Dreaming in the Classroom

The essential guide on how to teach about dreaming.

Dreaming in the Classroom provides teachers from virtually all fields with a uniquely informative guidebook for introducing their students to the universal human phenomenon of dreaming. Although dreaming may not be held in high esteem in mainstream Western society, students at all education levels consistently enjoy learning about dreams and rank classes on dreaming among their favorite, most significant educational experiences. Covering a wide variety of academic disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, film studies, philosophy, and religious studies, the book explains in clear and practical language the most effective methods for teaching accurate, useful information about dreams to students in colleges and universities, graduate programs, psychotherapy institutes, seminaries, primary and secondary schools, and nonacademic settings. Included are detailed discussions of how to create an appropriate syllabus, integrate material from multiple disciplines, nurture skills in writing and critical reasoning, propose courses to skeptical administrators, and facilitate a responsible process for sharing dreams in a classroom setting. The book draws on interviews with dozens of accomplished teachers, along with the authors’ many years of pedagogical practice, to present proven strategies for using this perennially fascinating topic to promote successful student learning.

“…[a] fascinating book … By handling the history, the inherent controversies, the serious theoretical and methodological questions and the broad applications and co-evolution of dream research with more established disciplines, Dreaming in the Classroom performs a singular service for practitioners and prospective professionals.” — College Quarterly

“…an outstanding resource for those interested in dreams and for dream educators … this is an excellent companion for other volumes in the ‘SUNY Series in Dream Studies.’” — CHOICE

“This book will be extremely useful to educators at all levels. It can be considered the King James Bible of the field of dream education.” — Ernest Hartmann, author of The Nature and Functions of Dreaming

Now retired, Philip King was Professor of Quantitative Methods and Psychology at Hawai>i Pacific University. Kelly Bulkeley is Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Theological Union. He has written and edited many books, including The Wilderness of Dreams: Exploring the Religious Meanings of Dreams in Modern Western Culture; Visions of the Night: Dreams, Religion, and Psychology; and Among All These Dreamers: Essays on Dreaming and Modern Society, all published by SUNY Press. Bernard Welt is Professor of Arts and Humanities at the Corcoran College of Art and Design and the author of Mythomania: Fantasies, Fables, and Sheer Lies in Contemporary American Popular Art.