Nightmare Obscura: A Dream Engineer’s Guide Through the Sleeping Mind

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.)