When Dreams Guide How We Live: Deena Metzger on Spirit, Earth, and the Power of Dreaming

What if dreams aren’t just personal—but meant for the community? In this episode of The Dream Journal, host Katherine Bell speaks with writer, healer, and Earth activist Deena Metzger about sacred dreaming, Indigenous wisdom, and what it means to live by dream in dark and uncertain times. Together they explore dreams as spiritual messages, ethical guidance, and acts of resistance—and listeners share powerful dreams of sanctuary, community, joy, and not dying alone. This conversation invites us to imagine a world where dreams teach us how to live, care for one another, and remain in relationship with the Earth. ✨ Featuring live listener dreams ✨ Indigenous and collective dream perspectives ✨ Community, joy, and shelter at the end of the world Chapters Welcome to The Dream JournalAnaïs Nin and the Beginning of a Life with DreamDreams Against the State and Underground DreamingDo Dreams Come from the Psyche—or from Spirit?How to Recognize the Dreams That MatterFear, ICE, and Remembering Joy Through DreamListener Dream: Sanctuary at the End of the WorldListener Dream: Brotherhood, Death, and Not Dying AloneFinal Reflections on Living by Dream BIO: Deena Metzger is a poet, novelist, essayist, playwright and storyteller. She is an Earth activist with over a dozen published books and a multitude of essays, articles, poems, and stories. Her play, Dreams Against the State, was produced in a variety of venues. She has tried to be faithful to the calling of healer and medicine woman and has taught and counseled for over fifty years. Deena lives at the edge of a wild park with Mountain Lion and others as companions. Her newest offering is a novella called The Story that must not be told, which she describes as a fiction that is not a fiction. Contact our guest: DeenaMetzger.net The IASD conference is June 13-17 in Ashland Oregon. Find out more at IASDconferences.org/2026/ SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at [e-mail]. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. This show, episode number 358, was recorded during a live broadcast on April 11, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Videos available on YouTube at youtube.com/@experientialdreamwork. Popular playlists: “Dream Journal shorts” and “FULL LENGTH VIDEOS”. Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in: Spiritual Elderhood with Illana Berger, PhD The Woman between the Worlds: Dr Apela Colorado Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones. SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at [e-mail]. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites. A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at [e-mail]. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe, and tell your friends.