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Creative Dreaming: Plan And Control Your Dreams To Develop Creativity Overcome Fears Solve Proble
From Simon & Schuster, Creative Dreaming: Plan And Control Your Dreams to Develop Creativity, Overcome Fears, Solve Problems, and Create a Better Self is Patricia Garfield's definitive guide to dreaming.
Patricia Garfield presents techniques and information, drawn from many dreamers and widely varied cultures and times, that will enable you to plan your dreams ahead of time, influence them while they are occurring, and recall them and their lessons forever afterward.
Patricia Garfield presents techniques and information, drawn from many dreamers and widely varied cultures and times, that will enable you to plan your dreams ahead of time, influence them while they are occurring, and recall them and their lessons forever afterward.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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871 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 20, 2007
I love this book; from a young age I have been interested in the benefits of dreaming. Focus on the subject only opens up new doors and strengthens the power of dreaming and the ability to recall dreams. The most memorable part of the book for me was learning that Robert Louis Stevenson and many other famous creative people attribute 100 % of their creations and success to their dreams. It also includes several simple mental exercises. It is easy to read even though is written by a Ph.D. so its not really dumbed down. I have had personal success with what I have learned from this book including a creative revival. Interestingly, at the bookstore after picking it out, without showing it to the clerk, I asked her recommendation on the subject and it was the first book she named; needless to say she was pleased when I showed her I already picked it out.
November 19, 2019
I believe this is probably the best book I have ever read about dreams and I have read more than a few and I have done quite a bit of research on the topic myself. It is a classic.
You can read this one book and know everything there is to know. At least everything worth reading. Most books that have come after this one are just repeating the same stuff over and over.
It is entertaining, it is practical and it is thorough. I don't think it has received all the credit it should have.
You can read this one book and know everything there is to know. At least everything worth reading. Most books that have come after this one are just repeating the same stuff over and over.
It is entertaining, it is practical and it is thorough. I don't think it has received all the credit it should have.
August 15, 2020
I've read this book a couple of times and many times jumping around to review concepts. The idea of dream research and lucid dreaming have long been irresistibly interesting to me. I find that when I read about dreaming, I have more or remember more involved dreams.
September 24, 2013
I bought this book years ago in about 1987 and recently felt the urge to take it up again. So it is not the latest edition I’m here reviewing.
The author explains that we can plan our dreams and provides suggestions on how to do so. We will need to accept that it is possible to induce dreams and should present ourselves with suggestions for the intended dream when in a deeply relaxed state. Put your intention into a “concise positive phrase”, for example: “To-night I fly in my dream”
To induce dreams on a certain topic it may help to involve yourself in activities relevant to your desired dream. It is most helpful to intensely focus your attention in your area of interest for at least two or three days at a time.
Record your dreams as soon as possible.
You may obtain many creative solutions in your dreams if you take the following preliminary steps: 1) Be motivated 2) Have gathered relevant information and 3) Have made initial attempts to synthesize material. The “illuminating” solution will then come either during the dream or immediately after awakening.
However, the solution may or may not be the correct one. The author quotes the case of Dorothy Parker who after dreaming that she had the answer to the world’s problems scribbled it down; in the morning she found she had written: “Hoggimous, higgimous, men are polygamous. Higgimous, hoggimous, women monogamous.” Ha, ha!
There is a chapter on learning from American Indian dreamers. We learn that if we regard our dreams as important we will receive and remember valuable dreams. Our dreams will become more relevant to our waking life as we value and use them. The more dream friends we have, the better. Successful problem solving in dreams carries over into waking life. And much more.
We are introduced to the Senoi, a primitive tribe in Malaysia, who report their dreams at breakfast and later in village council continue the work of dream discussion. Most of their lives revolve around dreaming and the interpretation of their dreams, and, apparently because of this, the Senoi “show remarkable emotional maturity”.
The author has personally interviewed members of the Senoi tribe. Some main dream rules according to the Senoi are 1) Confront and conquer danger 2) Advance towards pleasure in a dream (this includes sexual pleasure) 3) Achieve a positive outcome.
Patricia states: “The dreamer should not allow his dream to end without completing a positive action. He should fall or fly some place, make love to orgasm, fight to the death (or be killed) and always obtain a creative product.”
When one dream image attacks another, you, the dreamer, are attacking part of yourself. These conflicting elements can be reorganized and unified in a positive way by applying the Senoi concept of dream control. The dreamer who uses his dreams properly can become integrated – he can work for peace on Earth by first establishing peace in his body.
We should ask for a gift from the aggressor we conquer. It does seem to me that remembering to attack our aggressors and demanding gifts from them requires that the dreams be lucid. Patricia doesn’t mention this in the Senoi chapter though there is a later chapter on lucid dreams.
A lucid dream is one in which the dreamer is aware that he is dreaming. When you become lucid you can do anything in your dream, including flying anywhere you will. One way to become lucid is to be frightened in a dream and then realize it is a dream.
The author includes much about flying dreams, which often precede lucid dreams. Lucid dreamers have many more flying dreams than the ordinary dreamer.
There’s also a chapter about yogi dreamers, keeping your dream diary and how to develop dream control.
The author refers to various famous persons who worked with their dreams, e.g. the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Thomas De Quincey, the author of “Confessions of an English Opium Eater”. William Blake and Robert Louis Stevenson who had “little people” or “Brownies” create stories for him in his dreams.
She recounts and interprets many of her own dreams, which increases the already great readability of the book.
To sum up, this is a fascinating, informative, well-written book. I have not yet managed to have a dream on a given subject, but after reading the book and focusing on obtaining dreams on a specific subject I have begun to dream much more (or rather remember more of my dreams).
I would strongly recommend that you read this book. I’m sure Patricia Garfield has written many other books on the subject and, if so, I will definitely be getting hold of some of these.
The author explains that we can plan our dreams and provides suggestions on how to do so. We will need to accept that it is possible to induce dreams and should present ourselves with suggestions for the intended dream when in a deeply relaxed state. Put your intention into a “concise positive phrase”, for example: “To-night I fly in my dream”
To induce dreams on a certain topic it may help to involve yourself in activities relevant to your desired dream. It is most helpful to intensely focus your attention in your area of interest for at least two or three days at a time.
Record your dreams as soon as possible.
You may obtain many creative solutions in your dreams if you take the following preliminary steps: 1) Be motivated 2) Have gathered relevant information and 3) Have made initial attempts to synthesize material. The “illuminating” solution will then come either during the dream or immediately after awakening.
However, the solution may or may not be the correct one. The author quotes the case of Dorothy Parker who after dreaming that she had the answer to the world’s problems scribbled it down; in the morning she found she had written: “Hoggimous, higgimous, men are polygamous. Higgimous, hoggimous, women monogamous.” Ha, ha!
There is a chapter on learning from American Indian dreamers. We learn that if we regard our dreams as important we will receive and remember valuable dreams. Our dreams will become more relevant to our waking life as we value and use them. The more dream friends we have, the better. Successful problem solving in dreams carries over into waking life. And much more.
We are introduced to the Senoi, a primitive tribe in Malaysia, who report their dreams at breakfast and later in village council continue the work of dream discussion. Most of their lives revolve around dreaming and the interpretation of their dreams, and, apparently because of this, the Senoi “show remarkable emotional maturity”.
The author has personally interviewed members of the Senoi tribe. Some main dream rules according to the Senoi are 1) Confront and conquer danger 2) Advance towards pleasure in a dream (this includes sexual pleasure) 3) Achieve a positive outcome.
Patricia states: “The dreamer should not allow his dream to end without completing a positive action. He should fall or fly some place, make love to orgasm, fight to the death (or be killed) and always obtain a creative product.”
When one dream image attacks another, you, the dreamer, are attacking part of yourself. These conflicting elements can be reorganized and unified in a positive way by applying the Senoi concept of dream control. The dreamer who uses his dreams properly can become integrated – he can work for peace on Earth by first establishing peace in his body.
We should ask for a gift from the aggressor we conquer. It does seem to me that remembering to attack our aggressors and demanding gifts from them requires that the dreams be lucid. Patricia doesn’t mention this in the Senoi chapter though there is a later chapter on lucid dreams.
A lucid dream is one in which the dreamer is aware that he is dreaming. When you become lucid you can do anything in your dream, including flying anywhere you will. One way to become lucid is to be frightened in a dream and then realize it is a dream.
The author includes much about flying dreams, which often precede lucid dreams. Lucid dreamers have many more flying dreams than the ordinary dreamer.
There’s also a chapter about yogi dreamers, keeping your dream diary and how to develop dream control.
The author refers to various famous persons who worked with their dreams, e.g. the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Thomas De Quincey, the author of “Confessions of an English Opium Eater”. William Blake and Robert Louis Stevenson who had “little people” or “Brownies” create stories for him in his dreams.
She recounts and interprets many of her own dreams, which increases the already great readability of the book.
To sum up, this is a fascinating, informative, well-written book. I have not yet managed to have a dream on a given subject, but after reading the book and focusing on obtaining dreams on a specific subject I have begun to dream much more (or rather remember more of my dreams).
I would strongly recommend that you read this book. I’m sure Patricia Garfield has written many other books on the subject and, if so, I will definitely be getting hold of some of these.
Read
April 6, 2025For people who wish to explore their dream world, learn various dream techniques for incubation and LD, and hear what some indigenous cultures thought about dreams, this book is pretty amazing! Albeit, it’s a bit dated, and some bits of information are not entirely accurate, as well as lacking enough of a critical political viewpoint. However, it contains a lot of good advice, it's both scientific and somewhat spiritual, and it feels pretty advanced in its understanding of the power of dreaming. And it’s an inspiration for creative dreaming, for sure! (published in 75, my edition is from 95).
February 19, 2021
A historical, philosophical, and speculative overview of lucid dreaming. It contains somehow-to guidance but it's obscured by additional fluff. For practical guidance, see titles by Stephen LaBerge.
This book presents some interesting anthropological and historical information and provides a number of personal experience reports. Worth a read if you want to cover all your bases on lucid dreaming.
This book presents some interesting anthropological and historical information and provides a number of personal experience reports. Worth a read if you want to cover all your bases on lucid dreaming.
January 17, 2020
Terrific! Wonderful! Amazing! Must read for all the people who are interested in self-analysys
April 6, 2020
This book was crucial in my development of lucid dreaming skills.
February 10, 2022
at the beach. just finished after years of studying. this book has changed my life and the abilities of my consciousness and purposefulness
December 18, 2023
2 Stars for mentioning dream yoga, but otherwise it doesn't go very deep into the topic of true dream control. But makes sense since this was written in the 70s. Also is repetitive at times.
January 7, 2024
Has made a profound impact on how I view and interact with my dreams
Read
February 3, 2024Move toward your dream enemy.
February 19, 2024
A wonderful way to take your fears out of nightmares.
May 28, 2009
I read this one a long time ago, either in the summer between seventh and eighth grades or between eighth and ninth. After reading the book, I tried the techniques described therein.
The techniques work; at least they did for me. I learned how to better remember my dreams and to realize when I was dreaming. (I've always had that ability to some extent.) I then went on to take over control of a dream.
After that, I quit the experiment satisfied that the techniques do work. The most important one is to begin writing down everything one remembers about one's dreams immediately after waking up, before one does anything else, including relieving oneself.
When I tried it, I automatically started to recall more and more of my dreams. In the end, I was writing for more than an hour every morning. That is the primary reason I quit. The secondary reason is that most dreams are surprisingly dull. They aren't worth remembering.
The big clue for realizing that one is dreaming, once you begin paying increased attention to your dreams, which writing them down accomplishes, is to take note of when something impossible happens. You then think, hey, I must be dreaming.
Some years after I did the experiment for the first time, I tried it again. It worked as before, including having to spend a great deal of time writing down my dreams. That time I quit before actually taking full control of a dream. For me, knowing when I'm dreaming is easy, but taking full control is hard. YMMV.
All things considered, Creative Dreaming is a good book, well worth reading if one is interested in the subject.
The techniques work; at least they did for me. I learned how to better remember my dreams and to realize when I was dreaming. (I've always had that ability to some extent.) I then went on to take over control of a dream.
After that, I quit the experiment satisfied that the techniques do work. The most important one is to begin writing down everything one remembers about one's dreams immediately after waking up, before one does anything else, including relieving oneself.
When I tried it, I automatically started to recall more and more of my dreams. In the end, I was writing for more than an hour every morning. That is the primary reason I quit. The secondary reason is that most dreams are surprisingly dull. They aren't worth remembering.
The big clue for realizing that one is dreaming, once you begin paying increased attention to your dreams, which writing them down accomplishes, is to take note of when something impossible happens. You then think, hey, I must be dreaming.
Some years after I did the experiment for the first time, I tried it again. It worked as before, including having to spend a great deal of time writing down my dreams. That time I quit before actually taking full control of a dream. For me, knowing when I'm dreaming is easy, but taking full control is hard. YMMV.
All things considered, Creative Dreaming is a good book, well worth reading if one is interested in the subject.
July 4, 2013
When I was a teenager, I read a similar book on how to elicit lucid dreams. I had no problems back then. But the landscape of my brain has certainly shifted; I had very little success after lots and lots of tinkering with my mind. Perhaps I'm not in the right time or place to be lucid dreaming. The book is good, and I recommend it if you're looking to poke and prod at your subconscious. On the bright side, I was inspired to start a dream journal, a very rewarding and revealing experience that I'll continue on with. At the root of it all, the more attention you pay your dreams, the more vivid and revealing they become.
May 26, 2013
This is the dreaming book I go to for a reread whenever I'm trying to recharge my dreaming life. I bought this book used for a quarter almost twenty years ago, read it in a day, and have been keeping a dream journal ever since. At times more attentively than at others, which is why this book is always good to reread, because Patricia Garfield's contagious excitement about dreaming carries every chapter, even though the book covers the dreaming habits of a variety of cultures.
January 27, 2017
This was OK as a bedtime read, if I had done the exercises or even kept a journal I would have gotten more from the experience. But, like many readers of this book, I just read the thing with the hope that lucid dreaming would just happen as a consequence. Oh well, maybe in a few years I will try again.
March 12, 2012
Interesting, fascinating, and useful! Just by reading this book I was able to recollect more dreams per night. What's more, I was able to experience "lucid dreaming"; like I said: "Interesting, fascinating, and useful."
February 26, 2014
Interesting to read this again after so many (more than 20) years. Some good practical advice for people just getting started in paying attention to dreams (or getting started again), in spite of the woefully out-of-date anthropology.
January 14, 2023
Being interested in my mind and spirit I read and re-people authors I trust to really know what they re talking about.
Patricia Garfield is a wonderful guide to a too long ignored part of our life. Dreams.
creativedreaming.org/
Patricia Garfield is a wonderful guide to a too long ignored part of our life. Dreams.
creativedreaming.org/
February 4, 2016
An interesting read. I have been a lucid dreamer since I can remember... I had more frequent lucid dreams while reading this book. I may take on some of the challenges and suggestions mentioned, might be fun.
June 6, 2016
This book was a HUGE influence on me as a young man, opening doors that I didn't know existed and showing me how to walk several of them. Garfield has made many valuable contributions to dreamwork and the field, and for my money, this is the most accessible and useful of them all.
May 20, 2024
A deeply influential book that has really not withstood the test of time. Garfield’s embrace of and doubling down on the erroneous Senoi Dream Theory is embarrassing at best, especially as it offers little else.
August 31, 2009
I read and applied (somewhat) this book years ago. It's an interesting concept and I had fun keeping a dream journal.
March 22, 2011
Filled with fantastic info into the core of Lucid dreams.
My favorite chapter was about the Senoi in Malysia,
If you regard your dreams as important they become more relevent to your waking life.
My favorite chapter was about the Senoi in Malysia,
If you regard your dreams as important they become more relevent to your waking life.
October 27, 2010
i read it in less than a week! couldn't put it down... very well written and easy to interpret. gooooooood read
June 1, 2015
This book by Patricia Garfield, PH.D. is about controlling and planning your dreams. Your mind is a vast storehouse for creativity and this book teaches you how to tap it.
November 29, 2013
Good if you're interested in this kind of book.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews