The Oneiric in the Films of David Lynch is the first systematic book-length study to explore the nature and function of dreams in David Lynch's different phases and audio-visual formats. There is hardly a contemporary film director whose name is as closely linked to the dream(-like) as that of David Lynch. Both popular and academic discourse frequently identify Lynch's films by their dreamlike qualities. However, in the existing literature on Lynch, these qualities tend to remain underspecified in terms of their experiential dimension. Departing from an interest in the phenomenon of dream experience, this is the first systematic book-length study exploring the nature and function of the oneiric in the director's different phases and audio-visual formats. It shows that, over the course of 50 years, Lynch has developed a cinematic aesthetics of the oneiric ? an ensemble of four dream-related dimensions that unfolds its full potential in the dynamic interplay between sensory address and reflective medialization. On the one hand, the Lynchian oneiric presents a markedly sensory-perceptual mode of experience – both characters and viewers are challenged in their perceptual patterns, while at the same time being immersed in the material dream scenario. On the other hand, the Lynchian oneiric provides a mode of both psychological and medial reflection. Not only the characters, but the films themselves are inclined to 'turn back' on themselves in a dream, exploring the preconditions, possibilities, and limitations of their own existence and ability to know the world. The oneiric in Lynch's films is thus of phenomenological, media-theoretical, and philosophical interest.

The Oneiric in the Films of David Lynch is the first systematic book-length study to explore the nature and function of dreams in David Lynch's different phases and audio-visual formats. There is hardly a contemporary film director whose name is as closely linked to the dream(-like) as that of David Lynch. Both popular and academic discourse frequently identify Lynch's films by their dreamlike qualities. However, in the existing literature on Lynch, these qualities tend to remain underspecified in terms of their experiential dimension. Departing from an interest in the phenomenon of dream experience, this is the first systematic book-length study exploring the nature and function of the oneiric in the director's different phases and audio-visual formats. It shows that, over the course of 50 years, Lynch has developed a cinematic aesthetics of the oneiric ? an ensemble of four dream-related dimensions that unfolds its full potential in the dynamic interplay between sensory address and reflective medialization. On the one hand, the Lynchian oneiric presents a markedly sensory-perceptual mode of experience – both characters and viewers are challenged in their perceptual patterns, while at the same time being immersed in the material dream scenario. On the other hand, the Lynchian oneiric provides a mode of both psychological and medial reflection. Not only the characters, but the films themselves are inclined to 'turn back' on themselves in a dream, exploring the preconditions, possibilities, and limitations of their own existence and ability to know the world. The oneiric in Lynch's films is thus of phenomenological, media-theoretical, and philosophical interest.

Agency and Imagination in the Films of David Lynch: Philosophical Perspectives offers a sustained philosophical interpretation of the filmmaker’s work in light of classic and contemporary discussions of human agency and the complex relations between our capacity to act and our ability to imagine. With the help of the pathological characters that so often leave their unforgettable mark on Lynch’s films, this book reveals several important ways in which human beings fail to achieve fuller embodiments of agency or seek substitute satisfactions in spaces of fantasy. In keeping with Lynch’s penchant for unconventional narrative techniques, James D. Reid and Candace R. Craig explore the possibility, scope, and limits of the very idea of agency itself and what it might be like to renounce concepts of agency altogether in the interpretation and depiction of human life. In a series of interlocking readings of eight feature-length films and Twin Peaks: The Return that combine suggestive philosophical analysis with close attention to cinematic detail, Reid and Craig make a convincing case for the importance of David Lynch’s work in the philosophical examination of agency, the vagaries of the human imagination, and the relevance of film for the philosophy of human action. Scholars of film studies and philosophy will find this book particularly useful.

The meaning of dreams is one of the most fascinating topics of discussion and controversy since ancient times. The questions, Where do dreams come from? and How do dreams originate?, have had multiple answers in different times. For ancient civilizations, dreams were a form of communication with the gods. Some argue that they lack meaning, and for others, dreams are a reflection of our deepest desires, influence our behaviorthey are sources of inspiration and help us to solve problems. This book provides a global vision of dreams, beginning with the interpretation of ancient civilizations. Chapters dedicated to dreams in painting, in cinematography and, fundamentally, in literature. One chapter is devoted to the interpretation of dreams according to Freud and another to creativity through dreams that inspired inventions, novels, poetry, and musical pieces. The study of dreams by the neurosciences is also discussed.

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, humanities, film studies, philosophy, 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 university, graduate programs, psychotherapy institutes, seminaries, primary and secondary schools, and non-academic settings. Included are detailed discussions of how to create an appropriate syllabus, integrate material form 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.

Robert T. Eberwein uses a hypothesis from psychoanalytic theory to explore the frequently noticed similarity between dreaming and watching a film. His comprehensive study of the relationship between films and dreams explains the film screen as a psychic structure. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This work analyzes dramatic structures, from Sophocles to Orson Welles and the 21st century cinema, all from the viewpoint of Hegelian dialectic. Utilizing this dialectical process the author demonstrates its particular application to the writing of a screenplay, which should not be considered a simple schematic or formulaic blueprint but legitimate dramatic literature.