Waking Life, Dream Life, and the Construction of Reality
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 1994 DOI: 10.1525/ac.1994.5.3.17 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAnomalous dreams that challenge Western philosophical assumptions are often dismissed by mainstream philosophers and scientists, yet parapsychological research offers evidence that some of these dreams have consensual validation and real-world effects. Shamanic models of reality, which align with parapsychological findings, provide anecdotal support for such dreams and deserve reconsideration by Western academic institutions because they account for anomalous dream phenomena and offer provocative data.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that shamanic models of reality should be reconsidered by Western academies because they encompass anomalous dreams and offer provocative data congruent with parapsychological research. |
Abstract
Enigmatic, anomalous dream reports challenge the Western philosophical worldview, hence they are ignored or derided by most mainstream philosophers and scientists. Nevertheless, there is compelling evidence from research in parapsychology that at least some of these reports have consensual validation and waking life consequences. Shamanic models of reality (which reflect shamanic philosophies) provide anecdotal evidence, congruent with parapsychological data, and need to be reconsidered by the dominant Western academies because these model encompass anomalous dreams, and because they furnish provocative data.