The Neuropsychology of Dreams: A Clinico-anatomical Study

by Mark Solms

In this book, Mark Solms chronicles a fascinating effort to systematically apply the clinico-anatomical method to the study of dreams. The purpose of the effort was to place disorders of dreaming on an equivalent footing with those of other higher mental functions such as the aphasias, apraxias, and agnosias. Modern knowledge of the neurological organization of human mental functions was grounded upon systematic clinico-anatomical investigations of these functions under neuropathological conditions. It therefore seemed reasonable to assume that equivalent research into dreaming would provide analogous insights into the cerebral organization of this important but neglected function. Accordingly, the main thrust of the study was to identify changes in dreaming that are systematically associated with focal cerebral pathology and to describe the clinical and anatomical characteristics of those changes. The goal, in short, was to establish a nosology of dream disorders with neuropathological significance. Unless dreaming turned out to be organized in a fundamentally different way than other mental functions, there was every reason to expect that this research would cast light on the cerebral organization of the normal dream process.

Genres: Neuroscience, Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Science

310 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1997

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, inspiring, Solms is just worth reading for the innovative approach, the positive discoveries and his relentless search for scientific evidence of how the brain works. I feel sorry I am not an expert in his field as unfortunately my knowledge limitations made it at times arduous to absorb all of the information, especially tlin the latter part of his work. I would say therefore that this isn't a book for the general public, but more for the specialist or student in the area.