Nightmare Obscura: A Dream Engineer's Guide Through the Sleeping Mind

by Michelle Carr

Overview

A leading sleep expert reveals the latest science behind the dreaming brain and why we have nightmares—offering key insights into how harnessing dreams can improve your sleep and health.

To most, dreams are things that slip away when you reemerge into the waking world, their remnants jumbled up and only half recalled. At their best, they are populated by pleasant recollections and surreal experiences. But at their worst, they can be traumatizing and prevent us from receiving the necessary benefits of sleep.

So why do we dream at all? What makes a person prone to nightmares? How do our bodies interface with our brains when we’re not awake? And how can we harness our sleeping minds to improve our waking lives?

In Nightmare Obscura, dream researcher Michelle Carr unlocks the science behind the sleeping body, exploring the relationship between dreams and mental health, with a deep dive into the neuroscience behind some of the most interesting aspects of dreaming: nightmares, lucid dreams, and the cutting-edge field of dream engineering.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250342713
Publisher:	Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	11/18/2025
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288

About the Author

Dr. Michelle Carr is the director of the Dream Engineering Laboratory in the Centre for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Assistant Professor at the University of Montreal and former president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Alongside her research and work as a dream engineer, she has published numerous scientific papers, a popular Psychology Today blog, and articles for New Scientist, Aeon, and Scientific American.

Editorial Reviews

"A fascinating and compelling exploration of dream engineering—an emerging field at the forefront of neuroscience and mental health. Nightmare Obscura blends cutting-edge research, clinical insights, and practical takeaways into a must-read for anyone intrigued by the science of dreams, nightmares, and their impact on our well-being."

—Antonio Zadra, co-author of When Brains Dream

"A life lived with eyes wide shut, in those eight hours a night asleep, is a ubiquitous human experience. Despite this though, for most of us our nocturnal world remains a mysterious realm. Michelle Carr, one of the foremost researchers in the field, cuts through the science in this fascinating book, to explain the nature and function of dreaming and nightmares, and to highlight the relevance for our physical and mental health. A mastery exploration of what truly goes on in the night-time mind, and how we can influence it."

—Guy Leschziner, author of The Secret World of Sleep

“An accessible and persuasive primer from a pioneer in her field. I hope that everyone—from doctors and scientists to everyday dreamers—heeds her call to recognize the incredible, and long-overlooked, power of nightmares and dreams”

—Alice Robb, author of Why We Dream

"In Nightmare Obscura, the science of dreams meets the intimacy of midnight interviews, as sleep researcher Michelle Carr speaks with people moments after they wake from the depths of their dreams. Equal parts fascinating and useful, the book shows how nightmares reflect more than fear—and how working with them can unlock insight and resilience."

—Deirdre Barrett, Harvard University, author of The Committee of Sleep

"This book is remarkably interesting, accessible, and practically useful, while it deftly navigates vast oceans of scientific information about the dreaming brain and mind."

—Mark Solms, author of The Hidden Spring

"As a sleep expert who regularly speaks to diverse audiences on the subject of sleep, I always get someone coming up to me at the end to ask me about dreaming and, in particular, lucid dreaming. Now I have a wonderful book to recommend. Dr Carr is right—dreaming does matter and there is so much to be gained from understanding our dream process and what we can do to dream well at night. Her book offers a fascinating insight into the world of sleep and dreams and is not only scientifically sound but eminently practical and accessible to all."

—Nerina Ramlakhan, author of The Little Book of Sleep

"Nightmare Obscura is a magnificently thorough but also readable account of current scientific knowledge about dreaming and sleep. Scientific studies, most of them very recent, are described so clearly, and fit together in a pathway from the science of sleep, to what dreams might do for our brain and memories during sleep, to the relationships between dreams and creativity and personal insight. Importantly, there are two areas which are emphasized and which class this book as unique. The first is nightmares, which considers the question of whether they are a failure of dream function, and details the relationships between nightmares and physical and mental health, and how they can be treated. The second and fascinating area is dream technology, the use of sensory or brain stimulation during or just before sleep to alter dream content. The book covers so much, and is a testament to how broad and rapidly advancing the study of dreaming now is, but is also a testament to the author, who is one of the leading researchers and public educators across the whole range of knowledge present in this book."

—Mark Blagrove, author of The Science and Art of Dreaming

"This book is an absolute treasure trove for anyone interested in the wonders of the nocturnal mind. Rigorously researched, beautifully crafted, and exquisitely written, it’s an indispensable volume for anyone grappling with nightmares, and a gem for anybody else who dreams. You will never look at your dreams the same way again."

—Andrew Holecek, author of Dream Yoga and Dreams of Light

"With cutting-edge research, Michelle Carr shines a light on the darkest corners of our dreams, revealing the surprising ways we can reshape our nightmares and reclaim our sleep."

—Dave Green, Lucid Dream Artist

From the Publisher