Review of Gregory, D. & Michaelian, K., Dreaming and Memory: Philosophical Issues, Cham: Springer international publishing, 2024

A collection of philosophical articles examines the relationship between dreaming and memory, arguing that neither phenomenon can be understood in isolation. The volume is structured into three sections: remembering dreams (whether and how we recall dream experiences), remembering within dreams (the role of memory during the dream state), and comparing remembering and dreaming (their parallels and distinctions). The editors contend that a theory of memory must encompass all forms of remembering, including the elusive case of remembering a dream, while understanding dreams depends entirely on waking recollections of them. The review offers a critical orientation for phenomenologists navigating this debate.

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Abstract

Why should we be interested in the relationship between dreaming and memory?Dreaming and Memory: Philosophical Issues sets out to explore this issue, offering rigorous and thought-provoking investigations into how these two phenomena might illuminate one another.Bringing together a range of philosophical perspectives, the volume navigates the blurred boundaries of these two cognitive phenomena.The rationale of the book is powerfully expressed in its very first sentence: "nothing can be understood in isolation" -an invitation to examine cognitive phenomena within the full complexity of subjectivity.This integrative approach is mutually beneficial: it not only helps us move beyond a myopic focus on isolated phenomena but also fosters mutual enrichment between research on memory and dreaming.In fact, as the editors of this volume remind us: On the one hand, a theory of memory must be broad enough to encompass all forms of remembering, including the elusive case of remembering a dream, whose fleeting and unstable nature poses unique challenges for exploration.On the other hand, our understanding of dreams relies entirely on our waking recollections of them, reminding us that memory is our only point of access to dreams.The volume is a collection of articles and is structured into three sections: Remembering Dreams, which investigates how and whether we recall dream experiences, posing a deceptively simple question: is it even possible to remember dreams?Remembering Within Dreams, which explores potential roles of memory during the dream state itself -that is, can we have memories while dreaming?And Remembering and Dreaming Compared, which examines the parallels and distinctions between these two mental activities: what, if anything, do these phenomena share?This review aims to offer a critical orientation and to guide phenomenologists through this intricate debate.While these issues are relevant for all memory and