Why We Dream: The Science, Creativity and Transformative Power of Dreams

We all dream, and 98 per cent of us can recall our dreams the next morning. Even in today's modern age, it's human nature to wonder what they mean. Now, ground-breaking science is putting dreams at the forefront of new research into sleep, memory, the concept of self and human socialization. Once a subject of the New Age and spiritualism, the science of dreams is revealed to have a crucial role in the biology and neuroscience of our waking lives. In Why We Dream, Alice Robb, a leading American science writer, takes readers on a journey to uncover why we dream, why dreaming matters, how we can improve our dream life - and why we should. Through her encounters with scientists at the cutting edge of dream research, she reveals extraordinary insights including how: - Dreams can be powerful tools to help us process the pain of a relationship break-up, the grief of losing a loved one and the trauma after a dramatic event - Nightmares may be our body's warning system for physical and mental illness (including cancer, depression and Alzheimer's) - Athletes can improve their performance by dreaming about competing - Drug addicts who dream about drug-taking can dramatically speed up their recovery from addiction. Robb also uncovers the fascinating mechanics behind lucid dreaming - when we enter a dream state with control over our actions, creating a limitless playground for our fantasies. And as one of only 10 per cent of people with the ability to lucid-dream, she is uniquely placed to teach us how to do it ourselves. With incredible new discoveries and stunning science, Why We Dream will give you dramatic insight into yourself and your body. You'll never think of dreams in the same way again.

Alice Robb is a writer in Brooklyn. She writes a column for New York's 'Science of Us', and has contributed to Elle, New Statesman, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy and the New Republic, where she was a staff writer. Before that, she studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Oxford.