Barbara Meier – författare

A scientifically sound and thoroughly comprehensible account of what laboratory study has revealed about dreams and dreaming.This book presents an overview of the methods and results of laboratory dream research: the collection of dreams under various conditions; different methods of dream evaluation; physiological and psychological factors of dream recall; memory sources of dreams; and dreams in different sleep stages.The main focus is to describe the phenomenology of dreams. What are the common features of dreaming with regard to images, thoughts, and emotions? Where does the dream take place and who enters the dream "theatre"? In what kinds of scenarios do dreamers find themselves?The authors' evidence is based on dreams collected in their sleep laboratory. Results of analysis of 500 REM dreams are discussed with reference to sex differences, children's dreams, and waking fantasies.

Spirits in Politics explores the interface between religion and politics in African societies by examining recent and ongoing research in a variety of regional settings. Case studies from across the African continent exemplify how - and at which social levels - spirits, witchcraft, and other supernatural agents play an active role in political action and the conceptualization of power. This volume illustrates not only how ritual techniques such as divination or spirit possession may play a vital role in people's efforts to regain control over the political processes that determine their lives, but also how these practices are prominent in day-to-day decision-making processes at local levels.