Sleep Paralysis is a troubling sleep condition that is deeply misunderstood in our culture. Experienced by millions as an incubus attack or being “ridden by a witch,” sleep paralysis (SP) has biological causes that are related to sleep hygiene, … [Read more...] about Sleep Paralysis Treatment – Stop Feelings of Being Held Down at Night
Allan Hobson and the Neuroscience of Dreams
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 … [Read more...] about Allan Hobson and the Neuroscience of Dreams
5 tips for Powerful Dreams Over the Holidays
Today is the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere. With the longest night of the year behind us, we can look forward to longer and warmer days ahead. But hold on a minute. Let’s not invite the light back just yet. These dark days have … [Read more...] about 5 tips for Powerful Dreams Over the Holidays
Inner Work: When Productivity is Counter-Productive
A friend recently wrote in an email; “I'm coming to realize that this transformational path I'm on isn't exactly productive. I don't know what it is but productive it's not.” Her comments, coupled with my own experiences of times when I am not … [Read more...] about Inner Work: When Productivity is Counter-Productive
Calvin Hall and the Cognitive Theory 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 … [Read more...] about Calvin Hall and the Cognitive Theory of Dreaming
The Dream Theories of Carl Jung
Except for Dr Freud, no one has influenced modern dream studies more than Carl Jung. A psychoanalyst based in Zurich, Switzerland, Jung (1875 -1961) was a friend and follower of Freud but soon developed his own ideas about how dreams are formed. … [Read more...] about The Dream Theories of Carl Jung
Contemporary Dream Theories Starting with Freud
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 … [Read more...] about Contemporary Dream Theories Starting with Freud
How Dreams of Bereavement Reach Out to Us
In my last article about dreams of the dead, I gave short shrift to dreams of bereavement, which is a subset of dreams where we are visited by the deceased. Often, all visitation dreams are interpreted to be grief dreams, despite the wide range of … [Read more...] about How Dreams of Bereavement Reach Out to Us
Visitation dreams: When the Veil between Worlds is Thin
With Halloween on its way, it's high time to take a look at visitation dreams, or dreams we have of the departed. For hundreds of years, early November (conveniently poised between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice) has been celebrated as a … [Read more...] about Visitation dreams: When the Veil between Worlds is Thin
Health, Spirituality and the Cult of the Perfect Body
Image by Hamed SaberListening to Carrie Fisher's encapsulated biography, "Wishful Drinking" on audiobook recently, I thought about how the Baby Boomers, and their Greatest Generation parents, had no choices when it came to depression, mental illness, … [Read more...] about Health, Spirituality and the Cult of the Perfect Body