Lucrecia the Dreamer

Kelly Bulkeley is a psychologist of religion and the Director of the Sleep and Dream Database. His most recent book is Big Dreams: The Science of Dreaming and the Origins of Religion (2016).

• IntroductionHistorical Prologue1. Early Life2. A Record of Dreams3. The Three Companions4. Esta Negra Soñadora5. New Powers6. The Trial7. What She Was Not8. Patterns in the Dreams9. Cognitive Science10. Relational Psychology11. Politics and Society12. History of Religions13. What She Most Likely WasHistorical EpilogueConclusion

"An excellent scholarly work, Lucrecia the Dreamer reads like a novel of political and religious intrigue, for the scenes are stranger than fiction—even though they are a matter of historical record. Anyone interested in dreams should read this book."—Patrick McNamara, Boston University and Northcentral University "Structured like a police procedural and delightful to read, Lucrecia the Dreamer employs concepts from psychology, anthropology, and history to situate Lucrecia de León in a broader human story about the power of dreaming. Given the difficulties of crossing disciplinary boundaries while maintaining the integrity of each discipline's rules of analysis, Kelly Bulkeley's achievement is most impressive."—Leslie Tuttle, Louisiana State University "While Lucrecia's personal story becomes the framework on which the fault-lines of Spanish society are displayed, Bulkeley sees a bigger picture....4/5 stars"—Bob Rickard, Fortean Times "Bulkeley's book presents an intriguing micro-history that illuminates life in late sixteenth-century Madrid and suggests the potential value of incorporating cognitive and digital approaches to scholarship on early modern events and texts. Bulkeley portrays Lucrecia as a living, breathing person, and he attempts to reconstruct her lived experiences, both waking and sleeping. His multifaceted analyses may indicate new paths for studying other visionaries and mystics of Golden-Age Spain."—Teresa Hancock-Parmer, Bulletin of Spanish Studies