Behind Closed Eyes

This new book is the first to present a comprehensive study of dreams as they were perceived and interpreted by the Egyptians in the third and second millennia BC, from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. The author examines the various roles dreams could play in ancient Egyptian society, whether political, religious, magical, or literary. She also considers the value of dream-interpretation for the happiness of private individuals. The work is accessibly written, and should inform the wider study of psychology and comparative religion. Its arguments are based on an intimate study of the original Egyptian texts; the texts themselves are here set out in translation.