The Brain Never Sleeps

“In this delightful and well-researched book, Karen van Kampen brings a child’s sense of wonder and a journalist’s keen eye to the modern study of dreams. With a flair for storytelling and an instinct for telling detail, she leads readers from the basics of sleep science and dream interpretation to the spiritual mysteries of ‘big dreams’ and the ethically fraught frontiers of dream-enhancing technologies. You couldn’t ask for a better state-of-the-art review of the most important and intriguing findings of current dream research.”
— KELLY BULKELEY, PhD and author of Big Dreams
“If you’ve always puzzled over your dreams (and who hasn’t?) then read this book. From Freud and Jung (and even before) to the latest insights gathered from the sleep lab, you will definitely get a new perspective on those wild dead-of-night adventures. They seem to make little sense; if you agree, and that leads you to believe your dreams are meaningless, this book might just change your mind.”
— JAY INGRAM, author of The Science of Pets and The Future of Us
“The Brain Never Sleeps invites you into the mysterious world of dreams — where science meets imagination and the mind opens a window into its inner life. Drawing on vivid stories and the latest research, van Kampen reveals how our nightly visions help us process emotions, strengthen memory, and spark creativity. A must-read for anyone fascinated by the art and science of dreams.”
— ANTONIO ZADRA, co-author of When Brains Dream: Understanding the Science and Mystery of our Dreaming Minds
“Most of us make no special effort to remember our dreams, much less understand what they mean. But to others, dreams can be a potent source of reflection and inspiration. Science writer Karen van Kampen’s thorough exploration of dreams, their origins, and their functional significance, will help curious readers make more of the visions, emotions, and questions brought up by their own sleepy experiences.”
— DAN RISKIN, PhD, Science Journalist and TV Host, and author of Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You
“A beautifully written and clear description of all aspects of research into dreaming. From the brain, to dream content, types of dreams, dream analysis, disorders of sleep and dreaming, and the technology now being used to alter our dreams. Theories of why we dream, debates, experiments, and the history of dream research are explained well, and with captivating and enlightening interviews with the major dream researchers from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.”
— MARK BLAGROVE, PhD, co-author of The Science and Art of Dreaming
“The Brain Never Sleeps is an accessible book many readers should enjoy… this volume gives valuable insights into our brain and our dreams.”
– — Winnipeg Free Press

Karen van Kampen is an author and award-winning journalist who specializes in health and science. Her fascination with dreams began at the age of nine when she became her father’s first sleep lab “assistant,” helping him practice electrode hook-up and testing. She is the author of The Golden Cell: The Quest for the Next Great Medical Breakthrough, and her writing has appeared in many publications including The Globe and Mail, National Post, Calgary Herald, and Reader’s Digest. She enjoys teaching creative nonfiction writing at the University of Toronto.

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