Dreams, Jokes, and Songs explores the nature and mechanisms of consciousness from the perspectives of neuroscience and philosophy. Thagard proposes the NBC (Neural representation, Binding, Coherence, and Competition) theory as a comprehensive explanation for human consciousness. He addresses external perceptions such as smell, internal sensations such as hunger, emotions such as loneliness, and abstract thoughts such as the self.

The book explains how complex conscious experiences emerge from the interactions of neural mechanisms. It highlights the integration of neural and cultural factors, showing how consciousness results from both biological processes and social influences. Consciousness has many psychological functions, especially action focus, combining senses with emotions, and increasing social understanding.

NBC justifies attributing some kinds of consciousness to advanced animals such as mammals and birds, and maybe even to fish, crabs, and bees; but not to plants, bacteria, or rocks. Thagard's work bridges the gap between scientific mechanisms and the qualitative nature of experience, offering a new materialist solution to the mind-body problem.