Dreams, Sleep, and Consciousness

Dreams, Sleep, and Consciousness presents the first scientifically based explanation of how dreams, sleep, and consciousness interconnect since the beginning of the neuroimaging era. This groundbreaking book introduces a fully developed neurocognitive theory of dreaming that encompasses the development of dreaming in children and provides detailed quantitative findings demonstrating how dreams reveal personal concerns. The book features two innovative theoretical frameworks. The new "adaptive inactivity theory of sleep" explains why the sleeping brain shows varying activation levels and how this enables dreaming. The "multistate hierarchical model of consciousness" explains both why consciousness occurs and how dreaming fits within this three- level theory. Key features include comprehensive coverage of dreaming during the sleep- onset process and detailed analysis of the waking/ arousal process, revealing how rapidly consciousness returns despite morning grogginess- the optimal time for dream recall. This essential resource targets undergraduate and postgraduate students in psychology, neuroscience, sleep medicine, and consciousness studies. It provides invaluable new ideas for researchers in sleep laboratories, clinicians specializing in sleep disorders, and neuroscientists investigating consciousness. The book also provides crucial insights for anyone interested in dream research, cognitive neuroscience, or sleep medicine.

G. William Domhoff is Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Research Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Professor Domhoff has written five books on dreams: The Mystique of Dreams (1985), Finding Meaning in Dreams (1996), The Scientific Study of Dreams (2003), The Emergence of Dreaming (2018), and The Neurocognitive Theory of Dreaming (2022).

1 An Introduction to the Three Theories Utilized in This Book 2 The Unique Neurocognitive Network That Makes Dreaming Possible 3 Findings on Dream Content in Light of the Neurocognitive Theory of Dreaming 4 Further Insights about Dream Content Based on Studies of Individual Dream Series 5 Dreaming during the Sleep- Onset Process 6 The Adaptive Inactivity Theory of Sleep 7 Brain Temperatures, Activation Patterns, and Dreaming 8 The Awakening Brain: From Dreaming to Consciousness 9 Dreaming and Waking Consciousness 10 Retrospect and Prospects Appendix A: Methodological Issues in Assessing the Frequency of Emotions in Dream Reports, References.