Somewhere Inbetween: Oneiric Inspirations in the Creativity Process on the Example of Polish Gothic Rock band Closterkeller

The presence of oneiric inspirations in the works of art are usually a subject of interest within the
study of literature and the arts. Interestingly, relatively less attention is paid to the presence of dream-
-inspired music. Dreams are a source of inspiration for musicians, both classical and popular (inspired by
dreams were, among others, Paul McCartney, Sting and Billy Joel). Especially intriguing is the presence
of a musical phrase (or even the whole song) in the dream content, which is recorded after the dream and
transposed to the real world. The border between the world of dreams and waking reality seems very fluid
– once heard in a dream, the melody is embodied in real music and, as a result, it may influence emotions
of millions of people (such as a song of The Beatles Yesterday). The article is a study from the area of Polish
popular music – gothic rock. Closterkeller band singer Anja Orthodox (Anna Kumala) dreamed the
melodic line to one of the songs, recorded it, and used while working on it in during a rehearsal. Basing
on the interview with Anja and studies of dreams psychology and neuroaesthetics, the phenomenon of
dream-inspired music is presented. Authors analyse the impact of oneiric inspiration on creativity and
pay attention to the spiritual and supernatural in the narrative of the artist, drawing attention to how
vague can be the border between the world of dreams and reality.