The Mind at Night: The New Science of how and why We Dream

Front Cover
Basic Books, 2004 - Psychology - 224 pages
Over the past few decades, there has been a revolution in scientific knowledge about why we dream, what's actually happening to the brain when we do, and what the sleeping mind reveals about our waking hours. Beginning with the birth of dream research in the 1950s, award-winning science reporter Andrea Rock traces the brief but fascinating history of this emerging scientific field. She then takes us into modern sleep labs across the country, bringing the scientists to life as she interprets their intellectual breakthroughs and asks the questions that intrigue us all: Why do we remember only a fraction of our dreams? Why are dreams usually accompanied by intense emotion, such as fear or anxiety? Can we really control our dreams without waking up? Are universal dream interpretations valid? Is dreaming our way of consolidating long-term memories and filtering the day's mental detritus? Can dreams truly spark creative thought or help solve problems? Accessible and engaging, The Mind at Night shines a bright light on our nocturnal journeys, while revealing the crucial role dreams could play in penetrating the mystery of consciousness.
 

Contents

Preface
v
Rockettes EEGs and Banana Cream Pie
xiii
The AntiFreud
15
Experiments of Nature
39
The Lesson of the Spiny Anteater
59
Rerunning the Maze
75
Nocturnal Therapy
99
The Ultimate Spin Doctor
119
Creative Chaos
133
Altered States
147
Consciousness and Beyond
171
Epilogue
185
Copyright

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About the author (2004)

Andrea Rock is the recipient of many awards, including the National Magazine Award, the prestigious Investigative Reporters and Editors Award, the Henry Luce citation for outstanding reporting, and the American Academy of Family Physicians Award for outstanding reporting. She lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

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