According to the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, dreams can operate on many levels — from revealing imbalances within our psyche to predicting our future needs. He believed that most dreams function on the level of stories, myths, and archetypes, making them a powerful source of creativity and inspiration.
Author Jack Kerouac, who once wrote an entire dream journal, famously said, “All human beings are also dream beings.” A single dream, in many ways, connects all of humanity.
Here are eight famous ideas inspired by dreams — inventions, songs, books, paintings, and films that were born while their creators were asleep.
1. John Lennon – “Dream No. 9”
Perhaps one of modern history’s most famous dreamers, John Lennon wrote one of his best-selling songs based on a dream.
The chorus of Dream No. 9 came from a meaningless phrase he heard while sleeping:
"Ah! Was it just a dream?
It seemed so real to me."
Interestingly, the song reached number nine on the UK charts — a fitting coincidence for its title.
Keyword focus: songs inspired by dreams, music created from dreams
2. Christopher Nolan – Inception
Director Christopher Nolan drew inspiration from lucid dreams for his 2010 psychological thriller Inception.
The film follows a dream thief (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) who infiltrates the subconscious minds of CEOs to steal secrets.
Nolan explained that he had been fascinated for years with the idea of treating dreams as an alternate reality — and with the possibility of consciously manipulating them. The only truly “fantastical” concept, he said, was the technology that allows people to share the same dream.
Keyword focus: movies inspired by dreams, lucid dreaming creativity
3. Salvador Dalí – The Persistence of Memory
Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí described many of his works as “hand-painted dream photographs.”
His most iconic painting, The Persistence of Memory, featuring melting clocks, was inspired by dream imagery. The artwork explores how time becomes fluid and distorted in a dream state.
According to the Museum of Modern Art, this surreal masterpiece helped introduce mainstream audiences to surrealism in the 1930s and cemented Dalí’s reputation as a revolutionary artist.
Keyword focus: paintings inspired by dreams, surrealism and dreams
4. Paul McCartney – “Yesterday”
The Beatles legend Paul McCartney reportedly composed the melody of Yesterday in a dream.
He woke up with the tune in his head and immediately played it on a piano beside his bed. Convinced he must have subconsciously copied it, he spent weeks asking friends if they recognized the melody.
It turned out to be original. “Yesterday” became one of the most covered songs in music history.
Keyword focus: famous songs written in dreams
5. Edgar Allan Poe – Dream Poetry
Writer Edgar Allan Poe suffered from intense nightmares throughout his life, and they often inspired his poetry and short stories.
In poems like Dreamland and A Dream Within a Dream, Poe explored dreams as powerful forms of consciousness.
In his 1839 essay An Opinion on Dreams, he argued that dreams could represent a profound and possibly divine mode of perception.
Keyword focus: literature inspired by dreams, dream symbolism
6. Stephen King – Dreamcatcher
In 1999, horror author Stephen King was struck by a van while walking in Maine. During his recovery, he experienced vivid dreams.
These dreams inspired his novel Dreamcatcher, later adapted into the 2003 film Dreamcatcher.
King has often stated that dreams help him symbolically visualize events and construct terrifying scenarios for his fiction.
Keyword focus: novels inspired by dreams, horror stories from dreams
7. Carl Jung – The Red Book
Beyond his theories, Carl Jung documented years of dreams, fantasies, and inner dialogues in The Red Book.
The book is essentially Jung’s personal journey into his unconscious mind — a massive collection of dream imagery, surreal conversations, and symbolic artwork.
It remains one of the most fascinating psychological works ever produced.
Keyword focus: psychology of dreams, dream interpretation history
8. Richard Linklater – Waking Life
Director Richard Linklater used his experiences with lucid dreaming to inspire the animated philosophical film Waking Life.
The movie explores existential themes, free will, and the blurred boundary between waking life and dreams.
Linklater explained that he had naturally experienced lucid dreams long before researching the phenomenon for the film.
Keyword focus: films about lucid dreaming, philosophical dream movies
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Discover 8 famous ideas that came from dreams, including iconic songs, bestselling novels, groundbreaking films, and surreal paintings inspired by sleep.
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