| We human beings are visually dominant creatures. | | | | pure and powerful first impression--listening to |
| We draw many conclusions based on visual cues | | | | someone play--was in fact hopelessly corrupted. |
| alone. Our eyes tell a very different story about | | | | 'Some people look like they sound better than |
| the world around us than the story that is told by | | | | they actually sound, because they look confident |
| our ears. | | | | and have good posture,' one musician, a veteran |
| "Over the past few decades," writes Malcolm | | | | of many auditions, says. 'Oher people look awful |
| Gladwell, "the classical music world has undergone | | | | when they play but sound great.... there is always |
| a revolution... [To avoid favoritism in hiring] screens | | | | this dissonance between what you see and hear'." |
| were erected between the committee and the | | | | This dissonance is especially strong in everyday |
| auditioner... In the past thirty years, since screens | | | | life when nonprofessionals are forming impressions |
| became commonplace, the number of women in | | | | and opinions on an ongoing basis. When we |
| the top U.S. orchestras has increased fivefold." | | | | eliminate information like who is the best dressed |
| (Blink, 2005). | | | | today, or who has gestures that remind you of |
| Now these are professional musicians who make | | | | an ex-boyfriend, or who resembles your first |
| their living by the quality of sound. Their personal | | | | grade teacher--the group's attention remains on |
| status will improve as the quality of the orchestra | | | | the dream images and meanings and what they |
| does, and they recognize musical competence like | | | | have to teach everyone in the group. Group trust |
| no amateur could hope to. Yet, when they are | | | | grows and deep friendships are formed on the |
| seeking the very best talent available, the visual | | | | basis of the quality of what is shared, |
| prejudice of gender bias alone so distorted their | | | | competence in helping and demonstrated |
| judgements that just adding a screen during | | | | compassion. |
| auditions led to a 500% change in gender | | | | Most of our prejudices are visually based. You |
| composition! Now add the visual cues of social | | | | can't hear skin color at all. Height and gender and |
| class, race, mood, attractiveness and more. In | | | | physical appearance make no difference in an |
| telephone dream groups, the invisibility of meeting | | | | email group or in a telephone dream group--both |
| by telephone is the "audition screen" that | | | | of which have proven highly effective. The safety |
| eliminates visual prejudice. And it orchestrates a | | | | of working from one's home and the freedom |
| more secure, less biased discussion. | | | | from being judged on superficial traits often allow |
| "TeleDream" is a telephone dream group that was | | | | greater intimacy and an emphasis on deeper |
| founded in the year 2,000 with the intent of | | | | values. It is said that man (or Ego) looks on the |
| bringing advanced dream work groups to | | | | exterior, but God (or the Higher Self and its |
| individuals needing resources for interpreting their | | | | dreams) look upon the heart. |
| dreams. We assumed that in a telephone group, | | | | Gladwell quotes Julie Landsman, who plays the |
| we would have to sacrifice the degree of support | | | | lead French horn for the Metropolitan Opera in |
| and intimacy that arises in a face-to-face dream | | | | New York: "Ive been in auditions without screens, |
| group, but we were quite mistaken. A telephone | | | | and I can assure you that I was prejudiced. I |
| group tends to be more focused on the specific | | | | began to listen with my eyes, and there is no |
| content of the dreams and on the emotional tone | | | | way that your eyes don't affect your judgment. |
| of the members, and seems to be less biased | | | | The only true way to listen is with your ears and |
| and more growth-focused than when people are | | | | your heart." |
| in the same room. | | | | This perfectly describes the non-visual benefits of |
| Groups that meet "in-person" do develop trust | | | | telephone groups for working with dreams. We |
| and intimacy that may partially be enhanced by | | | | initially thought dream work by telephone (and |
| personal contact, by physical touch or by visual | | | | email) would be of great value in spite of the lack |
| feedback--but they also suffer from biases of | | | | of face to face contact, but in fact dream work |
| many sorts. Dream groups have the profound, | | | | has been enriched by the elimination of visual |
| inner wisdom of dreams to guide the agenda and | | | | prejudices and the inevitable biases of face to |
| set a tone of radical honesty. Dream work, itself, | | | | face contact. If professional musicians can't |
| focuses the discussion on matters of genuine | | | | eliminate massive prejudice when the status of |
| psychological and spiritual importance; so much so | | | | their career is on the line, we should not assume |
| that direct contact seems not to improve | | | | the average dreamer can do a better job: face to |
| matters! | | | | face dream groups are good, telephone and email |
| "What the classical music world realized," Gladwell | | | | dream groups may even be better. |
| explains, "was that what they had thought was a | | | | |