Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sleep scientist Carr debuts with a stimulating account of cutting-edge research into dreams. Scientists now believe dreams are essential to brain function, playing roles in learning, emotional processing, problem solving, and creativity, Carr explains. The dreaming brain connects and recombines disparate memories to produce new ideas (dreams are said to have inspired Paul McCartney to compose "Yesterday" and Dmitri Mendeleev to envision the periodic table). But when dreams go wrong, they can bring about a host of mental and physical problems. Chronic nightmares, for example, which often result from trauma, have been linked to anxiety and depression and are a risk factor for suicide. Carr details treatments for nightmares, such as imagery rehearsal therapy, in which the patient recalls the bad dream while awake and imagines a new ending, and takes readers inside the world of "dream engineering," revealing how sensory inputs, like lights, sound, temperature, and vibrations, can influence dreams. She provides step-by-step instructions for those who want to try these techniques at home, and her detailed and accessible survey of current research will keep readers glued to the page. This is a windfall for those curious about their dreams. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Carr (sleep medicine, Univ. of Montreal) offers an in-depth survey of current research in the science of dreams and how they can affect one's mental, emotional, and physical health. The book begins with the neuroscience of sleep cycles, then discusses the function and characteristics of dreams, as well as the clinical distinction between bad dreams and nightmares. Addressing nightmares as a medical issue, Carr discusses a range of treatments that have proven to reduce both their frequency and impact, including the importance of addressing (not avoiding) them and regaining some amount of control and agency over dreams via visualization and lucid dreaming. Beyond merely studying dreams, Carr describes her work as "dream engineering" and explains the techniques used to induce or manipulate dreaming minds in ways that boost memory, creativity, connection, and problem-solving. A final chapter explores other dream-integrated methods for physical and mental rehabilitation. Included are simple step-by-step exercises for readers to apply Carr's insights. VERDICT Scientifically curious readers will benefit from this thorough and scientifically grounded explanation of dreams as a bodily function, one that can be treated when it goes awry.--Wade Lee-Smith
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The power of nightmares. Humans going back to ancient civilizations have tried to interpret and find meaning in our dreams. Dreams have been thought of as divine signals, warnings, and simply things that happen to us. But what if we could seize control of them? In her exploration, sleep expert and neuroscientist Carr deftly guides the reader through the science of sleep, dreams, and how the darkest of our mind inventions can traumatize us in waking hours. Carr has spent hundreds of nights awake and working in the sleep lab during her career, watching others sleep, electrodes placed on their scalps, later working to pull apart their dreams and disturbances. At the heart of her work in the sleep lab lie three questions: Why do we dream? Why do dreams go bad? How can we harness the science of dreaming to improve our health? In her unpacking of these questions, the author carries us through a raft of complicated brain science and sleep studies in compelling, clear writing. At times, the narrative is overly dense with study details that risk losing the nonscientist reader. While most of us have been taught to believe we have no agency over our dreams, Carr argues otherwise. She presents a strong case that we have the power to harness dreams and to guide our brains away from images and stories that might harm us while awake. What unfolds is a detailed manual for the notion of "dream engineering." Though it may seem far-fetched to some, to those who experience chronic nightmares and lucid dreaming, the concept could introduce a revolutionary practice for healing. A persuasive argument that humans are not bound to suffer from their darkest dreams. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
