Dreamwork

Dreamwork was a central practice of Ultraian folk medicine that utilized dream exploration to help diagnose, treat, and cure various psychological and spiritual ailments.

Dreamwork practitioners, known as aidents (the Ultraian word for "counselor"), generally did their work at temples called sonhariums, where patients (called "supplicants") came in search of healing.

Aidents
Aidents came from all backgrounds of life: native-born Ultraians, psychiatrists, psychologists, shamans, herbalists, even doctors in traditional medicine. Some aidents practiced independently in various settings for more personalized treatment options. But every aident was legally required to adhere to the traditional practices first established by the Guild of Counselors approximately 5,000 BBY. These guidelines included the following:


 * Every aident had to be registered with the government, who oversaw the sonhariums through the Guild of Counselors. Given the invasive and personal nature of dreamwork, it was considered necessary to regulate the practice.


 * Every aident had to undergo assessments every six months on their mental faculties to ensure they did not suffer from any psychological illness. Any Force sensitive aident was also required to undergo examination by a representative from the Jedi Order on a yearly basis to guarantee they were not contaminated by the Dark Side; this practice was discontinued shortly after the dissolution of the Old Republic.


 * All supplicants were screened for any violent or disordered personality traits that might create an uncontrollable dreamscape for the aident/supplicant, thus leading to possible injury or death.


 * Aidents were required to keep written records of their dreamwork sessions to be reviewed by the Guild, either according to a monthly/yearly schedule.

The process of becoming recognized to practice dreamwork involved a minimum of seven years formalized training, including two years apprenticeship to a senior aident.

Aidents had to enter the dreams of every member of the Guild before they were legally allowed to practice dreamwork. Seven individual sessions were conducted during which the counselor trainee entered into the dreamscape of each member, then engaged in a mock encounter session that followed a standardized treatment solution. If the aspiring dreamworker successfully passed all seven dream encounters, their name was entered into the Central Registry and they were licensed to practice dreamwork.

Sonhar, the dreaming herb
The use of sonhara was essential to the process of dreamwork. The sonhar herb was native to Ultraia, growing untamed in the valleys and mountains, but also cultivated in gardens. Sonhar herb possessed hallucinogenic properties and was utilized by aidents from the earliest recorded history. Every part of the herb was used to create the various preparations that were used to place aidents and supplicants into the dreaming state. The most common preparation was the drink called "sonhara", made from ground-up sonhar herb, thanatoberry juice, and spring water. (Another method for ingestion was made from the leaves of the herb that were smoked through a water pipe). The sonhara or smokeable sonhar were first consumed by the supplicant, who began the process by going into the dreamscape to await the aident in a previously designated waiting space. The aident consumed their own version of the herb, then entered the dreamscape.

It was considered necessary to ingest either form of the sonhar herb in order to practice dreamwork. Some Force sensitive practitioners claimed to have the ability to enter another being's dreams without the need for using the herb. This claim was never proven, due to the Guild's insistence upon following tradition.

There were few side effects from long term, limited, and monitored use of the sonhar herb. Addiction was known to occur, but this had more to due with a predisposition to addiction than any properties of the herb. Short-term side effects included sleeplessness, headaches, nausea, and temporary memory loss (although this only occurred when used in higher doses than required).

Experience of healing
Beings in search of treatment were referred to as "supplicants". Only ailments of a psychological or spiritual nature could be healed through dreamwork; physical ailments required three-dimensional intervention that was impossible to access while placed within the nebulous realm of dreams. Supplicants either approached one of the twenty state-run sonhariums, or went to an independently run practice, which might include a small clinic or solo aident.

The supplicant had a consultation with the aident that usually lasted ninety minutes and included a written account of their particular situation along with a full physical and mental evaluation from their doctor(s). A treatment plan was established, including the number of sessions required to successfully resolve the supplicant's problem.

Most supplicants traveled to the sonharium for in-house treatment, considering the actual number of sessions averaged around six. The first session was an introductory encounter in a neutral setting like a forest or a temple room filled with crystal spheres meant to represent the individual settings assigned to each treatment level. The amount of time allotted for treatment ranged from one to six weeks; in addition to the dream sessions, counseling was required to monitor the supplicant's progress. Other treatment options included going to sacred wells or mineral springs and controlled diets.

The purpose of dreamwork was not to assign rote meanings to each supplicant's dreams. Rather than utilize a stock compendium of common dream symbols, the aident would examine the personal circumstances of the supplicant and determine whatever component in each dream might mean. Sometimes it was necessary to consult the Tome of Universal Symbology, a volume of dream symbols with sections devoted to symbols that were in common in specific cultures.

While there were standardized settings for the introductory dream, the supplicant chose the settings for the other dreams in their treatment plan. The aident was given a list of settings and individuals the supplicant wished to focus upon, and it was their job to guide the supplicant. The intention of each session was to complete one or two steps that would put the supplicant closer to a cure.