Dream

For this year’s symposium for the group “Kulturfag og estetiske fag” in the Norwegian Academy of Sciences, Thomas Hylland Eriksen and the current leader of the culture group Ingjerd Hoëm, proposed DREAM as the topic. For the purposes of this symposium, we define DREAM broadly, as including, but not restricted to, ancestral dreams, dreams and visions as a force of action and change in historical epochs, and the role of dreams and divination in societal innovation.

Bilde

According to Thomas, one of his “seven meanings of life” is Dreaming: 

The dream of a better life has driven humanity forward for years. In our part of the world, we have long since reached the goal, at least materially speaking. That life is tiring is part of Luther's teaching about doing one's duty, regardless of the circumstances. The dream of progress was to replace much of religion. The generation after the Second World War grew up with Prime Minister Gerhardsen's talk about solidarity, and that everyone's efforts were necessary to build the country. In the prosperity in which the majority of us now live, we have heating cables in all bathrooms and can travel to Malaga for a long weekend. Many no longer know what to dream about.” (Interview in Tara, about the book Syv meninger med Livet/Seven meanings of Life, 2022 Oslo: Kagge).

Program 

Lunch 13:00-13:30

13:30-14.15 Main speaker Professor Charles Stewart, University College London: “Dream and Time”.
14:15-14:45 Professor Annelin Eriksen: “Techno-utopian dreams of Deep Futures – or the Unfinished Universe”
14:45-15:15 Professor Marianne Lien “Dreams of Prosperity, colonisation through soil”
15:15-15:30 Short break 
15:30: 16:00 Professor Iver B Neumann “Political Dreaming”
16:00-16:30 Professor Ingjerd Hoëm “Ancestral Dreams in Anthropology”
16:30-17:00 Professor Helge Jordheim: “Dreams in History”

17:00-17:30 Discussion
17:30 Concluding words by Jorunn Økland (tbc)

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