On 21st June, there will be a Dream Symposium at the Royal Institution from 10am -5.30pm, curated by psychotherapist Jane Haynes, Ph.D and neurologist and sleep physician Dr. Oliver Bernath.
This will be a discussion delving deep into the twenty-first century’s understanding of consciousness and liminal states of mind and exploring dreams, nightmares and psychedelics.
Jane trained as a Jungian psychoanalyst and always used dream work with her patients and felt the method had fallen into a neglect. Dreams are not treated with respect in Western culture, as they are elswhere in the world and history. In A Dream Symposium, they will be given significant recognition and exploration.
The speakers include Professor Mark Solms who will be discussing why we dream, Henry Marsh CBE FRCS who will be discussing how little we know, Dr Oliver Bernath will be delving into nocturnal landscapes, Dr James Rucker will give stories of a psychonaut psychiatrist and Shirazeh Houshiary will be in conversation with Jane Haynes, titled Airs and Reveries. In addition to these talks there will be poetry readings and performance by Lesley Sharp intermittently throughout the event.
Here are some details on the speakers at the event:
Henry Thomas Marsh CBE FRS (born 5 March 1950) is a British neurosurgeon and author, a pioneer of awake craniotomy techniques and of neurosurgical work in Ukraine
Professor Mark Solms is Director of Neuropsychology at the Neuroscience Institute of the University of Cape Town.
Dr Oliver Bernath holds NHS sleep clinics at Guy’s Hospital, London, and Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, and privately at Lanserhof at the Arts Club and the Chelsea Psychology Clinic. He is a member of the working group on dreams and dreaming of the German Sleep Society.
Shirazeh Houshiary is an Iranian artist, She was awarded the title Professor at the London Institute and was short listed for Turner Prize at the Tate Gallery in 1994.
James Rucker is a Psychonaut psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital in South London and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London.
Jane Haynes co-founded the Blue Door Practice in Marylebone. In 2008 her book Who is it that can tell me who I am? (Little, Brown) was shortlisted for the PEN Ackerley Prize for literary autobiography. If I Chance to Talk a Little Wild (Quartet Books) was published to critical acclaim in 2018. She has been interviewed on BBC London and has been featured in publications including Vogue, The Evening Standard and London Magazine.
Lesley Sharp is an Award-winning actress who has appeared at the Royal National Theatre, RSC, West End and worked extensively at the Royal Court theatre. Most recently at the Olivier Theatre in Paradise by Kae Tempest. Notable Television work includes Clocking Off, Bob and Rose, Afterlife, Scott and Bailey and more recently, The Full Monty and Before we die.
- Grace Pilkington Publicity