Dreaming in the World's Religions: A Comparative History

by Kelly Bulkeley

From Biblical stories of Joseph interpreting Pharoh’s dreams in Egypt to prayers against bad dreams in the Hindu Rg Veda, cultures all over the world have seen their dreams first and foremost as religiously meaningful experiences. In this widely shared view, dreams are a powerful medium of transpersonal guidance offering the opportunity to communicate with sacred beings, gain valuable wisdom and power, heal suffering, and explore new realms of existence. Conversely, the world’s religious and spiritual traditions provide the best source of historical information about the broad patterns of human dream life Dreaming in the World’s Religions provides an authoritative and engaging one-volume resource for the study of dreaming and religion. It tells the story of how dreaming has shaped the religious history of humankind, from the Upanishads of Hinduism to the Qur’an of Islam, from the conception dream of Buddhas mother to the sexually tempting nightmares of St. Augustine, from the Ojibwa vision quest to Australian Aboriginal journeys in the Dreamtime. Bringing his background in psychology to bear, Kelly Bulkeley incorporates an accessible consideration of cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary psychology into this fascinating overview. Dreaming in the World’s Religions offers a carefully researched, accessibly written portrait of dreaming as a powerful, unpredictable, often iconoclastic force in human religious life.

Genres: Religion, History, Nonfiction, Psychology, Anthropology, Islam, Judaism

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Simão Cortês · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely impressive survey. Bulkeley's style is clear, poetic and concise. An enormous repository of information with plenty of illustrative examples. Respectful of different traditions and very anti-colonialist at its core.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really excellent cross-disciplinary book. It was the details that made me appreciate this book so much, such as the way Bulkeley takes the time to frame the presentation of material in a consciously decolonial manner both geographically and religiously, the way in which different pertinent and interesting aspects of dreaming are introduced at the beginning of each chapter, the excellent research that covers topics from modern cognitive neuroscience to the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the firm grasp both on what is being said, and what is not being said, that is such a refreshing and helpful aspect of the writing when it comes to an interdisciplinary book like this focused on world religions.

Bulkeley begins chapter one with Hinduism, and questions about the ontological nature of dreams and reality; chapter two moves to Religions of China and introduces the idea of stressful "exam" dreams and the light that sheds on the nature of dreaming; chapter three shift the focus to Buddhism, and aspects of psychology and metacognition in dreaming and other meditative states; chapter four moves west to the Religions of the Fertile Crescent, introducing the idea of religious prophecy and the future-oriented nature of many dreams; chapter five continues the journey westward to Greece and Rome, and the dream incubation rituals associated with Asclepius, the Greek god of healing; chapter six covers Christianity, and the historical struggle over sexuality in dreaming; chapter seven deals with Islam, and the correlation of dreams with moments of crisis and transformation in life; chapter eight is focused on the Religions of Africa, and the strange nature of paradoxical dream interpretation; chapter nine moves to the Religions of Oceania, and the idea of journeying or traveling in dreams, and the larger conception of embodiment and sensory perception in dreaming; chapter ten, the final chapter, covers the Religions of the Americas, and the prevalence (or absence) of animals in dreams, along with a continuation of the theme of dream incubation through vision quests.

As is evident from the paragraph above, there is a lot of density and depth to this book! I really enjoyed the historical and geographical trajectory of it, and found Bulkeley's weaving of interesting and pertinent aspects of dreaming into the beginning of each chapter very effective. Dreaming and cross-cultural religious studies form a vital combination of important aspects of human life that is far to little studied or reflected on, and I am deeply appreciative of Bulkeley's scholarship and writing on it. A book well worth the read!

[Joni Sensel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academic but interesting.

[Anton Zlatev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a comprehensive and exceptional study in one of the most interesting and controversial realms of human experience! Highly recommended!

[Elizabeth Judd Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would make that 4.5 if half stars were allowed...
A very readable book about the way dreams are interpreted and used by various religious traditions worldwide. The amount of spiritual practices chosen means that none are dealt with in a totally in-depth manner, but as this is as much a primer on dreaming in religion as much as anything, I prefer reading about more rather than less types of belief. Recommended for those interested in comparative religion, mythology, and anthropology as well as those interested in dreams and dreaming.

[Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bulkeley is a researcher in dreams and the psychology of religion, and former President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Bulkeley provides a thorough history of dreaming in relation to religious and spiritual beliefs, including some of the ancient ways that dreams have been used magically.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book about dreaming and one of the best books about world religions I've ever read. This easy-to-read book outlines how different religions and cultures interact with this universal human action.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An objective wide-ranging yet focused examination of the impact and nuances of dreaming on the cultures and religious traditions throughout the world. Even-handed, educational, and insightful.