The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-10-06
The Laws of Dreaming,

That dreams are not quite Ia
dependent of the will, appears from the
singular case of Thomas Roid, of Ednburpb:
"About the age of fourteen was uImoss
every night unhappy in my sleep from
frightful dreams. Sometimes hanging over
q frightfui precipice, and just ready to drop
down; sometimes pursued for my life, and
stopped by wall. or by sudden loss Of all
strength; sometimes ready to be devoured
by wild beast. How long I was plagued
with srch dreams do not tnow recofect. 1
believe Il was for q year or two at least;
and think they had not quito left mo bo-
fore was sixteen" In 'those days I was
much given TO what Mr.. Addison, 10 one OF
bis Spectators, calls castle. .buildipg;' and
in my evening solitary walk, which was gen.
orally all tho exercise took, my Thoughts
would hurry me into some sctive scone.
where I generally acquitted my self much TO
my own satisfaction; and In these scenes OF
imagination I performed many gallant ex;
ploit. At the same .ime in my dreams, ]
ever was. Not only my courage, but my
rose from my bed in tho morning, ia such q
it. wished worry much to get rid of these
uneasy dreams, which not only mado me
very unhappy ID my sleep, but often left a
disag reeable impression on my mind for
some part of the following day. To- .a... Ear
j thought it was worth trying whether il
vas possible to rccollect that it was all a
dream, and that I was in no real danger. ]
often went to sleep with my mind strongly
impressed as could with this thought, that
l never in my lifetime was in any real dan.
ger, and that every fright bad was dream,
After many fruiless endeavors to recoliec'
this when tho danger appeared. l effected il
at last, and have often, when Was sliding
over q precpice into the abyss, .recollecteG
that it was oil dream, and boldly jumped
down. The tffeot of this commonly was
that l Immediately awoke.r But I awoke
calm and intrepid. which thought,a grea|
acquisition. After this my dreams, were
never uneasy, and in short time dreamed
not at all. During all this time l was ir
perfect health" s. .tf ..ss,.-
This curious experiment in dreaming
shows how closely the two sides of our lift
cling together. In time, We shall be able t
reduce the strange phenomena to some sor
of law, and perhaps to reconcile the lore o
Palestine, Greece, and Egypt with the con
ditions of modern science. To fnd that [
thing 10 the result of q natural law, Ia I,
find, in othor wordsin more oriental diom
that it comes from God. Bacon woul'
agreo with Homer that dreams descend frou
Jove, wbiIo be would also have acoepte,
Sbak kespeare's assertion that zoe are sucl
stuff as dreams are made of. True knowl
edge Is a great recoDcIler. Poets used T.
call our dreams "coud fancies;" at TIM
time. clouds were supposed to float boyon
the regions of law. We know better now
We soc that the Iightest vapors of the sky
, form, float, and miDgle in obedience to rule
which can bo expressed 10 words and figure,
1t will be the same with dreams. In tb
rough meteorology of peasants and sailors
a red cloud is the sign of a tempest, and tn
simplest observer of human nature woul
predict bad dreams as consequence of eai
ing supper roflobster-sa!ad and pork-chop,
What is not so clear to the popular mint
though il Is no less true. is, that ever
change in the cloud, however slight and del
. cate. is the consequence of changes in th
3 earth and in the air; also, that every inc
: dent in Dreamland is the result of changes
: very subtle and often quite evasive, in tn
mind and body of tho dreamer. As ou
: knowledge of the mind OF man eniarges, W
shal! be able to forecast dreams, at leai
with as much certainty as We now foreca'
storms.