Dreams in Surinamese Amerindian cosmology

Elizabeth Mohkamsing-den Boer
 

ABSTRACT

Dreams play an important role in Surinamese Amerindian life. This article focuses on the concepts, interpretation and function of the dreams of the indigenous people of Suriname from an interdisciplinary perspective. It is based mainly on fieldwork (2001, 2004) and pertinent literature among the Arawak and Kari’na of the north of Suriname.1 The author wants to demonstrate the facilitating function dreams appear to have around important events in the lifecycle. In this respect, object relations theory proves very useful in understanding and explaining the various processes such as dream interpretation. This relational theory serves as the basis for a transitional approach to the study of dreams because it explains the dynamic interaction between individual and culture. Ultimately, this theory gave rise to the development of the notion of rêves de passage (dreams of passage). By using cultural meanings from the social and religious context, dreams help the dreamers to cope with new and/or difficult situations and to make the transition back to ordinary life.