Dream Studies 2500-EN-CS-E-09
The question of why we dream has been debated by philosophers for millennia, with records of dream inquiry dating back to Aristotle and even the ancient Egyptians. Yet it has only been studied scientifically in recent decades. The dreaming brain may be particularly suitable as a model system for studying consciousness as dreaming produces a conscious experience while being isolated from both sensory input and motor output.
This course offers an interdisciplinary study of dreams, drawing on perspectives from philosophy, cognitive science, neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology. Students will examine the phenomenology and psychophysiology of sleep and altered states as well as major theories of dream function, including psychoanalytic, neurocognitive, evolutionary, and simulation models. Practical components include dream content analysis, lucid dreaming induction techniques, and evidence-based dreamwork methods and their application in mental health. The course further explores the role of dreams in creativity and the use of emerging technologies in dream research. Students will consolidate their knowledge through lectures, seminars, and workshops, enabling critical evaluation of both theoretical and applied aspects of dreaming.
Learning activities:
Students will participate in lectures, discussions, and in-class practice
exercises, as well as reflective tasks relating to their own dream practice.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Compare and critically evaluate major scientific and cross-cultural theories of dreaming, including anthropological, psychoanalytic, neurocognitive, evolutionary, and simulation theories. (K_W01, K_U01, K_U05)
2. Describe the phenomenological and physiological mechanisms of sleep and dreaming, including various types of dreams such as lucid dreams, hypnagogia, and nightmares. (K_W02, K_W05)
3. Apply established qualitative and quantitative methods for conducting dream research and dream content analysis to real dream reports and interpret the findings. (K_W03, K_U03, K_K06)
4. Facilitate selected dreamwork procedures, demonstrating understanding of psychological safety, reflective practice, and ethical considerations. (K_U03, K_U14, K_K01, K_K06, K_K07)
5. Critically assess the role of dreaming in artistic and scientific creativity, integrating theoretical models, empirical evidence, and case studies. (K_U02, K_U05)
6. Evaluate emerging technologies in dream research, assessing their limitations and broader ethical and societal implications. (K_W06, K_U01, K_U05, K_U12, K_K03, K_K07)
Assessment criteria
a) Assessment methods: A critical essay written in an exam session (students will be given a choice of five different questions to critically discuss in a form of an essay) + dream portfolio (students will keep a dream diary and critically reflect on their own dreams) + participation in lectures and workshops
b) Components of the final grade and their weights: Critical essay 60%, dream portfolio 30%, participation 10%
c) Grading scale
95% or more = 5!
90-94% = 5
80-89% = 4.5
70-79% = 4
60-69% = 3.5
50-59% = 3
below 50% = 2 (fail)
d) Requirements for retaking the assessment: not applicable
e) Exams in the exam session
i) Requirements for taking the exam: attendance at lectures and workshops (see below)
ii) Possibility (and requirements) for retaking the exam in case of a positive grade: exam cannot be retaken in case of a positive grade
iii) Early Exam Session (“Zerówka”): not applicable
Attendance rules:
Maximum 2 unexcused absences are allowed; missing more than 4 lectures is equivalent to the course failure.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: