What if dreams were not a mystical enigma, but a living laboratory of the mind? In “Sleep and Dreams,” Alfred Maury, a pioneer of experimental psychology in the 19th century, conducts a fascinating investigation into what happens when consciousness falters: the genesis of dreams, the sequencing of images, the role of memory, hypnagogic illusions, nightmares, sleepwalking, ecstasy, hypnotism, intoxication, delirium… Nothing is left to chance. An indefatigable observer of himself, Maury multiplies experiments and precise accounts (induced awakenings, sensory stimuli during sleep, correspondences between real sensations and dream scenes) to dismantle the mechanics of dreaming and its close links with the body, the senses, and memory. As the pages unfold, the boundaries blur between dream, madness, and genius: the mind associates through assonance, amplifies impressions, creates believable hallucinations, and sometimes reveals forgotten memories. Clear, methodical, and often surprising, this classic brings psychology, physiology, and captivating testimonies into dialogue. For anyone who questions imagination, consciousness, or the mystery of the night, it is a foundational, bold, and strikingly modern work — to be heard as a scientific and intimate adventure where the dream learns to speak.
