Aristotle's Theory of 'Sleep and Dreams' in the light of Modern and Contemporary Experimental Research

Abstract

Aristotle's naturalistic and rationalistic interpretation of the nature and function of 'sleep' () and 'dreams' () is developed out of his concepts of the various parts () or faculties/powers () of the soul, and especially the functions of cognitive process: (a) sense/sensation (), (b) imagination (), (c) memory (), and (d) mind/intellect (). Sleep "is a sort of privation () of waking ()", and dreams are not metaphysical phenomena.