Summary of Alice Robb's Why We Dream

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Until the nineteenth century, dreams were thought of in the context of spirituality rather than science. They were treated like a sort of magical X-ray, with doctors consulting dreams for clues to their patients’ prognoses. #2 Dreams can be so lifelike that they seem to be the product of supernatural forces. They can change our beliefs, and they can even instill a sense of awe in the most committed atheist. #3 Dreams were not just the province of the uneducated or the superstitious. During the Enlightenment, Westerners still consulted their dreams for guidance and glimpses of the future. #4 Dreams have been used by scientists to study the mind. They have been used to help solve problems, and they allow us to satisfy desires that we are aware of as well as desires that we can’t acknowledge even to ourselves.