Dream Circle - Dragon Dreaming

This activity is designed to help a group of people create a collective vision by sharing and discussing their individual dreams in a safe and supportive space. By engaging in this process, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the foundations of trust and how to build it within a group, and to experience the magic of collective work.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Identify a dream or project that you would like to share with the group. It could be anything from painting a room to starting a new business or taking a weekend trip with friends.

2. Invite a group of people to participate in the dream circle. These could be friends, family, colleagues, or anyone else who is interested in the project and can support it with their skills and knowledge. Consider including people who you want to work with and who may be affected by the project if it has a broader scope. Aim for a group of 8, but any size is fine.

3. Create a collective dream. This process involves sharing individual dreams and working together to create a shared vision. It's important to note that the individual dream will "die" in order to be reborn as a group dream, as working for the group project rather than just your own can significantly change your relationship to it.

4. Sit in a circle and begin with a relaxation exercise or introduction. The initiator of the circle should then present their dream and explain the project.

5. Equal Sharing: Give everyone the opportunity to contribute their own dreams by asking generative questions, such as "What would this project have to be like for you to say it was the best use of your time?" It's important to make it clear that there is no judgement and all dreams are welcome, even the dreams that are contradictory. 

6. Starting with someone in the circle, have participants present their answers, one dream at a time. If someone has nothing to add at a particular moment, they can pass and the circle can continue.

7. Record every dream shared in the dream circle on flip chart paper, either with one person writing for everyone or with the task shared among the group. Be sure to capture the name and essence of each message, rather than every word.

8. When everyone has shared their dreams and feels they have nothing more to add, the dream circle is finished. Declare the end of the circle and read the whole dream in the past tense as a story that has already happened.

9. Use the dream that the group has created together as inspiration for where they want to go as a group. The next phase is planning, where the group can be realistic and decide together how to make as many dreams as possible come true.