July 7, 1998
Contact: Peter Sheras
	  (804) 924-0795, pls@virginia.edu
	   Phyllis Koch-Sheras
	   (804) 971-4701
									 
									

Reporters: For a review copy of the book, contact Lowell House, (310)
552-7555, extension 17.

IMPROVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WHILE SLEEPING

	Want to enrich your relationship before tumbling in bed tonight?
Grab a notebook or a tape recorder.
	Couples who record and analyze their dreams can learn about
themselves and improve their relationships, say the authors of a newly
published book.  
	"The Dream Sharing Sourcebook, A Practical Guide to Enhancing
Your Personal Relationships" is written by Peter L. Sheras, an associate
professor of education at the University of Virginia, and Phyllis R.
Koch-Sheras, a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with
dreams and couples. 	
	Couples who learn the three R's -- recalling, recording and
reviewing their dreams -- can use that process as a nonconfrontational
way to recognize problems in their relationships and find solutions, the
authors say.  They view the three R's as a tool for enhancing
communication, cooperation and commitment between couples and among
family members.
	"Dream sharing is a remarkable way of bringing the world of
dreams into our conscious world to make it a better place -- which can
only lead to better dreams," says Sheras, a clinical psychologist who
works extensively with couples and families. 
	People should prepare for their dream life before going to
sleep, the authors contend, by helping each other to relax in mind and
body.  They suggest avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills and recommend
taking baths, drinking herbal tea or giving each other massages.
	"Being in a relaxed state can stimulate dream recall and can
enhance the likelihood of visionary, telepathic or spiritual dreams,"
Sheras says.
	After relaxing, a couple might read about dreams or pose a
question about a topic in a 
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journal they use to record dreams.  Such a practice can prompt the mind
to address a particular topic, say the psychologists, authors of two
other volumes on dream work.
	Upon waking, a couple should lie still with eyes closed, coaxing
as much memory of the dream as possible.  "Then say the dream aloud in
the present tense.  This will help the dream stick in your mind and
bring out more details," Koch-Sheras suggests.  
	The newly awakened should then record the remembered story in a
dream journal, a notebook that stays next to the bed.  The authors
recommend using the present tense in writing the story, recording as
much detail as possible and giving it a title.
	Couples can analyze dreams by highlighting key words that appear
frequently in the journal.  They can then study the dreams' details,
noting who was in them and where and when the action took place.  The
process will often reveal feelings or concerns a person has and can
serve as a vehicle for establishing open, honest communication, the
authors say.
	"Dreams become the vehicle for talking about feelings and
fantasies and imagining what is possible in life together," Sheras says.
	The book is published by Lowell House.

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