Dreams have long been treated as meaningful experiences that reveal something about the human mind, culture, and sense of reality. Across psychology, anthropology, and religious traditions, dreams have been understood as expressions of emotion, symbols of the unconscious, and reflections of cultural worldviews. This course introduces dream interpretation as an intellectual and interpretive practice, drawing on major scholarly perspectives to explore how and why humans have sought meaning in dreams.

Class Summary

Class Time:

12 hours of learning!

Class taught in:
English

Available:

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In this class, students will examine dreams through the work of key thinkers including William James, Carl Jung, Edward Tylor, and Sigmund Freud. We will explore James’s interest in consciousness and religious experience, Jung’s theory of archetypes and the collective unconscious, Freud’s psychoanalytic approach to dreams as expressions of desire, and Tylor’s anthropological insights into dreams as foundational to early religious thought. Together, these perspectives offer students a broad, interdisciplinary framework for understanding dreams as psychological, symbolic, and cultural phenomena. Students will learn how different academic disciplines approach dream interpretation and how meaning is constructed rather than discovered in isolation. Emphasis will be placed on symbolic analysis, cultural context, and reflective interpretation rather than prediction or mysticism. Students will develop tools for analyzing dream narratives, identifying recurring symbols, and understanding how personal experience, memory, and culture shape dream content. No prior background in psychology, anthropology, or dream studies is required. I am well suited to teach this course through my academic training and teaching experience. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies with a minor in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master’s degree in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia. My background in philosophy, psychology, and comparative belief systems informs my approach to dreams as meaningful human experiences rather than isolated mental events. I also have extensive experience creating inclusive, engaging curricula and supporting students across age groups, from enrichment learning to graduate-level academic work. The class will be conducted in a live, discussion-based format that blends short lectures with guided analysis and reflective exercises. Students will be invited to examine example dream narratives and, if they choose, reflect on their own dreams as interpretive texts. Participation is encouraged but never compulsory, and the learning environment will be supportive, respectful, and intellectually rigorous. By the end of the course, students will have a strong foundational understanding of dream interpretation as an academic field and the tools to engage with dreams thoughtfully and critically.