Incubate your dreams on this unique pilgrimage into nature and reverie with Sarah Janes

As participant in this unique event, you are invited to contribute to the first in a series of dream studies commissioned by biologist Rupert Sheldrake, co-designed and coordinated by Pascal Michael - a researcher at the University of Greenwich, to scientifically analyse the effect of set, setting and suggestion on dream content, and to explore the nature of spontaneous healing events and epiphanies within the dream state.

Intentional dream practices can enhance decision making skills, boost energy and cognitive dexterity, as well as provide insight and inspiration. Sarah is passionate about bringing dreams and sleep back into a holistic and sustainable approach to healing and recognises the dreamstate as a perfect place to activate magic and materialize desires.

Sarah is passionate about local history and Hastings Country Park is an area rich with tales of smugglers, star-crossed lovers, hermits and pre-Raphaelites. You will walk through time in three ancient ferny ghylls, learning about some of the rare plants and species that thrive in these wonderfully biodiverse and ancient ravines and connecting with the nature spirits.

The steeply sloping ghylls, springs, streams and waterfalls of the nature reserve, having never been worked as farmland, have a long history and tradition of being Common Land, providing shade, shelter, sustenance and sublimity to the people of Hastings since the Stone Age. You will enjoy gorgeous, sweeping clifftop sea views and your exertions walking up and down the many steps in and out of the ghylls will significantly improve your ability to fall into deep reverie when you come to incubate at a specially selected sleeping site amongst the bracken, gorse and wild flowers.

Participants will receive, included with the ticket, an audio recording to practice dream incubation at home (normally £10) and some dream tea made by Sarah Janes and inspired by her studies of ancient dream herbals (£20).

For more information about dream incubation, the dream study project and Sarah Janes visit her website.

About your guide: 

Author, researcher, curator, retreat host, workshop facilitator and public speaker, Sarah Janes specializes in the ancient history, culture and practical application of intentional dreaming. A lucid dreamer since childhood, she has always been passionate about the alchemical potential of dreaming. Sarah now has decades of experience hosting all sorts of dream-themed events, leading groups and educating all ages both on and offline. Sarah is passionate about the potential of dreaming for physical, emotional, creative and spiritual upliftment, not just for individuals, but for culture and society as a whole. She's interested in how good dream and sleep quality can improve physical, mental and spiritual well being.

Sarah Janes is the co-director and curator of Dream Palace Athens, a symposium and residency project in Athens, Greece. Sarah hosts her own Egyptology lecture series - Explorers Egyptology and was co-host for author Anthony Peake for his YouTube series - Consciousness Hour. She has also collaborated with Rupert Sheldrake and the British Pilgrimage Trust to bring dream incubation practices back into sacred sites around the United Kingdom. She has also led courses and classes with the Last Tuesday Society, Mindvalley, Psychedelic Society, Burning Man, RAMA and many more. Sarah’s book Initiation into Dream Mysteries: Drinking from the Pool of Mnemosyne (pub. Inner Traditions 2022) explores the history and culture of divine dreams from ancient Anatolia, through the Near East, Egypt and Greece. Sarah lives and hosts her dream retreats in Archaia Epidavros in the Peloponnese, Greece - home to the holistic sanctuary and sacred sleep temple of the divine physician Asklepios - who was famed for his ability to cure pilgrims in dreams.

Open to All (Bring your own Beliefs)

This Pilgrimage will include:

- New ways of meeting the land (bring your own beliefs...) - dream with purpose on the path - Opportunities for silence and nature rapture

What to bring

Appropriate clothes for lying down and resting outdoors. Sensible shoes for muddy, uneven banks; Waterproofs or Umbrella; Waterbottle and snacks. 

FAQ’s

Who can come? Anyone over 18 (or under 18 with parental guidance, bearing in mind the walking distance).

Is this religious? All and no-faiths are equally welcome. We operate a “Bring Your Own Beliefs” policy. We ask that all participating pilgrims tolerate one another, whatever their beliefs.

Are there fitness limitations? Pilgrimage is moderately intense. If you struggle to walk all day, this type of pilgrimage may be an unsuitable activity for you right now. There are always plenty of escape points en route. But we will walk slowly, and start early, and six miles is a very manageable distance for the majority of people. Unfortunately this pilgrimage is not suited for mobility-impaired people or those requiring wheelchair access, or those who are not sure-footed on steep banks. If you have different access needs please contact us to discuss. 

Can I bring my dog? Sadly not - we can’t accommodate dogs on our guided pilgrimages. However, if you have a registered assistance dog, they are welcome.

If it rains will it be cancelled? In the event of wet weather the sleeping site will be moved indoors. 

What does my money go? What's this all for? It's a fundraising event for registered charity British Pilgrimage Trust, which has limited resources, but which spends its time creating materials for people to use for free, and facilitating the grass roots growth of pilgrimage in Britain by engaging with local communities.

We hope to see you on the path.