Allan Hobson and the Neuroscience of Dreams
January 7, 2010 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
The neuroscience of dreaming is a relatively new enterprise but has quickly become the major paradigm of experimental dream research today. J. Allan Hobson, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus at Harvard University, is the undisputed celebrity of this scientific outlook, and the author of several popular books on the topic. Hobson, in his 30 years of tireless work, is also perhaps the greatest provocateur in the field of dream studies, stirring up old philosophical conflicts such as the value of objective science over experience, and mechanism over meaning.
Calvin Hall and the Cognitive Theory of Dreaming
December 3, 2009 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
Any survey of modern dream research must include Calvin Hall (1909-1985). Hall was a behavioral psychologist who explored the cognitive dimensions of dreaming. His work began before the discovery of REM sleep, so little was known about the biology of sleep and dreams. Hall drew worldwide attention for his cognitive theory of dreaming, which was among the first scientific theories of dream interpretation based on quantitative analysis… rather than wishful thinking.
The Dream Theories of Carl Jung
November 25, 2009 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
Except for Dr Freud, no one has influenced modern dream studies more than Carl Jung.
Contemporary Dream Theories Starting with Freud
November 19, 2009 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
I’ve been brewing this post series for a long time. Many readers have asked me to review the influential theories of dream formation that are still at work today. Unfortunately, in our Western culture, where dreaming has long been considered insignificant, advances have been slow due to a lack of funded research. And no one has yet offered a holistic theory of dreaming that accounts for how dreams form in the brain, what they mean, and why human cultures around the world draw significance from them. Instead, we have many competing theories, all of which look at different aspects of the dreaming world.
Are Dreams the Original Psychedelic?
July 7, 2009 by Lee Adams
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
I have spent the last 6 years of my free time from my normal job researching the similarities between dreams and psychedelic hallucinations. Many people from the psychedelic community would disagree, claiming that their experiences are unique.
Not surprisingly, the lucid dreaming community or even normal sleeper may claim either that their dreams are unique or that “I don’t do drugs!”
Dreams of Trauma Survivors – a Clinical Perspective
August 9, 2008 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
On the topic of the dreams of trauma survivors, I saw another great talk in Montreal by Ann Goelitz, a clinical social worker from New York. In a nutshell, Goelitz’s work compares the emotional content of dreams of trauma survivors to the general population.
Goelitz found that trauma survivors” dreams are empirically more emotional, and they also have more intense emotions. Further, she found that human-made trauma stirs more emotion in dreams than non-human trauma. For example, family abuse or exposure to war results in more emotional dreams than natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.
An Evolutionary Theory of Dreaming
August 1, 2008 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
Thinking about thinking is hard, and thinking about dreaming is harder. Believe it or not, there is only one evolutionary theory of dreaming seriously at work these days in academia. Indeed, a theory supporting the biological function of dreams has a steep hill to climb, as we don’t really have a complete theory for the biological function of sleep. So dreaming is still an unknown within an unknown.
But that hasn’t stopped Antti Revonsuo, a Finnish philosopher who teaches at the University of Turku. At the 2008 IASD conference last month, researcher Katja Valli discussed the newest findings of the Revonsuo’s team in regards to their Threat Simulation Theory for dreams.
The Logos of Dreaming
July 23, 2008 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
What is the logic behind dreams? Is dreaming only a pale imitation of our waking abilities, as some say, or does it represent an entirely different ability? This question has forever shadowed the scientific exploration of dreams.
The question can be summed up as: is dreaming a failure of cognition, a breakdown of logic, and otherwise deficient OR is dreaming an accomplishment of cognition, a creative fire that burns bright inside us, the original inspiration behind art, genius, and even religion?
Welcome to The Portal of Dreaming
June 1, 2007 by Ryan Hurd
Filed under Theories of Dreaming
This portal was created because there are few outlets in the blogosphere that address dream studies from multiple perspectives. While I have lots of opinions about dreaming and the realm of consciousness studies in general, my intention here is not to defend a camp but explore the terrain.
Further, I am not here to conquer the terrain, but to take notes in a tiny leather journal like a gentle 19th century naturalist who has a quick eye and a slight limp. As depth psychologist Craig Chalquist likes to remind me, “we are cosmographers, not conquistadors.”
