The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1841-04-01
DOES THE MIND ALWAYS THINK,


Mr.. Locke's arguments In respectto
This subject. are the following: That
during sleep we are not conscious Of
though and that The mind is always
active, even without our know ledge;
that We have no ideas. but those deris-
ed from sensation, and reflection; that
no one can know whether q person
thinks in his sleep except himself.
A writer in the Providence Journal,
cites the following facts, recorded by
President ID light ol Yale College, to
prove in opposition 10 Locke's theory.
ihata man may walk in his sleep with
out knowing il; and another may see
him walking, and doing othsr things
which involve thought, and thus sscer.
tain TO q certainty that the sleeper
thinks. while he himsrifis unconscious
oft.
A ph, stefan in Lsmberton, j. N.
fund 10 his great surprise on waking
one morning, that he was without .
shirt, and was unable 10 discover any
trace of IL after searching his rom.
Having dressed himself and made
particular inquiries. he was obliged
50 10 remain in doubt v lib regard to
The cause Of this singular occurrence.
On the follow morning. however. he
found himself 10 q similar predica.
meni, and he was obliged 10 furnish
himself a. before, without the powei
OF making q discovery. The sam,
thing happened the three following
days; so tina, five Of his shirts had, q
last. my s,eriously disappeared. Th,
matter had now become SO wonder
fui, that his brother determined Il
sleep with him. and ascertain, IL pos
sib!e, the cause of il. In the nigh
the phs stefan rose from bed, wi,hou
speaking. and left the ro'm.-Hi'
brothsr, Who was on the watch. hur
ried on lew clothes aud followed him
/ The former took his way toward
, the Delaware. where, on his arrival
he prepared 10 hattie; and placing BIZ
shirt in a hole, lesped into the water
After swimming for some time, b,
regained the shore, proceeded home
J ward. without stopping far his gar
ment, and went TO bed. The brother
, followed being convinced. he wa
, asleep. took his place again besid
him i'm bed without waking him. TIL
next day. on examining the hole OF
the rivers bank, the six shirts wer'
| found, where their owner had dcr"sit
+ cd them, unconscious, or torgettnl o
every thing he had done.
, In another case there VAS still great
er evidence of thought during sleep
} of which the agent was equally ignor
ant. A shoemsker's wife was ON
night awakened by her husband
: arising in his sleep. and preaching
,, sermon Of some lenstb.-At the clos
of il he gave notice. that on the fol
lowing evening he should deliver ano
: Their discnurse-andt this he did wit
such gravity, that she invited severa
Of her neighbors to attend. They cam
/, the next evening appointed. aud wer
!. gratified with his sermon, as we'll a
i. with the renewal Of The appointment
y ON the next Thursday evening, whic
e he announced as before. Thus h
9 continued to preach once q week, an
" id a msnaer which his audience wer
= gratifiei with, until the secret wa
: accidentally divulgsd to him. and tbs
!, put an end TO it. The probability il
: that this man could not have formed
|, sermon in his waking hours.
!. An eminent lawyer once told M
that having a difficult case 10 argu