We define dreams as sensations or images passing through the mind of a sleeping person. We oppose dreams to waking reality. The border between the two worlds only dissolves when we fall asleep and wake up.

Somehow music recreates the state of liminal dreaming. When we listen to music, we float somewhere between the waking and sleeping worlds.

Do dreams penetrate our waking life more than we think? How much do we daydream?

Some say that music creates an escape from reality. But doesn’t listening to music bring you somewhere that feels more real than our waking reality? If boundaries exist between dreams, reality and the waking world, where do they stand?

Join me in exploring the relationship between music and daydreaming with the musician Cosmo Sheldrake. The artist whose talents spread beyond geographical borders and erase imagined ones. We will also dig into philosophical arguments around dreams and reality, with lecturer in philosophy Doctor Anthony Booth.

Additional Credits:

Songs by Cosmo Sheldrake: Pliocene (1:55), Nightingale Wake up Calls (3:00), Fish (5:30) Owl Song (13:20).

Music “Chillout-Lonley (Pad Meditation)” by Karma Ron at 0:15 and 7:00

From FreeSound

CC BY

Bbc.co.uk – copyright BBC Sound Effects

All copyright reserved - ‘Into the infinite unknown’, part of the series ‘Thalassophile’. Image created by the photographer, videographer and artist Lily Zoumpouli. Check out her work at https://lily-z.com and on Instagram @lily_zoumpouli.

Added information:

The research study published by Harvard University is available here.

Here is a list of podcasts exploring the corners of the night, dreams or consciousness: Nocturne Podcast, An [Etymology] of Dreaming, Beyond the Illusion Podcast.