Customer Reviews

The Dreaming Universe: A Mind-Expanding Journey Into the Realm Where Psyche and Physics Meet

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Dreaming Universe picks up where most lucid dreaming books leave off... and challenges the reader to consider the deeper implications and significance of dreaming and reality. This book will excite and stimulate anyone already interested in the subjects of lucid dreaming or consciousness as it raises new questions and combines old ideas in creative new ways as only Wolf can do -- with his unique in-depth experience with physics, spirituality, and magic.

Fred Alan Wolf takes us closer than ever to understanding the "Mind's Eye," and how the brain produces pictures through holograms.

Whether you agree or disagree with Wolf's conclusions, you can't read this book without learning something, or seeing something new in the world of consciousness, matter, and dreams. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a must if you've ever wondered why it's easier to hunt deer with a computer game than it is to hunt the real thing. A computer (and the brain, according to some physicists) operate under Boolean theory. A program contains all possible scenarios at once, with overlaps in some segments of each. A specific inquiry narrows the choices, but ultimately, there is only one outcome. Fred Alan Wolf attempts to explain the variable 'instinct' that is the ancient universal holding place for all knowledge. Instinct can't be duplicated by a computer, so it must exist in a Quantum environment. A semi-conscious state like a dream would be necessary to access such an environment. An excellent thought-provoking read.

This has much of the same information as the Holographic Universe (above) but worded in a more scientific way. I found Talbot's book much easier to read and just better overall. This book is highly worthwhile in it's own right although. If I had to pick one it would be Talbots.

This is not light reading..It is a read that one has to take slow and think about. The information presented in the book is very thought stimulating. It is an excellent book and the author does a good job of simplifying a very complex subject.

I have always enjoyed the books of Fred Alan Wolf, but this one was a disappointment. It does contain some interesting nuggets of information, but they're scattered throughout the book, which attempts to deal with virtually every scientific and metaphysical theory under the sun.

By his own admission, Wolf skipped around during the composition of the book, which is probably why he continually says "I'll explain more about this later." Attempting to join holographic theory, quantum mechanics, synchonicity, Jungian psychology of the collective unconscious, lucid dreaming, UFO abductions, and dozens of other phenomena puts this book a tad over the top. I am no novice in reading metaphysics or science, but in the long run, I couldn't follow it. The organization has no coherent thread other than reality might be a dream.

The book may be worth the price if one is an avid Fred Wolf fan or if one is willing to sift through the pages to find those sections that lapse into intelligibility (or else read it numerous times until some of the difficult connections can be made). It's not a bad book, just awfully difficult and not Wolf's usual "layman's fare."

The book is interesting in that the author tries to relate human consciousness, quantum physics, and eastern mysticism to an undersdtanding of dreams. Some of his commnents are thought prevoking but the material needs to be more tightly organized. He keeps telling the reader "I will explain this more fully in a later chapter...". This made the 360 page read less enjoyable for me than it might have been had the material been presented in a less conversational format.

This was the most incoherent, rambling, pointless exposition which never achieves what it sets out to do. After reading this, I know I won't bother reading any other books by Mr. Wolf. Don't waste your money.

10-Point Rating: (5.5)
This book gets two stars for dealing with an extremely interesting topic and for making quite a few good points throughout, however the author just wants dreams to do too much. The fact that we can and do distinguish between waking (i.e. ordinary) consciousness and dream consciousness means that the two must be qualitatively different - and in fact they are. The discontinuity of dreams among other features distinguishes them as derivative conscious states, that is to say they are not primary - everyday waking consciousness is primary. We define dreams relative to waking states and not vice-versa for a variety of reasons, and Wallace does little to challenge these obvious differences. It's a bit like saying "everything's alive" or "everything's conscious" - statements like these tend to cheapen the meanings of these words, if everything is, then nothing is.