The Logic of Dreams

"What is the logic behind dreams? Is dreaming only a pale imitation of our waking abilities, as some say, or does it represent an entirely different ability? This question has forever shadowed the scientific exploration of dreams.



The question can be summed up as: is dreaming a failure of cognition, a breakdown of logic, and otherwise deficient OR is dreaming an accomplishment of cognition, a creative fire that burns bright inside us, the original inspiration behind art, genius, and even religion?

It’s always been Either/or. Madness versus Creativity. Proto-mammalian gibberish versus Spiritual Ascent.

Thankfully, researcher Don Kuiken from the University of Alberta is questioning this false dualism. His paper at the Montreal Dreams conference was one of my favorites because of its far-reaching implications. Kuiken simply asked, “What if dreaming is both?” Focusing on the anomalies of dreams - those discontinuities of scene, memory, and thought - Kuiken illustrated how dreaming cognition can be seen as a “failure” and an “accomplishment” at the same time."

[via the Dream Studies Portal]