Dreamlands The Universe Of Dreams In Chinese Literature The

dreamlands: the universe of dreams in chinese literature the course will explore the world of dreams in pre-modern, modern and contem

Dreamlands: The Universe of Dreams in Chinese Literature
The course will explore the world of dreams in pre-modern, modern and
contemporary Chinese literature and culture. Beginning with Daoist and
Buddhist sources, and proceeding in a chronological fashion, we will
navigate the dreamscapes mapped by traditional oneiromancy,
philosophy, poetry, drama, fiction, all the way to contemporary
theatrical and cinematic discourse.
What do dreams mean? How does their language intersect with the
language of faith, desire, gender, politics, power and fear? How
similar and how different are our dreaming brains today from those of
Chinese philosophers that lived three thousand years ago? Do cultural
differences make us dream different dreams? These are just some of the
questions that we will try to answer together during the semester.
In order to do so, we will look at the semantic, religious and
aesthetic function of dreams in the changing world of Chinese culture,
connecting our findings to recent discoveries in the fields of
contemporary psychology, psychoanalysis and neuroscience. Where
possible, we will also engage in comparison with dream-related
practices and traditions in other South and East Asian contexts, such
as those of India and Tibet.
The course will combine lecture and in-class discussion. Assignments
will include keeping a dream journal, explorations in dream yoga, a
screening journal, essays, and a final project that should be original
and respond to a major theme or issue in the course. Students will
also give presentations and will be responsible, on rotation, for
leading the discussion and analyzing the material for the date
assigned, and where possible, also for finding new and interesting
material related to the issue under study. The classroom will be our
laboratory to understand together both the material and the issues at
stake, and thus attendance and class participation are essential.
Paola Zamperini
===============
曾佩琳
[email protected]
413-5424483
Office Hours: Wednesday 3-5 PM and by appointment
Attendance and participation
============================
I expect you to have completed the reading assignments before coming
to class. Attendance and class participation are essential. The course
will combine lecture and discussion and part of the final grade will
be based on your participation, which involves presence, preparation
of readings, and contributions towards classroom discussion. Late
arrivals will be noted - three late arrivals count as one absence. You
are allowed two absences, absences above and beyond that need to be
explained in order to avoid an impact on the grade.
Papers, deadlines and assignments
---------------------------------
Please note that assignments below are subject to change, depending on
our work during the semester.
a.
Assignments.
During the course of the semester written assignments will be handed
out with specific instructions. They will include dream journal
entries, as well as responses to material discussed in class. Minimum
length one page, maximum three pages. Electronic submissions are
highly encouraged.
b.
Screening journal.
The screening journal will consist of entries you will make for each
movie screening assigned. Entries need not be long and elaborate, as
long as they convey your thoughts and ideas. These entries can serve
as a place to respond to class discussion and reading assignments, as
well as to express any ideas, thoughts or feelings prompted by the
movie. I will read the journal regularly to respond and as much as
possible incorporate your ideas and reactions. The grade on journal
entries is indicative of the effort you put in the class, not of the
quality of your comments and insights: missed entries will negatively
affect your grade, while entries that consistently reflect a lot of
thought and engagement will boost your grade. Journal entries are due
by the Tuesday following the screening at 11,30 and should be
submitted by email.
c.
Discussion teams.
Depending on the size of the class, I will create small groups (3-4
persons maximum) and will assign you a date and a topic on which your
group will be responsible for leading the discussion and analyzing the
material for the date assigned, and where possible, also for finding
new and interesting material related to the issue under study
d.
Final project.
You will be expected to submit a project by the end of the semester.
The project should be original, and respond to a major theme or issue
in the course. It could be collaborative (which of course will have an
impact on the length of the project) and you will need to give a
presentation in class about your work in progress before the end of
the semester. There will be NO EXTENSIONS and your project will be
marked down 10 % for each day it is late. Your final project is due by
Tuesday December 18thth, at noon, in my office. Please note that
additional assignments, including movie screenings, may be added to
the schedule. Check the Blackboard site for updates and announcements.
If you are having problems with your writing, check the Writing
center, they are wonderful people and can help you a great deal! Their
website is http://www.amherst.edu/~writing/
All written work for this course must be typed, double spaced and
printed in a clear fashion (no recycled or colored paper, please!) .
Feel free to include art work.
Of course, you all swear to abide by the Statement of Intellectual
Responsibility (please check
https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/dean_faculty/fph/policies/sir
), don’t you? And in case you are still confused about plagiarism and
the consequences of cheating, please make sure you visit
http://www.amherst.edu/~dos/plagiarism/index.html
The final grade will be based on the following criteria: attendance
and participation, 30%; assignments and screening journal, 30%; final
project, 40%.
Office Hours
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You are welcome and (really) encouraged to come and speak with me
during office hours. This is important time to discuss more
extensively the texts we are studying, the ideas we are exploring, or
anything else related to the class. I strongly urge you to talk with
me about difficulties you may experience with course related material
and to make suggestions, so that we can all benefit from each other’s
insights and comments. If you are unable to come to the scheduled
office hours, we can set an appointment.
Required texts and course readers
---------------------------------
The following texts will be available for purchase at
Amherst Books
8 Main Street, Amherst MA 01002
413.256.1547
www.amherstbooks.com .
They will also be on reserve for you in the library. Please use only
the editions mentioned below, as all page numbers in your syllabus
refers to them.
Essays and articles will be available as e-reserve material on the
course website. Please note that additional texts may be added later
on in the semester.
Hobson Dreaming: A Very Short Introduction OXFORD $11.95
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Nancy Fall of Sleep FORDHAM $16.00
Tung Tower of Myriad Mirrors : A Supplement to Journey to the West
PERSEUS $21.00
Strassberg Wandering Spirits : Chen Shiyuan's Encyclopedia of Dreams
UCAL $55.00
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Yun Dream of Glory (Fanhua Meng) : A Chinese Play COLUMBIA 2008 $39.00
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Choegyal Namkhai Norbu, Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light,
revised, paperback edition, Snow Lion, 2002, $ 9.31
Movies
With the two exceptions noted below, all movies will be available for
your viewing pleasure as streaming videos that you can access from any
computer connected to the Amherst-network. Please refer to this link
https://sysaccount.amherst.edu/sysaccount/CourseAccess
Class discussion will often center around the movies, so all viewings
are compulsory. Additional movie screening may be added.
The Science of Sleep
Paprika
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Matrix
Kim Ki Duk’s Dream
Princess Tutu, vol. I and II
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
Donnie Darko
The Mirror Mask
Waking life
Akira Kurosawa's dreams
The Lathe of Heaven
Edge of dreaming
Week 1
9/6 Introduction to the course.
9/8 Falling asleep or waking up?
Readings: Jean Luc Nancy, The Fall of Sleep, required text for the
course; Richter, Antje. "Sleeping Time in Early Chinese Literature,”
e-reserve.
Assignment 1a due
Screening: Paprika, streaming
Week 2 Dream-gates and other wonders…
9/13 Dream interpretation in China. An Inter-active introduction to
Chinese Culture.
Assignment 1 b due
Readings: David N. Keightley, “Art, Ancestors, and the Origins of
Writing in China”, Representations, No. 56, Special Issue: The New
Erudition. (Autumn, 1996), pp. 68-95.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2928708
9/15 Dreams and Butterflies
Readings: Stephen F. Teiser, The Spirits of Chinese Religion
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/lopez.html;
Zhuang Zi, Chapter 2, Qiwu lun,
http://ctext.org/zhuangzi/adjustment-of-controversies
Zhuang Zi, Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream and Other Stories,
http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/chuangtz.html
Screening: Princess Tutu, Vol. I, streaming
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Week 3 The Dao of Dreaming.
9/ 20 Between the Buddha and the Dao. Dreamlore in the Liezi.
Readings: “Dreams, 38-48, from Taoist teachings from the book of Lieh
Tzǔ,” by Liezi, Lionel Giles, tr.,
=====================================================================
http://books.google.com/books?id=t7gvHK4BwsEC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=liezi+dreams&source=bl&ots=qyoaxwGDkt&sig=Izizmk39Rc7fsO8ARFsgYCCTmW8&hl=en&ei=INVoTs6PLYXMgQfw2Zm4DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false;
“The Yellow Emperor, 22-24, from “Taoist teachings from the book of
Lieh Tzǔ,” by Liezi, Lionel Giles, tr.,
http://books.google.com/books?id=t7gvHK4BwsEC&pg=PA22&dq=liezi+yellow+emperor+lionel+giles&hl=en&ei=x9x0TraAE6bX0QHhyoCrDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false;
Lin Fu-shih. 1995. “Religious Taoism and Dreams. An Analysis of the
Dream-Data Collected in the Yun-chi ch'i-ch'ien." Cahiers
d'Extreme-Asie 8: 95-112,
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/asie_0766-1177_1995_num_8_1_1090
9/22 Wandering Spirits. Chen Shiyuan’s Encyclopedia of Dreams
Readings: Wandering Spirits, Introduction, ix-47.
Screening: Ghost in the Shell II, streaming
Week 4 The Dao of Dreaming 2
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9/27 Wandering Spirits. The Inner Chapters
Readings: Wandering Spirits, 51-99.
9/29 Wandering Spirits. The Outer Chapters
Readings: Wandering Spirits, 103-255.
Screening: The Matrix, streaming
Week 5 Dreaming Buddhas
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10/4 Dream Music: interactive lecture with Wu Man
Please note that for today’s class we will meet in 108 Converse
For more information about Wu Man’s biography and music, see
http://www.wumanpipa.org/
7 PM Screening of "Discovering a Musical Heartland- Wu Man's Return to
China" at Stirn Auditorium
10/5 7,30 Wu Man: Chinese Pipa 7:30pm, Bowker Auditorium, University
of Massachusetts, Amherst. Renowned internationally as a virtuosic
pipa performer, Wu Man will present her two-part concert at the
University featuring solo pieces from her 2010 CD release as well as
Ancient Dances by composer Chen Shi Yang.
10/ 6 Dreams and Buddhism in China: The Tower of Myriad Mirrors
Readings: Wen Tingyun, The Tower of a Myriad Mirrors, Chapter 1-10,
15-87.
Screening: Donnie Dark, streaming
Week 6
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10/11 FALL BREAK
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10/13 Dreams and Buddhism in China 2: The Tower of Myriad Mirrors
Readings: Wen Tingyun, The Tower of a Myriad Mirrors, Chapter 11-16,
and Appendix, 89-135.
Week 7 Engendering Dreams. Dreaming Men 1
10/ 18 Sexing Dreams and Dreamy Sex.
Readings: The Encounter with the Goddess, from Stephen Owen, An
Anthology of Chinese Literature, 189-203; Wang Shifu, The Story of the
Western Wing, 358 -366; Tang Xianzu, Awakening from a Dream, from The
Peony Pavilion, from Stephen Owen, An Anthology of Chinese Literature,
882-892, e-reserve.
Suggested reading: Judith T. Zeitlin, Shared Dreams: The Story of The
Three Wives' Commentary on The Peony Pavilion, in Harvard Journal of
Asiatic Studies, Vol. 54, No. 1. (Jun., 1994), pp. 127-179.
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00730548%28199406%2954%3A1%3C127%3ASDTSOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-3
10/20 Dreams of Power…
Readings: Su Shi, The Red Cliff Poems, 1 and 2, 381-384, from Cyril
Birch, Anthology of Chinese Literature; Pu Songling, Selected Stories
from Strange Tales from the Liao Zhai Studio, volume 1, 6-10, 340-351,
volume 2, 273-277; Li Bo, A song on Visiting.., 401-403, Zhang Dai ,The
Dream Recollections of Tao-an, 815-820, from Stephen Owen, An
Anthology of Chinese Literature, e-reserve.
Assignment # 5 due
Screening: The Mirror Mask, streaming
Week 8 Dreaming Men 2
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Begin in –class discussion teams
10/ 25 …Nightmares…
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Discussion Leaders: Siyu Shen, Jimmy Yu, Jenna Cadone
Readings: Wang Yen-shou's Nightmare Poem, by Donald Harper. Harvard
Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Jun., 1987), pp. 239-283
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2719162 .
10/27 Discovering Frost Library.
Class will be held in Frost, details TBA.
Outline and tentative bibliography due for research papers.
Screening: Waking life, streaming
Week 9
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11/1 …And the Dream of Art…
Discussion Leaders: Daniel Parel, Andrew Hurn, Gaby Rodriguez
Readings: Origins and Presences: Notes on the Psychology and Sociality
of Shitao's Dreams, by Richard Vinograd. Ars Orientalis, Vol. 25,
Chinese Painting (1995), pp. 61-72
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4629486
11/3 Lady Dreamers...
Discussion Leaders: Kari-Elle Brown, Constance Holden, Lena Budinger
Readings: Ji Xian, A Record of Past Karma, 139-146; Waltner, Ann
"Visionary and Bureaucrat in the late Ming: T'an-yang-tzu and Wang
Shih-chen," Late Imperial China 8:1 (1987), 105-127, e-reserve.
Screening: Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, streaming
Week 10
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11/8 And Female Dream Texts 1…
Readings: Yun, Dream of Glory; A Chinese Play, ix-69
Assignment # 6 due
11/10 And 2…
Readings: Yun, Dream of Glory; A Chinese Play, 70-184
Screening: The Lathe of Heaven, streaming
Week 11 Shangrila Dreams
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11/15 Dreams and Buddhism in India and Tibet.
Readings: Alex Wayman, Significance of Dreams in India and Tibet,
History of Religions, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Aug., 1967), pp. 1-12,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1061861
; Serenity Young, “Dream Practices in Medieval Tibet”, in Dreaming,
Volume 9, Number 1, 23-42, http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1021364909895
11/17 Dream in Practice, Dr. Katz’ s approach
Readings: Choegyal Namkhai Norbu, Dream Yoga and the Practice of
Natural Light, required text.
Dream Yoga Workshop with Michael Katz November 18-19, 2011.
Alumni House, Amherst College campus
TIMES:
Friday, November 18, 2011
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday, November 19, 2011
10:00 AM -12 PM & 2:30 PM- 4:30 PM
This unique workshop is intended to develop the capacity to dream
lucidly, enhance creativity, promote self-exploration, and
spiritual/psychological growth through powerful techniques of dream
yoga, guided induction, theater, and lucid dream work. Michael Katz,
author of Tibetan Dream Yoga; the Royal Road to Enlightenment, editor
of Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light, and author of The
White Dolphin is a psychologist who has lectured and led workshops
internationally on dream yoga and lucidity for personal growth. He has
studied Ericksonian hypnotherapy, Reichian therapy, Gestalt, Embodied
Dream Imagery and psychodrama and synthesized many of these influences
into his lucidity workshops. He has practiced Tibetan Buddhism and
Dzogchen meditation since 1977.
Week 12
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November 19, 2011-November 27: Thanksgiving Break.
Week 13
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11/29 A look at Freud and beyond
Discussion Leaders: Trina Fanfant, Jon Kelleher, Nick Codola
Readings: Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, 1-10, 22,
50-65,96-121,133, e-reserve.
12/1 Freud and The (Dalai) Lama.
Discussion Leaders: Michael Millian, Connor Bottum, Tawkir Chowdury
Readings: Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying. An Exploration of
Consciousness with the Dalai Lama, 53-130, e-reserve.
Week 14 Awakenings?
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12/6 Beyond Freud
Readings: Ludwing Binswanger, Dream and Existence, 81-105; J. Allan
Hobson, “Freud Reawakens”, 171-179, from 13 Dreams Freud Never Had,
e-reserve.
12/8 Dreaming as Science
Reading: Dreaming: An Introduction to the Science of Sleep by J. Allan
Hobson, required text.
Screening: The Edge of Dreaming, streaming
Week 15
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12/13 Dreaming in Reel Time. In class discussion of the movies
screened
Final projects due by Tuesday December 20th, at noon, in my office.
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