Behind Closed Eyes: Dreams and Nightmares in Ancient Egypt (None) [Hardcover]

Kasia Szpakowska (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2003 | Series: None

This new book is the first to present a comprehensive study of dreams as they were perceived and interpreted by the Egyptians in the third and second millennia BC - from Old Kingdom to New Kingdom. The author examines the various roles dreams could play in ancient Egyptian society, whether political, religious, magical, or literary. Also considered is the value of dream-interpretation for the happiness of private individuals. The work is accessibly written, and should inform the wider study of psychology and comparative religion. Its arguments are based on an intimate study of the original Egyptian texts; the texts themselves are here set out in translation. Dr. Kasia Szpakowska is Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Wales Swansea.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

To make the book more readable, most of the transliterations were removed from the published book. For those who might be interested in the source materials, and especially for students, I have created a pdf file of my transliterations of all the texts and have posted it online on my website (email me for further information).

From the Inside Flap

Dreams and nightmares have long puzzled and fascinated, yet this is the first book to explore such visions in the Ancient Egyptian world. The author traces the evidence from the first half of Egypt's long history, the Old Kingdom through the New Kingdom, a time-span of over 1,000 years. The book is arranged thematically, with chapters devoted to the literary use of dreams, to the political use of divine visions, to the technology used to ward away terrorizing nightmares. It also explores the Ramesside Dream Book, a unique text that reveals the desires and anxieties that could inspire an Egyptian's dreams, with images of sex and power, of gods and the dead. All the relevant passages are conveniently translated in an appendix.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: The Classical Press of Wales (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0954384504
• ISBN-13: 978-0954384500
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #473,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Egyptian Windows, February 23, 2004

By 

"gjarrett" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind Closed Eyes: Dreams and Nightmares in Ancient Egypt (None) (Hardcover)

This is a cool book. It's so hard to find good, readable books on ancient Egyptian culture. So much of what you find is either too stuffy and academic (yawn), or else it is awkward speculation by people with ulterior motives (spiritual or political). It's really nice to have a scholar in the field write a book for everyone who is interested in ancient cultures - and in my case, dreams!

Szpakowska argues that the Egyptian conception of dreams was more metaphysical than psychological in nature. She claims that the Egyptians viewed dreams and nightmares as a kind of "window" to encounter people in the afterlife. In addition to the textual support, she discusses artifacts which were apparently used to protect the sleeper from dangerous intrusions (we are so vulnerable when we sleep, no?).

The view of dreams is based solely on Egyptian texts and artifacts - not on Greek or Roman claims about the Egyptians. We get to read through the actual texts, not only from pharaohs or clergy, but often reports from ordinary folk. Also of interest is the account of th Ramessian Dream Book, which provides interpretations of the significance of one's dreams - for example, "If one sees himself in a dream drinking beer, it means a surging of his emotions." I found it especially interesting that the Egyptians had dreams about having "broken teeth" (score one point for the Jungian collective consciousness?

Highly recommend! This book is a must for anyone curious about the anthropology of dreams and nightmares, or for those interested in ancient Egyptian culture.

Greg Jarrett
Dept. of Philosophy
Loyola Marymount University