Why do dreams matter, and how can we use them to support waking life? In this episode of The Dream Journal, host Katherine Bell speaks with Canadian author and health journalist Karen Van Kampen about her book The Brain Never Sleeps: Why We Dream and What It Means for Our Health. Together they explore dream science, memory, mental health, dream sharing, nightmare rescripting, dream engineering, lucid dreaming research, and the emerging study of anesthesia dreams as potentially healing experiences.Karen shares how childhood experiences in her father’s sleep lab shaped her fascination with dreaming, why dreams may act like a “highlight reel” of waking concerns, and how practices such as dream journaling, dream salons, and imagery rehearsal therapy can help us engage dreams with curiosity and care. The conversation also looks at cutting-edge research on guiding dreams, communicating with lucid dreamers, and the possibility that anesthesia dreams may help people revisit difficult memories in a calm, transformative state.Why dreams are connected to memory, mental health and waking lifeHow dream sharing builds empathy and new perspectivesImagery rehearsal therapy and practical ways to rewrite nightmaresDream engineering, sleep onset creativity and technology-assisted dreamingLucid dreaming research and two-way communication with dreamersAnesthesia dreams, healing dreams and post-traumatic growthHow stories, memories and dreams shape identityTimestampsBIO: Karen van Kampen is a Canadian author and journalist who specializes in health and science. Her latest book is the instant national bestseller “The Brain Never Sleeps: Why We Dream and What it Means for our Health”. Her fascination with dreams began at the age of nine when she was her father’s first sleep lab “assistant,” helping him practice electrode hook-up and testing. Contact our guest: KarenvanKampen.comThis show, episode number 368, was recorded during a live broadcast on June 20, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz.SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at [email protected]. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com.Video podcast available at youtube.com/@experientialdreamwork. Popular playlists: “Dream Journal shorts” and “FULL LENGTH VIDEOS”.  Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in:Get a Better Night’s Sleep with Dr. Chris WinterNightmares and Suicide with Dr Michael NadorffIntro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones.The Dream Journal aims to:Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balanc