Nightmares Book

Nightmares
Below is the table of contents for Nightmares (Patrick McNamara, Praeger Publishing, 2008).
Contents
Illustrations
Preface and Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Approach to the Study of Nightmares
Shortcomings of the Standard Take on Nightmares
Nightmares Can Be Functional
Definition and Diagnostic Criteria for Recurrent Nightmares
Syndromes of Recurring Nightmares
The Sharing of Nightmares with Others
Chapter 2: Why Do Nightmares Occur in Children?
Sleep in Childhood
Dreaming in Childhood
Evolution of Childhood
Cognitive and Psychological Growth of the Child
Development of the Sense of Self in Children
Impact of Developmental Milestones on Nightmare Propensity in Children
Chapter 3: Content of Nightmares
Comparing Nightmare Content to Ordinary Dreams
Nightmare Content Scoring
Word Count Analyses of Barb Sanders’ Nightmares
People Who Experience Extraordinary Dreams Must Be Extraordinary People
Chapter 4: Drugs and Dreams
Nightmares as Evidence of Extraordinary Powers in Ancestral Populations
Dreams in Premodern Societies
Cultural Context of Dreaming in Premodern Societies
Nightmare Sharing in Premodern Groups
Chapter 5: Biology of Nightmares
Normal Human Sleep Architectures
Sleep Rebound Effects and REM-NREM Imbalances in Production of Nightmares
Special Link between Nightmares and REM Sleep
Summary: REM Properties and Nightmares
Key Role of the Amygdala
Selected Neuropharmacological Agents Can Induce Nightmares
Neuroanatomy and Physiology of a Nightmare
Chapter 6: Personality and Psychopathological Correlates of Nightmares
Nightmares Are Not Reliably Associated with Loss of Function
Disorders Involving Nightmares
Nightmares and Psychopathology
Chapter 7: Phenomenology of the Nightmare
Basic Visual Features
Emotional Atmosphere
Automaticity
Cognitive Content Elicits the Emotional Center
Creativity
Compellingness
Narrative Form
Self-Identity
Lack of Metaphor
Self-Reflectiveness
Mind Reading
Summary of Formal Nightmares
Chapter 8: Theoretical Accounts of the Nightmare
Facts That Must Serve as Basis for Nightmare Theory
Proposed Functional Theory of Nightmares
Signals Used to Identify Supranormal Abilities and Exceptional Individuals
Evolution of Language Skills, Dreaming Skills, and Reputation
Story-Telling Skills and Prestige or Reputation
Biological Contributions to Signaling Quality
Costly Signaling Theory (CST)
Freud’s View of Nightmares
Fisher’s View of Nightmares
Kramer’s View of Nightmares
Hartmann’s View of Nightmares
Nielsen’s and Levin’s View of Nightmares
Theory and Treatment Strategies
Chapter 9: Nightmares and Popular Culture
Movies, Nightmares and Spirit Possession
Nightmare-Related Spirit Possession Is a Universal Phenomenon
Fuseli’s Painting, The Nightmare
Alien Abduction
Books, Nightmares, and Spirit Possession
Chapter 10: Interpretation of the Possession Theme in Nightmares
Selection of Nightmares with Spirit Possession Themes
Caveats in the Interpretation of These Nightmares and Standard Explanations of the Possession Theme
Recurring Patterns in the Spirit Possession Theme
Chapter 11: Conflict Theory and the Nightmare
Mind Is Not a Unity
Paradox of Mind Reading in Dreams: The Role of the Stranger
Males Strangers and Aggression in Dreams
REM-NREM Dissociation in the Dreaming Mind
Dreaming and Consciousness
Dream Agents/Characters Can Represent Genomes within the Individual
Effects of Imprinted Genes on Physiologic Systems Implicated in Growth
Effects of Imprinted Genes on Functional Brain Systems Implicated in Sleep Processes
Genomic Imprinting and Sleep State Biology
Genetic Conflict and Dream Phenomenology
Concluding Remarks
Appendix: Additional Resources
References
Index
Primary teaching affiliate
of BU School of Medicine