Anette Pollner is the current leader of the Bangkok Women’s Writer Group (BWWG) and the coordinator of the Bangkok Blondes, published in 2007 by Bangkok Book House. She also authored, under the pen name of Ann Cox, The Company of Frogs, a mystery novel that was shortlisted for a UK literary prize in 2007. In this 3-part interview, Anette talks about writing, her books, the publishing industry, the Bangkok Opera and the interpretation of dreams.
“I recommend the dream workshop for enhancing your creativity.”
MVS: You have recently held a workshop on dreams. Can you give us a few details? What is your experience in this field?
AP: I have done many things in my life. Among others, I am a trained counselor with a background in post-Jungian and Gestalt therapies, a teaching analysis and experience as a teacher at counseling colleges in London. I also used to work as a staff counselor at Bart’s Hospital in Central London for a while.
Dreams and dreamwork have always interested me. For about 8 years I attended many workshops and seminars run by the Process Work Institute both in Portland, Oregon and London and Edinburgh. I really liked their lively group exercises and complex teaching tools.
The dream workshop that I am currently teaching at NCS Counseling Center in Saphan Kwai here in Bangkok is based on a workshop that I gave to counseling students in London, adapted for the general public. This February I’ll be teaching the Introductory Workshop for the third time because it has become so successful, it’s even featured in the Big Chili magazine.
There’s even an Advanced Dream Workshop now, attended by people who graduated from the Introductory Workshop, that meets regularly to learn more complex methods of psychological dream work.
MVS: Who comes to these workshops and why?
AP: The people who come to the dream workshops are mostly from the creative professions. The workshop offers an overview over dream theories and dream psychology, including an introduction to the psychology of the unconscious mind. Most of it is experiential, with take-home pair exercises and group work that illuminate dreams without interpreting them according to a one size fits all philosophy. I recommend the dream workshop for enhancing your creativity, unblocking your writing, and because of the old saying that ‘if you don’t work on your unconscious mind and motivations, they will work on you’.
After all, every night you sleep. Every minute you sleep, you dream. Every dream contains information about your health, your self-image, your relationships, your work situation, your past and your deep unknown motivations.
A third of our lives are spent asleep, that’s on average 26 years. I’m amazed that so many people seem content to know nothing about those 26 years!
MVS: Thank you for your time. I’m looking forward to your new novel.
AP: Thank you very much for asking me all these interesting questions. It was great fun to reflect on them. I will keep you in the loop on my future work and I will keep track of yours, too.
Voicu Mihnea Simandan
Bangkok, Thailand
December 16, 2009
Anette Pollner
Bangkok, Thailand
February 11, 2009
