Dream Circle Oneirogens
From 7:30 to 9:00 PST on the fourth Friday of the month, join our monthly dream circle, facilitated by me, Jennifer Dumpert, and supported by the San Francisco Psychedelic Society. Visit the events page of the San Francisco Psychedelic Society to register. Participation is free, but you must register to receive info about the zoom meeting.
Register here to attend group on zoom: https://bit.ly/DreamCircleRegistration
In 2008, I began holding monthly Oneironauticum events based on the exploration of various oneirogens–any herb, flower, root, sound, scent, practice, etc. that promotes vivid dreaming. In this new monthly dream circle, participants will have the option to experiment with oneirogens and to discuss their experiences. This is only one element of the dream circle. Participants may choose to engage with other elements of dream work. Involvement with oneirogens is an ongoing experiment. In this group, we work with a wide variety of oneirogens, a different one every month. This website contains information about a variety of oneirogens.
Oneirogen Schedule
Dream Circles occur on the 4th Friday of the month.
- Dec 23: Mugwort or other olfactory oneirogens
- Jan 22: Galantamine
- Feb 26: Binauraul Beats
- Mar 26: Calea Zacatechichi
- Apr 23: Guayusa
- May 28: Silene Capensis
During the next dream circle, on May 28, we’ll talk about dreams and death.
May 28 Oneirogen
Silene Capensis
The roots of the African dream root Silene Capensis is a flowering herb that grows in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The native Xhosa people traditionally use the root of Silene Capensis, also known as Ubulawu, for oneiromancy, a form of divination based on dreams. The Xhosa believe that Silene Capensis facilitates communication with the ancestors, who provide guidance or prophecy. They call the root “Undela Ziimhlophe”: “white paths” or white ways.” The color white often appears in Silene Capensis dreams.
Traditionally, the root is powdered and consumed as a foam. Place 1 – 2 grams (half a teaspoon or less) of ground root into a cup and add water. Then a wooden spoon between your palms and twirl vigorously in the liquid to produce foam. You can also just use a whisk, which is what I do. Eat the foam and repeat until you feel full, then go to bed.
I have worked solely with ground or powdered Silene Capensis, which is admittedly not easy to find. I have found some by doing a google search on powdered silene capensis. Many of the products available are tinctures or the unground root, so be mindful of how you purchase it.
Dream Meditation on space
As always, we’ll finish the session with a yoga nidra designed to invoke the sense of dream space and place. Be prepared to lie down at the end of the session someplace comfortable where you can still hear my voice on your device..