Uploaded December 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Where do our dreams originate from, and what do they tell us? Is there a universal set of symbols that are common to all dreams, regardless of a person’s ethnicity or culture? What does dreaming reveal about the unconscious? Why do some dreams remain etched in our memories, whereas others are almost instantly forgotten? Some scientists have adopted the position that dreams are little more than noise in the brain, without any substantive purpose or function. Yet such a stance seemingly runs counter to the experience of many people who reflect upon and even analyze their dreams, often in search of clues to their daily lives or insights into their deeper selves. Similarly, in virtually all wisdom traditions, dreams are invoked as an important source of revelation or prophecy. Rubin Naiman, Deirdre Leigh Barrett and Kelly Bulkeley examine dreams from a variety of perspectives, including how they might be interpreted and even directed in some cases.
The New York Academy of Sciences
December 7, 2016
This event is part of the Unlocking the Unconscious: Exploring the Undiscovered Self series, which brings together leading scientists and scholars to probe the realm of the unconscious mind through a mix of disciplinary approaches, including neuroscience, cognitive psychology and psychotherapy.
nourfoundation.com/theunconscious
Where do our dreams originate from, and what do they tell us? Is there a universal set of symbols that are common to all dreams, regardless of a person’s ethnicity or culture? What does dreaming reveal about the unconscious? Why do some dreams remain etched in our memories, whereas others are almost instantly forgotten? Some scientists have adopted the position that dreams are little more than noise in the brain, without any substantive purpose or function. Yet such a stance seemingly runs counter to the experience of many people who reflect upon and even analyze their dreams, often in search of clues to their daily lives or insights into their deeper selves. Similarly, in virtually all wisdom traditions, dreams are invoked as an important source of revelation or prophecy. Rubin Naiman, Deirdre Leigh Barrett and Kelly Bulkeley examine dreams from a variety of perspectives, including how they might be interpreted and even directed in some cases.
The New York Academy of Sciences
December 7, 2016
This event is part of the Unlocking the Unconscious: Exploring the Undiscovered Self series, which brings together leading scientists and scholars to probe the realm of the unconscious mind through a mix of disciplinary approaches, including neuroscience, cognitive psychology and psychotherapy.
nourfoundation.com/theunconscious
