This is an exceptionally well-written and sensibly argued book about thatmost insubstantial of human experiences, the world of dreams. The author offersa selection of theories and case-histories concerning this twilight realm, whilesharing her own conviction that dreams can and do provide a reliable path tohigher states of consciousness.
Night visions are bestowed upon all sentient beings regardless of wealth orgender, faith or race. Even animals have dreams, as anyone who has ever watchedtheir pet dog or cat twitching in sleep can tell. Nevertheless, it is not easyto say what exactly a dream is. Meaningless brain-chatter or emanation from thecelestial realm? Chemical imbalance or evidence of an invisible InnerController? Tandan, who has a degree in psychology and has conducted a number ofdream workshops, tells us there is no final verdict, despite decades and evencenturies of speculation upon the subject.
Her book does not pretend to be an all-inclusive encyclopaedia. Nevertheless,it offers overviews and analyses of such classical theorists as Freud and Jungwhile introducing several others to lay readers. I was particularly interested,for instance, to read about the work of American psychologist Calvin Hall. Hebelieved that a dream "is a projection of what dreamers think aboutthemselves, other people, and the world they live in." His method (calledcontent analysis) "consisted of taking written reports of series ofdreams... then deconstructing them into different categories … breaking down adream report into its constituent elements ... tabulat(ing) the number of timeseach element occurs." His methods, though no doubt unsatisfactory formystics, provided researchers with a powerful tool for analysing dreams anddreamers.
Tandan's essential argument with rationalists is that their approach, whileimmensely useful to sociologists and psychologists, cannot provide answers forthose whose dreams turn out to be prophetic, medically relevant ortransformative in a spiritual and in some cases even historical sense. Shequotes the examples of scientists and leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, some ofwhose dreams have literally shaped the modern world. The final chapters dealwith the more esoteric levels of dreaming, including various mystical statessuch as "lucid" dreaming, in which the dreamer can control theexperience.
She has structured her material in as rational and objective a manner aspossible while remaining loyal to her beliefs. She uses her own life experiencesas the starting point of the tour, pausing to share several case-histories alongthe way, from textbooks as well as friends and associates. While showing us whathas been learnt in the laboratory and through countless trials and painstakingempirical research, Tandan makes the effort to present more than one way ofinterpreting events. "At the outset," she says, "it must beclarified that neither the rationalist (who denies meaning to a dream) nor thehermeneutist (who ascribes meaning to it) can boast of concrete proof eitherway." Then she adds, "I like to believe that the evidence tiltstowards the latter point of view, and my bias is evident in this book."
This statement expresses what I admire most about Tandan's approach: sheleaves the reader free to pursue his or her own convictions while providingpoints of entry into alternative ways of thought. I, for example, might bedescribed as a rationalist even though I am a prolific dreamer. I will confessthat I read the book not merely as a reviewer but as a reader interested in theinformation for its own sake. At the end, though I remained sceptical, I waswilling to try out one of the suggestions made in the book. It's aproblem-solving technique used by Dr Francis Menezes, director of the TataManagement Institute in Pune. "Take a piece of paper," he suggests,"and think of a problem that has been bothering you ... In a single-phrasequestion, write it down … put it under your pillow ... ponder over yourquestion. When you wake up the next morning try and remember your dream, andwrite it down immediately."
So I did that last night, in the sensing of "asking" for a dream,without writing down a specific request. Here's what I got: I dreamed I hadbreakfast with Obama and his two daughters! We ate blueberry pancakes sprinkledwith icing sugar, chatting amicably all the while. I awoke feeling happy andreplete. Is this meaningful or not? No idea! But the gladness has lasted allmorning.
A shorter version of this appears in print
