The FiveStar Method: An interchangeable intervention for PTSD nightmares and waking traumatic events

Authors

• Gregory Sparrow, Atlantic University
• Valerie Leija, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Mark Thurston, George Mason University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2026

Abstract

There is a variety of trauma resolution methods that focus on reducing the emotional impact of nightmares and/or waking traumatic memories. The revision of nightmares through imagery rescripting represents one of the effective evidence-based methods. In contrast, traditional dream analysis represents an unlikely intervention for trauma resolution, given cultural assumptions regarding the presumed fixed or predetermined nature of dreams. The co-creative dream paradigm, in contrast, introduces the notion that the dream ego can intervene to shift the dream’s unfoldment toward resolution, both retroactively by reliving the original dream in a new way, and prospectively by preparing for new responses in future dreams. The FiveStar Method, a dream analysis method based on co-creative theory, embeds a variation of imagery rescripting called “dream reliving,” which can be applied to dreams and waking experiences alike. In this paper, we present the theoretical justification for its use in both contexts and report a case example where it was used in attenuating the impact of a nightmare and a waking traumatic memory.

Recommended Citation

Sparrow, G., Leija, V., & Thurston, M. (2026). The FiveStar Method: An interchangeable intervention for PTSD nightmares and waking traumatic events. International Journal of Dream Research.

Publication Title

International Journal of Dream Research