexual trauma, though that incident had never been spoken of in the family. Its handling of such topics is compassionate.
Compelling lists of the various ways that ancestors may use dreams to communicate messages, from blessings to requests for aid, appear alongside instructions for dealing with such communications. Throughout, the book creates a safe space for dreamwork and self-reflection. Practical exercises, clear explanations of scientific research in brain neuroplasticity and polyvagal theory, and brief explorations of the dreamwork and spiritual practices of different cultures broaden its relevance and appeal.
Ancestral Dreaming is an engaging self-help guide to healing generational wounds and trauma through dreamwork.
Reviewed by
Kristine Morris
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
