The Dream Keepers: On Keeping and Disposing of Personal Journals

Abstract

At the end of a dream keeper’s long life, what is to become of all the accumulated dream books and personal journals? Aside from the therapeutic value of documenting and saving one’s dreams and other personal commentaries during one’s life, is there historic or social value in a lifetime’s collection after death? Do they have value beyond the grave? What are our responsibilities toward these written records? When and how do we contend with the volumes of personal writing, some of which might contain valuable insights that are worth saving? This essay considers the emotional and practical deliberations around keeping and/or disposing of dream books and other journal writings documenting the daily wrestling match with psyche. It contains a personal history of two generations of dream keepers, with a third following in their tracks.