Reviews

Inspirational imagery revealed in dreams to Muhammad, Gandhi, Descartes, Wagner, Handel, Coleridge, Yeats, Orson Welles, Elias Howe and many others has wrought significant changes in politics, science, art, music, film, literature and religion. Yet dreams have been devalued in Western culture, and one reason for this, suggests Van de Castle, is that Freud's forging of strong links among dreams, neuroses and sex has thwarted a wider exploration of the full meaning of dreams. Former director of the University of Virginia Medical School's Sleep and Dream Laboratory, the author explores the dream theories of Freud, Jung, Montague Ullman, Fritz Perls and others. He surveys the importance of dream imagery in ancient and non-Western cultures and crams in a wealth of information on children's dreams, recurrent dreams, nightmares, gender differences in dreaming and much else. This immensely readable resource is a monumental history of dreams and a practical stimulus for those who want to remember and work with their dreams. Illustrated. (Aug.)

Van de Castle, former director of the Sleep and Dream Laboratory at the University of Virginia, presents the scientific facts surrounding dreams as well as some of the more prophetic, paranormal associations. He begins his well-organized text with a history of dreams, using such anecdotes as the revelation in a dream of the location of Kuwait's great oil reserves to a British political official. Van de Castle proceeds to describe modern dream theories of the 20th century with a particular emphasis on Freud and Jung. He continues with the current state of dream research and ends with the paranormal qualities of dreams. While books concerning dreams abound, this broad and intelligent work is highly recommended. [QPB main selection; BOMC alternate.]-Jennifer Amador, Central State Hosp. Medical Lib., Petersburg, Va.