Lee Granas Diss Defense: Exploring Drum Journeys With Fictional Imagery

Описание: An East-West Psychology doctoral dissertation defense by Lee Granas

Exploring Drum Journeys with Fictional Imagery

Abstract
Since the 1970s, contemporary drum journeys have been used as a method for accessing imagery and inner wisdom. In most Western (non-Indigenous) adaptations, participants begin their journeys by envisioning themselves in a natural landscape. This study explores the impact of initiating drum journeys within a fictional setting instead. Using the qualitative phenomenological approach of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), it examines the experiences of eight seasoned Western drum journey practitioners as they enter and engage with a fictional realm of their own choosing. Framed within a Jungian perspective, the research investigates how fictional imagery may serve as a symbolic language of the unconscious and how participants’ relationships with these imagined worlds evolve through the process. Emergent image themes are explored as well, including those of compensation, spiritual, and transpersonal patterns. The findings aim to illuminate the therapeutic and symbolic value of fictional imagery, offering preliminary insights into its potential as a medium for psychological healing and self-understanding.

Committee Chair: Dr. Helge Osterhold
Internal Committee Member: Dr. Sam Malkemus
External Committee Member: Dr. Adam Rock

California Institute of Integral Studies
December 2, 2025