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In this episode, I speak with clinical psychologist Dr. Rubin Naiman. If you’ve ever wondered about the deeper, psychological aspects of sleep and dreams, this episode is for you.
Dr. Naiman is the sleep and dream specialist at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine and has been studying sleep and dreams for over 20 years.
His research has led him to some interesting perspectives on the role of sleep and dreams in our lives. He speaks about both in a refreshingly philosophical and almost poetic way, which I love. He argues that both sleep and dreams have value in and of themselves as states of consciousness, beyond the benefits they provide to our waking state.
Topics covered in this episode
Dr. Naiman’s philosophy on sleep and dream consciousness
“Wake-centrism” and the problem with how our culture views sleep
The spiritual value of dreaming (and how to dream more)
The cultural epidemic of dream deprivation
What is sleep?
What are dreams?
The surprising reason women live longer than men
The top factors that contribute to insomnia
Why waking up at night isn’t a big deal
Selected links & resources from the episode
Dr. Naiman’s website (where you’ll find all of his articles & scientific papers)
The Inner Reaches of Outer Space by Joseph Campbell
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If you liked this episode, you might also like:
Episode #4: Rethinking Reality with Cognitive Scientist Donald Hoffman
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Ruben Chavez is a writer, personal development educator, and host of The Think Grow Podcast. He has created a community of over 3 million readers across his collective platforms, including his popular Instagram page ThinkGrowProsper. Along with this blog, these platforms are his way of inspiring and connecting with thoughtful, creative, and ambitious people just like you.