Dream Incubation to Facilitate Creative Problem Solving

Great ideas really do come in dreams. In this immersive, one-day workshop, Harvard dream researcher Dr. Deirdre Barrett shows how figures from Paul McCartney to Larry Page—and leaders from Gandhi to Obama—tapped their sleeping mind for breakthroughs. You’ll explore the science of dream-based problem solving, lucid dreaming, and especially “dream incubation,” a step-by-step method for asking your dreams for advice, inspiration, or solutions. Through guided exercises, journaling, and group discussion, you’ll design a personalized incubation protocol you can try tonight.

For more workshops like this, visit Tandon at The Yard's 2025 Summer Workshops page.

• Artists, writers, designers, entrepreneurs seeking fresh creative insight
• Business leaders & strategists looking for out-of-the-box solutions
• Psychology & mindfulness enthusiasts curious about dream research
• Anyone open to harnessing the sleeping mind—no prior experience required

• Notebook & pen (or note-taking app) for dream logs and prompts
• An evening problem or question you’d like a new perspective on
• Comfortable clothing for brief relaxation / visualization exercises
• Voice recorder or pen w/light for night-time notes

Participants will:

1. Recognize the role of dreams in historical and contemporary creativity.
2. Apply evidence-based dream incubation steps to seek solutions overnight.
3. Employ lucid-dream and content-direction techniques to steer dream narratives.
4. Develop a personalized dream journal and incubation script to use immediately.
5. Integrate dream-derived insights into artistic, professional, or personal projects.
   

Deirdre Barrett, PhD — Dream researcher at Harvard University; author of The Committee of Sleep, Pandemic Dreams, and three other books. Past President of the Society for Psychological Hypnosis, current President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, and Editor of the journal DREAMING. Dr. Barrett has led dream workshops at Esalen, the Smithsonian, and universities worldwide.

Website: deirdrebarrett.com

LinkedIn: barrettdeirdre

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

NYU Tandon @ The Yard, Mc Donough Avenue, Brooklyn, United States