Dreaming, dream-sharing and dream-interpretation as feminine powers in northern Morocco

Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Western Rif (Morocco), I examine three types of oneiric experiences: dreams (ahlam, manaym) and visions (ru’yan) of a prophetic nature obtained through lethargic sleep; and dream incubation (istikhara) at Sufi saints’ shrines. I argue that dreaming, dream-sharing and dream-interpretation become a significant source of power for women, as they make possible a feminine management of the dead and the dead saints’ discourses and actions.