According to scientists, everyone dreams. On this show, we explore why we dream, what we gain from dreaming, and the possibilities of what we can accomplish through dreaming if we look at dreaming as a way of knowing.

Dr. Jeffrey Thompson kicks off the subject by explaining brain states, revealing that dreaming isn't confined to sleep alone. Our primary interview features Ken Stringfellow, the songwriter for the band the Posies, who shares his personal experiences of fully formed songs arriving in his dreams. Neuroscientist Katya Valli provides insights into the current scientific understanding of this enigmatic state of consciousness, which remains largely mysterious despite ongoing research efforts.

Guests

Ken Stringfellow - A fixture on the music landscape, indie and otherwise, since the debut of his band The Posies in 1988, Ken Stringfellow has over a quarter century of experience as a performer, composer, producer, arranger, programmer and more. In addition to his 8 albums with the Posies and 4 solo albums (his 5th, “Circuit Breaker” is to be released in 2024), Ken spent a decade touring and recording with R.E.M.; he was also involved in the rebirth of Memphis cult band Big Star, playing with Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens from the band's first reunion shows in 1993 until Chilton's death in 2010. Ken has played onstage or in studio with such artists as Neil Young, the Afghan Whigs, Snow Patrol, Mercury Rev, Thom Yorke, John Paul Jones, Patti Smith, Wilco, Robyn Hitchcock, Ringo Starr, Damien Jurado, Nada Surf, Brendan Benson, Mudhoney, the Long Winters...a very long list indeed. In fact, Ken has appeared on over 350 albums (totaling 9 million physical sales and millions of streams), and performed in 95 countries.

Dr. Thompson is the Founder/Director of the Center for Neuroacoustic Research in Carlsbad, California, a research center which is actualizing its vision of “Healing the Body*Heart*Mind and Spirit through the Scientific Application of Sound.” Dr. Thompson is considered the world’s premier sound healing researcher, brainwave entrainment expert, and high-tech personal transformation innovator, motivator and futurist. He is a physician/ musician, composer, inventor, educator and author. His work addresses harmony between the body/mind/spirit and is clinically proven to foster deep personal wellness and expansion of consciousness. Certified in multiple healthcare modalities, Dr. Thompson draws people nationally and internationally to his clinical practice and to his cutting-edge auditory, kinesthetic and visual therapeutic products and services.

Katja Valli, PhD, is a Professor at the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, University of Skövde, Sweden, and an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on dreaming and consciousness and edited, together with Robert J. Hoss, the reference work Dreams: Understanding Biology, Psychology, and Culture (Vol. 1) (2019, Greenwood). She is a past President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams and an avid dreamer.

Special thanks to Andrea Allen for the reading of the Taoist story of metamorphosis.