Our Dreaming Mind [Paperback]

Robert L. Van De Castle (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 17, 1995

"A MASTERPIECE ON DREAMS...This book is a singular resource.... If it inspires you to remember your dreams, this book will change your life. If it inspires you to act on your dreams, this book will change the world."
--Henry Reed
Author of Getting Help from Your Dreams
and Dream Solutions
In this brilliantly researched and thorough study, internationally recognized dream authority Robert L. Van de Castle examines the vital role that dreams have played throughout history, from the dreams of ancient Sumerian kings to the pioneering dream research of nineteenth-century psychologists. Our Dreaming Mind delves into the most provocative experiments that scientists are conducting on the dreaming mind in this century and surveys ongoing dream experiments: dreams and sexual arousal, the impact of pregnancy on dreams, the connection between dreams and creativity, and the possibility of paranormal dreams.
"In Our Dreaming Mind, Robert Van de Castle pulls decades of accumulated wisdom together in a sweeping panorama unsurpassed in the literature for its scope, its insight, and its ability to captivate its readers.
--Stanley Krippner
Director of The Saybrook Institute
Editor of Dream Time and Dream Work
"IMMENSELY READABLE...A monumental history of dreams."
--Publishers Weekly
"Our Dreaming Mind is really a dream come true--the most comprehensive, authoritative, and inspiring book on dreams I know about. At heart, this book is about human consciousness and our place in the universe. A magnificent contribution."
--Larry Dossey, M.D.
Author of Meaning & Medicine:
A Doctor's Tales of Breakthrough and Healing

AN ALTERNATE SELECTION OF THE BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 2nd print edition (October 17, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345396669
• ISBN-13: 978-0345396662
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

Format: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

Format: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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read May 13, 2003

By owookiee VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

VdC gives a pretty good gloss-over history of dreaming and what certain people thought of them; how certain philosophers and psychologists thought of them. He also recounts several studies and the statistics that were drawn from them - which are quite interesting.
One of the studies on lucid dreaming describes the participants methods for inducing lucid dreams, and the method happens to be almost identical to a method I've successfully used before, which I originally got from a book called "Control Your Dreams".