ABSTRACT

An Ancient Dream: The Origins of the Western World

Peter Kingsley, Ph.D. is the author of In the Dark Places of Wisdom (Golden Sufi Center, 1999) and Ancient Philosophy, Mystery,and Magic (Oxford University Press, 1995). He is Adjunct Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of New Mexico at Albuquerque and Honorary Professor, Department of Humanities, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Summary of Presentation

This presentation will tell a remarkable story, one that sheds new light on the origins of the Western world: the story of the ancient philosopher Parmeneides, whose revolutionary ideas about truth,  knowledge, and reality were directly  related to his practice of dream incubation, i.e. the use of mystical techniques to gain knowledge and insights beyond the reach of ordinary waking consciousness. Later Western thinkers were embarrassed by this connection between rationality and dreaming, and in time they dismissed dreams as nonsense and held up rationality as the supreme faculty of the human soul.  This presentation will argue that the split between rationality and dreaming is the ultimate source of the modern world's spiritual restlessness and malaise, and he offers a renewed vision of dreaming as a powerful means of knowledge, healing, and wisdom. 

Learning Objectives.

To understand the role of dreams in Western philosophy.
To appreciate the dream incubation practices of Parmeneides.
To recognize the interconnection of dreaming and rationality.

Evaluation Questions:

What roles have dreams played in Western philosophy?
What were the incubation practices used by Parmeniedes?
What is the connection between dreaming and rationality?

Abstract 

Peter Kingsley, author of In the Dark Places of Wisdom (Golden Sufi Center, 1999) and Ancient Philosophy, Mystery, and Magic (Oxford University Press, 1995), has uncovered a remarkable story that sheds new light on the origins of the Western world: the story of the ancient philosopher Parmeneides, whose revolutionary ideas about truth, knowledge, and reality had a decisive influence on Socrates, Plato, and the whole subsequent tradition of Western philosophy.  What has not generally been understood about Parmeneides, and what Kingsley brings forth with rare eloquence and insight, is the roots of Parmeneides' philosophy in dreaming.  By carefully reexamining the texts and marble inscriptions we have about Parmeneides' life, Kingsley shows that his philosophical discoveries were directly related to his practice of dream incubation, i.e. the use of mystical techniques to gain knowledge and insights beyond the reach of ordinary waking consciousness.  However, later Western thinkers were embarrassed by this connection between rationality and dreaming, and in time they dismissed dreams as nonsense and held up rationality as the supreme faculty of the human soul.  Kingsley argues that this split between rationality and dreaming is the ultimate source of the modern world's spiritual restlessness and malaise, and he offers a renewed vision of dreaming as a powerful means of knowledge, healing, and wisdom .

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