The study of dreams is a fascinating journey through neuroscience, biochemistry, psychology, history and anthropology. How do dreams differ around the world, and what do they tell us about the world itself?
Dreams form part of literature throughout ancient times and the Middle Ages, all the way through to the modern day. In many ways, by sharing our dreams we are sharing our desires and fears - creating the possibility of collective action - which has been hugely transformative in our evolution. But how have we allowed the unconscious human mind to transform the world around us from the point of view of sleep and dreams?
Prof. Sidarta Ribeiro is the author of The Oracle of Night: The History and Science of Dreaming, and founder of the Brain Institute at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. Sidarta joins us in The Garden to explore how dreams differ around the world, and what they tell us about our world itself.
Read this talk's transcript50 minutes
30 minute talk
20 minute Member Q&A
Sidarta is a neuroscientist and the author of The Oracle of Night: The History and Science of Dreaming. He's the Founder of the Brain Institute at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil.
Does where you're from change how you dream?
Does where you're from change how you dream?
Does where you're from change how you dream?
We think of sleep as a period of relaxation and recuperation, but while we snooze, our brains remain incredibly busy, often with intriguing "side effects" like dreams and sleepwalking. What does the mind get up to when we're not paying attention?
Have you ever arrived at your destination with no memory of the journey that got you there? Your unconscious mind has been at work. Does that mean we don't always have free will over our actions and decisions? And what does that tell us about the brain?
The study of dreams is a fascinating journey through neuroscience, biochemistry, psychology, history and anthropology. How do dreams differ around the world, and what do they tell us about the world itself?
The body can create a shocking array of symptoms, from paralysis to seizures, seemingly without any medical explanation. Is the brain responsible, and if so, why does it do it?
How can someone on an acid trip see sounds or hear colours? And why do some people have this same experience all the time, drug-free?