The Scientific Study of Dreams: Neural Networks, Cognitive Development, and Content Analysis [Hardcover]

G. William Domhoff (Author), William G. Domhoff (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1557989354 | ISBN-13: 978-1557989352 | Publication Date: January 2003 | Edition: 1

The Scientific Study of Dreams presents a new neurocognitive model of dreams that draws from empirical research to explain better the process of dreaming and the nature of dream content. Until now, dream studies have been limited in their usefulness, but recent advances in neuroscience, dream content analysis, cognitive linguistics, statistics, and computer software have made it possible to revitalize this area of research with the use of scientific methods. Domhoff's neurocognitive model helps explain the neural and cognitive bases for dreaming. He discusses how dreams express conceptions and concerns, and how they are consistent over years and decades. He also shows that there may be limits to understanding the meaning of dreams as there are many aspects of dream content that cannot be related to waking cognition or personal concerns. In addition, the book includes a detailed explanation of the methods needed to test the new model as well as a case study of a comprehensive dream journal. Particularly valuable is a discussion of a new system of content analysis that can be used for highly sophisticated studies of dream content. In this provocative book, Domhoff sets forth a convincing argument that will encourage a resurgence in dream research among both new and established cognitive psychologists and neuropsychologists.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 209 pages
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA); 1 edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557989354
• ISBN-13: 978-1557989352
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What the study of dreams SHOULD be, January 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Scientific Study of Dreams: Neural Networks, Cognitive Development, and Content Analysis (Hardcover)

For far too long, most books about dreaming have been the realm of TV psychologists, mystics, and charlatans; G. William Domhoff is working to change all of that. This book is an excellent overview of recent breakthroughs and future possibilities in quantitative content analysis and neuroimaging studies. Domhoff also makes a convincing case for abandoning the Freudian and Jungian tenets that strangled dream research for most of the last century -- and he sows the seeds of a new cognitive theory that could guide research in the new millennium.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Review of Domhoff's Dreams, April 20, 2010

By 

Ryan S. Mease "scott.godwin" (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Scientific Study of Dreams: Neural Networks, Cognitive Development, and Content Analysis (Hardcover)

This is an incredibly dry, uninspiring work of scientific literature. It does an effective job of present new developments in dream science since the activation-synthesis, including those of Solms and Foulkes. However, the majority of this work is bogged down with precise discussion of experiments and the author's favored dream-content analysis method. Compared with Hobson's 'The Dreaming Brain,' this work feels like a very weak response.

10 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for novices, and oh my so dry, September 23, 2003

By 

J. Eure (Charlottesville, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Scientific Study of Dreams: Neural Networks, Cognitive Development, and Content Analysis (Hardcover)

My area of interest is REM sleep and dreaming and I have read many books and scientific journal articles on the subject. This book is full of statistics and data and is so dry I became dehydrated reading it. It is a good resource for someone who is conducting research on the cognitive aspects of dreams and their content. It is not a good book to get if you are new to the subject. Please read my "So you want to...learn about sleep and dreams" for some great recommendations on the subject.