Marilyn Peterson is a dreamer. For 40 years, the Reston resident has not only been the recipient of vivid nighttime visions, but also a student of the subconscious. And while she recognizes that dreams can range in subject, from fantastic voyages to nightmarish epics, Peterson is certain about one universal truth – what we dream at night is information to use in waking life.
“I think dreams are there for our own use or protection,” said Peterson. “It’s information we should have. It’s a letter from you to you. I think it behooves us to listen.”
A retired non-profit executive throughout her business life, Peterson was first introduced to the study of dreaming during a research project at a small university in Virginia. Sorting through psychologists’ notes from the likes of Sigmund Freud and Carl Young, and a number of dream case studies, Peterson began to realize that nighttime visions weren’t as mystical as she once thought, but instead, vehicles for delivering information that could range from identifying sources of unhappiness, to remembering where one had lost a set of keys.
“People like you and me are getting information in their dreams every night that are telling them how to live their lives,” she said. “It’s information that’s available to us that we need to use. It’s not that we’re trespassing or getting to deep into our problems.”
“Dreaming is like prime real estate,” she continued. “It’s not idle stuff. If you dream it, it’s important.”
Since her initial foray into the practice of reading dreams, Peterson has offered her services, free of charge over 40 years, as a radio personality, an internet site host and from her home phone – all of which, she believes, has helped her strengthen her skill. On Monday, Aug. 13, the “Dream Lady” will share this talent with the area as she appears in the “Reston Presents” series at Lake Anne’s Reston Community Center. Virginia Vennett, a friend of Peterson’s and member of the Reston Association’s Senior Advisory Committee, urged Peterson to share her passion with the community, something Vennett wasn’t aware of until recently.
“We were talking one day and this all came up and I almost fell on the floor,” said Vennett. “I said ‘Why didn’t you tell me this?’”
Not entirely sure what to expect from the evening’s turnout, Peterson is planning to conduct an night of lecture and hands-on activities, talking with area residents about their dreams and what they might mean. For Peterson, a large part of her passion for dreams, comes from helping others reach their potential.
“I’ll be glad to work with people who come,” she said. “It’s been so helpful to me. I feel it’s something I can share. My life philosophy is ‘We’re all in this together.’”
– By Christopher Staten