Our Dreaming Mind [Hardcover]

Robert Van De Castle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 1994

"When a book appears that is timely, scholarly, comprehensive, and well-written, it stands as a landmark."

MONTAGUE ULLMAN, M.D.

Author of WORKING WITH DREAMS

In this brilliantly researched study, Robert L. Van de Castle, Ph.D., an internationally recognized dream authority, examines the vital role that dreams have played throughout history. OUR DREAMING MIND delves into the most provocative experiments that scientists are conducting on the dreaming mind in this century. Vast in scope and startling in its revelations, here is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of dreams, written with clarity and grace. Dr. Van de Castle shares with all readers the amazing riches he has discovered throughout a lifetime of research and reflection on dreams.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inspirational imagery revealed in dreams to Muhammad, Gandhi, Descartes, Wagner, Handel, Coleridge, Yeats, Orson Welles, Elias Howe and many others has wrought significant changes in politics, science, art, music, film, literature and religion. Yet dreams have been devalued in Western culture, and one reason for this, suggests Van de Castle, is that Freud's forging of strong links among dreams, neuroses and sex has thwarted a wider exploration of the full meaning of dreams. Former director of the University of Virginia Medical School's Sleep and Dream Laboratory, the author explores the dream theories of Freud, Jung, Montague Ullman, Fritz Perls and others. He surveys the importance of dream imagery in ancient and non-Western cultures and crams in a wealth of information on children's dreams, recurrent dreams, nightmares, gender differences in dreaming and much else. This immensely readable resource is a monumental history of dreams and a practical stimulus for those who want to remember and work with their dreams. Illustrated.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Van de Castle, former director of the Sleep and Dream Laboratory at the University of Virginia, presents the scientific facts surrounding dreams as well as some of the more prophetic, paranormal associations. He begins his well-organized text with a history of dreams, using such anecdotes as the revelation in a dream of the location of Kuwait's great oil reserves to a British political official. Van de Castle proceeds to describe modern dream theories of the 20th century with a particular emphasis on Freud and Jung. He continues with the current state of dream research and ends with the paranormal qualities of dreams. While books concerning dreams abound, this broad and intelligent work is highly recommended. [QPB main selection; BOMC alternate.]-Jennifer Amador, Central State Hosp. Medical Lib., Petersburg, Va.
--Jennifer Amador, Central State Hosp. Medical Lib., Petersburg, Va.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 547 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (May 31, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034536435X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345364357
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.8 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #577,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, May 11, 2004

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Our Dreaming Mind (Paperback)

This book is a compendium of information about dreams, ranging from folklore and ancient beliefs through current scientific research. The book is organized into 6 parts: anecdotes and famous dreams, early dream research from the dawn of history up until Freud, modern dream theorists including Freud and Jung, experimental dream research, scientific dream analysis, and paranormal and lucid dreams. There are also two appendixes that provide contact information for dream networks and organizations, and how to keep a dream diary. The book is extensively documented with endnotes, and there is a 20 page bibliography as well as an index. There is a phenomenal amount of material crammed into this volume- -the pages are extra wide to accommodate two columns of text on each page. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photographs and dream-influenced artwork.

The early part of the book seemed almost like an extended literature review for a dissertation or an encyclopedia. The thoughts of dozens, perhaps even hundreds of philosophers, researchers, and other dreamers are briefly summarized in chronological order, from Plato to Artemidorus, from Erik Erikson to Calvin Hall. I found the sections on Freud and Jung particularly illuminating. As someone who has heard a lot about Freud, but never read his works, I found the overview of Freud's work on dreams and his school of psychoanalysis quite informative, especially when it was directly contrasted with Jung's work. The contributions of each of these men to the topic of dream research were presented in great depth, and supplemented with example analyses in their corresponding schools.

I also found the section of the book covering contemporary dream research to be quite fascinating. It would have been better, however, if this section were expanded and brought up to date with the latest laboratory findings. One annoying habit that Van de Castle has is using this book to defend criticisms of his research methodology. In several places in the text, he reports that other researchers disagreed with his findings, and then he launches into in-depth justification of his conclusions. While he is certainly within his rights to defend his views, it makes no sense to do so in a popular work such as this one- -all he needed to do in this text was mention the disagreements (perhaps in an endnote) and briefly explain that he had answered the questions in print elsewhere. By discussing the points in detail here, it makes it appear as if he is defending his research by appealing not to his scientific peers, but to the general public. In contrast, it might have been good to explain the experimental design of his research in a little more detail in this book. From his descriptions here, he makes it sound as if he does dream research by positing that certain elements of dreams are common or absent in a particular group of people, and then checking their dreams to see if this is indeed the case. He never mentions whether this research is conducted using double-blind methods or control populations. If he had mentioned here that he consistently used such methods, his research would sound a lot more credible. (If he actually didn't use such methods, then his research would be dreamy, indeed.)

In any case, I found much of what Van de Castle reports to be consistent with my own experiences. After reading this book, I am even more certain that following one's nightly dreams can be a very illuminating and worthwhile practice. I plan to use the book's extensive bibliography to follow up on the ideas presented here.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, Tons of Information, April 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Our Dreaming Mind (Paperback)

Contrary to the last review, I did not find this book difficult to read or understand. Each topic is organized with subtitles in an easy-to-find manner. A great deal of information is given on the history of dreams, which was the reason I decided to buy the book in the first place; I'm currently doing a report on the history of dreams throughout varied cultures, and this is one of the better resources I've been able to find on it. Not only does the author trace the history of dreams, but he also deals with dream theories in the 20th century, early and contemporary research with dreams, dreams of famous people, how dreams vary throughout the life span, lucid and spiritual dreams, nightmares and night terrors...the list goes on. If you're looking for a good resource on dreams instead of a generic dream interpretation book, this is one to check into.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best objective survey of humankind's interest in dreams., May 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Our Dreaming Mind (Paperback)

This book is the author's heartfelt presentation in depth of what humans past and present have thought about dreams from many points of view and not just our modern psychological one.

This is a must reading as the best survey of the field. If it has a weakness it is that the author himself sometimes takes positions on various dream issues which show a certain lack of scientific objectivity, but at least you have all the issues.

Knowning many points of view on how dreams are regarded is important for the dedicated dreamer because so many books about dreams are rather strong in the author's single point of view. When you see the many ways dreams have been used in the history of culture you can be a bit more relaxed aout trying to decide what is the right way to view dreams in general or your own dreams in particular.

Unfortunately where the author is the weakest is in not surveying modern dream approaches of the last fifty years except the laboratory research approach. He excludes by choice any mention of the development of modern dreamwork of many schools of thought except some of the most well known and now old such as the Jungian and Freudian.

So if you want an excellent background on dreams look here in this large book but if you want the latest on the creative new developments in dreamworking you will have to look elsewhere.

Strephon Kaplan-Williams, author, The Dream Cards