“Why are my dreams so weird?” (Are yours, too?)

Many people assume that bizarreness is a key feature of dreaming. In fact, it’s a key feature of our waking cognition, too! In this presentation, we will explore the characteristics of dreaming across the sleep cycle, including such weirdness, and identify what it may tell us about the nature and function of cognition during sleep, i.e. a time when we are somewhat “out of our minds”.

We will explore contemporary approaches to dreams, advancing technological approaches to studying them, and the extent to which our memories bias what we remember of our nightly visions.

Please don’t expect your dreams to be interpreted! A scientific approach to dreaming is advocated, along with a healthy fascination of consciousness and human experience