The Freudian claim that dreams are meaningful and that their meanings can be discovered through dream interpretation has in recent times come under harsh attack from both scientific and hermeneutic-psychoanalytic circles. In a forceful response to these critiques, Rachel Blass demonstrates that while Freud and his followers have thus far failed to provide adequate justification for his dream theory, such justification may now be found through an alternate and legitimate—yet neglected—route, one that establishes both scientifically and philosophically the relationship between the self of the dreamer and that of the awake individual. The implications of this argument are both practical and theoretical: by providing sorely absent scientific and philosophical grounding to the very foundations of dream interpretation, the book clarifies and broadens the possibilities of dream interpretation within the clinical setting, and breaks new ground in the field of psychoanalytic epistemology and the philosophy of the human sciences.

Marshall Edelson identifies the core theory of psychoanalysis and shows how free association and the case study method can provide rational grounds for believing its clinical inferences about the causal role of unconscious sexual fantasies. "Dr. Edelson has committed himself with gusto, persistence and intelligence [to] a spirited defense of psychoanalysis as science—not necessarily as it is, but as it can be in the best of hands as it should be. . . . It is a defense that I hope can resonate strongly in psychoanalytic ranks. It is also a message that I hope would receive a warm reception in that wider intellectual world where ideas matter and where enlightened social policy and cultural cachet are fostered."—Robert Wallerstein, New York Times Book Review

Dreams have captivated human imagination throughout the time. However, in the year 1900, dreams also gained an important place in psychotherapy when Sigmund Freud proposed that dreams were the royal road to the unconscious. The following book presents an overview of the history of dreams and discusses the shift from the use of latent content to that of the manifest content during dream analysis. Additionally, various methods of dream interpretation, the functions of dreams, differing schools of thought on the utility of dreams, typical dreams, and the biological challenge to dream theory are discussed. From antiquity, the universal phenomena of dreaming has captivated human imagination, confused human logic, and controlled human endeavors. Dreams have been regarded as very important, as messages from the gods, predictive of the future, expiatory of guilt, and the voice of conscience. Shamans, seers, and saints have used dreams to discern the source of sickness or to set the course of nations. Poets, philosophers, and playwrights have sought to plumb the depths of dreams in order to lure audience or readers into the world of fantasy, to play the strings of the emotions, and to recall the unthinkable. Cognitive, information processing, and neuroscientists find in dreams brain activity that can help understand REM, memory consolidation, and the "unconscious" state.

Psychoanalysis is often equated with Sigmund Freud, but this comparison ignores the wide range of clinical practices, observational methods, general theories, and cross-pollinations with other disciplines that characterise contemporary psychoanalytic work. Central psychoanalytic concepts to do with unconscious motivation, primitive forms of thought, defence mechanisms, and transference form a mainstay of today's richly textured contemporary clinical psychological practice. In this landmark collection on philosophy and psychoanalysis, leading researchers provide an evaluative overview of current thinking. Written at the interface between these two disciplines, The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychoanalysis contains original contributions that will shape the future of debate. With 34 chapters divided into eight sections covering history, clinical theory, phenomenology, science, aesthetics, religion, ethics, and political and social theory, this Oxford Handbook displays the enduring depth, breadth, and promise of integrating philosophical and psychoanalytic thought. Anyone interested in the philosophical implications of psychoanalysis, as well as philosophical challenges to and re-statements of psychoanalysis, will want to consult this book. It will be a vital resource for academic researchers, psychoanalysts and other mental health professionals, graduates, and trainees.

Volume 12 includes chapters on the hermeneutics of structuralism and psychoanalysis (H. van Velzen); prophetic initiation in Israel and Judah (D. Merkur); the cult phenomenon and the paranoid process (W. Meissner); the ego and adaptation (P. Parin); male adolescent initiation rituals (L. Rosen); gender identity in a New Guinea people (E. Foulks); and the film Cabaret (S. Bauer).

Narcolepsy serves as a prototype of how the interaction of high quality clinical research and groundbreaking basic science can collaborate to defne the cause of a disease and change forever how we evaluate and treat it. There is scarcely a topic in this book that would have been covered in the same way 10 years ago as it is d- cussed today. We are also fortunate that many of the players in this dramatic tu- around have contributed to this volume, so that the result is a tapestry of the events that have transformed the feld over the last decade that is both authentic and detailed. The frst section of the book provides much of the basic science background. As described in the frst two chapters, the dramatic convergence of lines of evidence from two different laboratories frst demonstrated in 1999 that narcolepsy is a disease of loss of neurotransmission by lateral hypothalamic neurons making the peptides that have been called orexins or hypocretins. These fndings did much to clarify and unify a feld that had puzzled for decades over the fundamental nature of this puzzling disease, as refected in the chapters that review its epidemiology and neuroanatomical and imaging fndings.

At the end of life dreams can help start important conversations and encourage the resolution of old wounds. They provide a welcome sense of dignity in their sharing and often help those who are dying move confidently toward an unknown future. Dreams at the Threshold provides simple instructions on how to listen with a caring, respectful curiosity to our own dreams and the dreams of others. Discover how these important messages can provide the gift of peace and the courage to say goodbye. Just one shared dream can bring lasting com- fort to those who are dying and to the community around them. Praise: "Superb in discussing preparation for death."—Library Journal (starred review) "The great gift of this book is its warm-hearted simplicity."—Robert Moss, author of Conscious Dreaming "This book is written with love, interest and conviction. Jeanne's aim is to teach us the importance of dreams for those in contact with the dying and the people closest to them. Easy to read and understand. Do not hesitate to seize this opportunity in discovering another tool for accompaniment."—Monique Séguin, co-author of Dreams and Death "Through artful weaving of dreams . . . Jeanne Van Bronkhorst has created a beautiful guidebook both for professionals who work with end-of-life patients and for laypersons who will face this inevitable transition in their own lives and the lives of loved ones."—Tallulah Lyons, M.Ed., author of Dreams and Guided Imagery "Jeanne Van Bronkhorst's Dreams at the Threshold is an important contribution to this neglected dimension."—Larry Dossey, MD, author of One Mind

Psychotherapy is a 'talking cure'- clients voice their troubles to therapists, who listen, prompt, question, interpret and generally try to engage in a positive and rehabilitating conversation with their clients. Using the sophisticated theoretical and methodological apparatus of Conversation Analysis - a radical approach to how language in interaction works - this book sheds light on the subtle and minutely organised sequences of speech in psychotherapeutic sessions. It examines how therapists deliver questions, cope with resistance, reinterpret experiences and how they can use conversation to achieve success. Conversation is a key component of people's everyday and professional lives and this book provides an unusually detailed insight into the complexity and power of talk in institutional settings. Featuring contributions from a collection of internationally renowned authors, Conversation Analysis and Psychotherapy will appeal to researchers and graduate students studying conversation analysis across the disciplines of psychology, sociology and linguistics.