Night Vision: A Field Guide to Your Dreams

Cheung (The Premonition Code) offers a charming, entertaining guide to dream interpretation. Cheung breaks the book into two parts: the first explores the work of dream researchers such as Ann Faraday and Matthew Walker; the second examines the brain science behind dreams and details dream interpretation throughout history. Cheung argues that the Romantic movement resisted the Christian church’s negative take on dreams, and that later Freud and Jung brought dreams into the cultural forefront by laying “the foundation for dream interpretation in the modern world.” Cheung also explains the influence of dreams on creatives and intellectuals, exploring how luminaries as disparate as Albert Einstein and Paul McCartney found inspiration in dreams. After walking readers through findings about the emotional nature of the limbic brain, Cheung dives into dream interpretation by focusing on common themes such as animals, family, and even social media. For instance, accident dreams signal one “is headed off course in your waking life,” where animal dreams represent “a primitive or instinctual aspect of your personality.” Also included are Cheung’s rubric for preparing the “ideal dream environment,” dream analysis charts, and tips to help bolster dream recall. Novice dream interpreters will enjoy this fun introduction. (Oct.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review mistakenly identified the author as a blogger.