Travel, reading, cinema and psychedelic drugs are all means people have used to try to escape. But do they ever really lead us where we want them to? With the election looming, Glastonbury in full swing and lists of beach read suggestions starting to appear -

Matthew Sweet discusses the difference between escape and escapism with

Noreen Masud, Lecturer in Twentieth Century Literature at the University of Bristol and author of the memoir A Flat Place

Kirsty Sinclair Dootson, Lecturer in Film and Media at University College London, author of The Rainbow's Gravity

Jonathan White, Professor of Politics and Deputy Head of the European Institute at the London School of Economics and author of In The Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea

Jules Evans, writer, historian of ideas and practical philosopher whose books include The Art of Losing Control, and Philosophy for Life and other dangerous situations.

Plus, Maximillian de Gaynesford, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Reading, on the philosophical significance of dreams and dreaming from Descartes and Freud to Norman Malcolm.

Jules, Noreen and Kirsty are all New Generation Thinkers on a scheme run by the BBC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to share academic research on radio.

Producer: Luke Mulhall

The Absentee Episode