Dreamscapes of Intimacy and Isolation: Shadows of Contagion and Immunity
Ethos June 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1111/etho.12166 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 4 |
| Key points | Argues that contagion-like processes are a particular kind of social influence rather than unique or extraordinary phenomena, and that dream consciousness shows how such influence operates partially, incrementally, and in a "condensed" way through multiple sensory modalities, constrained by emotional memories yet open to imaginative elaboration. Uses two men's dreams of deceased parents to illustrate how people inhabit and are influenced by their social and cultural worlds and how dreams may be implicated in everyday behavior. |
Abstract
Abstract In this article, I use the study of selfscape dreams to discuss contagion‐like processes not as unique or extraordinary phenomena per se, but rather as a particular kind of social influence more broadly conceived. In particular, I argue that dream consciousness gives us clues about how social influence (and contagion) actually works: partially, incrementally, in a “condensed” way, through a variety of sensory and perceptual modalities, contingent on and delimited by the emotional memories of those involved, but with the potential of exceeding those contingencies and limitations by the ability of all of the participants to imaginatively elaborate upon what is experienced and communicated. I compare and contrast how and why two men from two very different parts of the world dream of their deceased parents. I use the dreams to illustrate how people come to inhabit, experience, and become influenced by their social and cultural worlds in the particular way they do and also to demonstrate how dream experience may be implicated in everyday behavior.