Dreams of Particulars: Dreams, Memory, and Distinguishing Objectual Knowledge

At least some dreams relate us to external-world particulars, e.g. dreams of one’s parent. What is the nature of this relation? It depends on memory for sure, but this chapter argues that the relation is a specific one: in such dreams, one remembers the relevant particular. It then sketches an account according to which such remembering involves ‘distinguishing objectual knowledge’ and shows that the account enables us to make sense of a range of dream cases and provides a partial framework for understanding why dreams have some of the social roles they are thought to have.