Dream and reality among five North American Indian peoples : an examination of the literature

This thesis consists of an examination of fifteen anthropological dream studies. Its contention is that in these studies, the dream complexes of the Navaho, Mohave, Hopi, Iroquois and Ojibwa Indians tend to appear as manifestations of these peoples' conceptions about the distinction between real and imaginary experiences. It is suggested that this portrayal is transmitted through a language of description which is based on western theoretical conceptions of reality. It is recommended that a metalanguage be developed so that non-western experiences of dream and other psychological phenomena can be communicated as ' real' experiences.Arts, Faculty ofAnthropology, Department ofGraduat