some good books on dreams

Here are some books on dreams and sleep that I’ve found both interesting and helpful.  Alphabetical by author:

The Committee of Sleep: How Artists, Scientists, and Athletes Use Dreams for Creative Problem Solving, Deirdre Barrett  (Interesting, but if you’ve read other mass market books on dreams, you probably already know several of these stories.)

Dreaming Beyond Death: a Guide to Pre-Death Dreams and Visions, Kelly and Patricia Bulkeley  (I believe dreams try to us prepare for big transitions.  So why shouldn’t they work to get us ready for the biggest one of all?)

Crisis Dreaming: Using Your Dreams to Solve Your Problems, Rosalind Cartwright, Ph.D. & Lynne Lamberg  (To gain important insight into a dream need not be a complicated process.  I think Crisis Dreaming is a good book for times such as these, when so many suffer from PTSD.)

The Dream Makers: Discovering Your Breakthrough Dreams, Dr. Richard Corriere & Dr. Joseph Hart  (Dream Makers got me started with dream work decades ago.  That said, I’d be probably have some issues with this book if I reread it today.  Nonetheless, I’m recommending it because the authors show how we can gain immediate insight into a dream by asking a few simple questions.)

Writers Dreaming, Naomi Epel  (I once hoped I might dream the entire story for a novel.  But my experience goes along with what these dreaming writers have found: a dream can give you the seed of an idea.  But you’ve got to dream the rest of the story while awake.)

Landscapes of the Night: How & Why We Dream, Christopher Evans  (Interesting theory about the function of dreams.  I think it may be valid—to a point.  But I believe dreams serve other functions as well.)

Let Your Body Interpret Your Dreams, Eugene Gendlin  (I would say that it isn’t your body doing the interpreting.  But this guide is very helpful, so let’s not quibble.  The list of questions to ask about a dream is worth the price of the book.)

Jungian Dream Interpretation, a Handbook of Theory & Practice, James A. Hall, M.D.  (Helpful presentations of Jungian dreamwork.  Ironically, I’ve learned more about Jung’s ideas from books written about his work than from books written by Jung himself.  For one thing, the prose is usually less of struggle for my poor mind.  That said, this book is dense with information.)

Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth, Robert A. Johnson  (Actually, this is my least favorite book by Robert Johnson.  All his books involve dream work in some way and all are worth reading.)

Owning Your Own Shadow, Robert A. Johnson  (My favorite of Johnson’s books.  I was surprised to learn that the shadow not only holds negative aspects I’ve rejected, but also positive ones.  Another surprise: I can have as much trouble accepting the best as I do accepting the worst.)

The Paradox of Sleep: The Story of Dreaming, Michel Jouvet and Laurence Garey  (This book by a leading sleep and dream researcher is definitely not a speed read.  But its science is interesting.  And sometimes surprising.  Consider this fact: you aren’t actually acting out your dreams when you sleepwalk.)

Modern Man in Search of a Soul and Undiscovered Self, C.G. Jung  (Yes, I know I said the work of other Jungians is often more accessible than Jung’s own writings.  However, I think if you really want to delve into Jungian psychology, you need go to the source.)

Lucid Dreaming: a concise guide, Stephen LaBerge  (Helpful if you want to become aware you’re dreaming while you’re dreaming.  For my own thoughts on the experience, see “A Word about Lucid Dreaming” above.)

Understanding Dreams, Mary Ann Mattoon  (Recommended to me by a therapist who claimed this book was the best overview of Jungian dream psychology he’d found.  Well, okay, but for me reading the book was more chore than pleasure.  Nonetheless, I think I’d buy it again as a reference book.)

The Dream Workbook, Jill Morris  (Gives brief overviews of various approaches to dream interpretation, along with exercises so the dreamer can actually try out these approaches.  In my experience, there are plenty of basic books on dream work, but not many good ones.  Morris’ book is a good place to start, I think—but don’t stop there.)

Healing Night: The Science and Spirit of Sleeping, Dreaming, and Awakening, Rubin Naimen, Ph.D.  (Dr. Naimen tells us why we need the darkness we instinctively fear.  Ironically, I read this book by flashlight and candlelight during a three-day power outrage.)

The Truth of the Dream: poetry, Michael R. Patton  (I usually don’t rhapsodize about the virtues of my own work.  But I’m recommending this collection because its poems express much of what I’ve said about dreams here.  And in a way that I believe is entertaining, heartfelt, and accessible (without being trite).  Plus, it’s got fun graphic art and cartoons!)

The Mind at Night: The New Science of How and Why We Dream, Andrea Rock  (Allan Hobson countered accepted belief by saying dreams have no symbolic meaning.  This overview presents ideas from scientists who’ve expanded on his theory.  Interesting, but let me be clear: I don’t agree with their ideas.  Maybe their dreams have no meaning, but mine do.)

Acquainted with the Night: Insomnia Poems, Lisa Spaar, editor  (An irony: that so many of us should struggle to do something so natural and so necessary.  An excellent anthology.)

Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill and Dream Work: Techniques for Discovering the Creative Power of Dreams, Jeremy Taylor.  (There’s some repetition, so take your pick.  Both are good basic books that go beyond the basics.  Taylor stresses the benefits of working in groups.  A good storyteller.)

Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transformation of Consciousness, Marion Woodman & Elinor Dickson  (Men, don’t be put off by that title—there’s wisdom for all in this wonderful book.)

Dreams: Language of the Soul, Marion Woodman with Tami Simon  (Audio book interview from Sounds True.)

Grief Dreams, T.J. Wray & Ann Back Price  (“Coping with grief” seems to have finally become part of our national conversation.  The authors make a good case for dreams to be included in that talk.  As I recall, they leave this natural question open: when we see a loved one in a dream are we actually encountering their spirit?  I say: if you see the beloved, you see the beloved.  The important thing is: how the experience affects your life.)