Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-11-09
Theories of Dreams.

| Inc Quarterly JOuGual Oh ISJCHOlOS-
zeal Medicine, for October, contains 2
learned paper on Dreaming, from
| which we make a few extracts:
"In Homer we find the idea that
| dreams descend from Jove, HerOdo-
| tns makes Arlzbanus tell Xerxes that
| dreams IN general originate from those
| incidents which have most occupied
| the thoughts during the day. Epicu-
rus, we are told, Taught that dreams
were oecasioned by images, which
were supposed to emalate from all
material bodies, and that, being OF ex-
treme tenuity, these images penetrated
| into the mind, although the senses were
closed during sleep, and excited IN the
| sensoTium a perception or dream OF the
object from which they proceeded. -
This absurd idea was subsequently
adopted aud amplifed by Lucretius.
"In the Treatise on Dreams COM
monty attributed TO Hippocrates, which
although it's authenticity is disputed
by the late DE- Adams, is of unques-
tionable antiquity, being quoted by
| GaieD, we find an exposition of the
opinion of the early Greek physicians
on the subject: when the body is at
rest, the soul, being then In a state of
movement, steals over the organs of
the body. manages its own abode, and
itself performs all the actions OF the
body; for the body being asleep, does
not perceive, but the soul, being awake,
beholds what is visible, hears what is
audible. walks, touches, is grieved, re-
fleets, and in a word, whatever the Off
ces OF the soul and body are, all these
the soul performs In sleep. Whoever,
then, knows how to Judge of all these
correctly will find it a great part of
wisdom G8ien tells MS that
Esculapius was supposed to assist the
sick In dreams, and th t in them ne
pointed out the proper remedy for
whatever disease the patient might sui
fer from.
speaking of the uses of dreams,
Jamblicus says: And bodies, indeed,
that are diseased it heals; but properly
disposes such things as subsist among
men enormously and disorderly. Ii
likewise frequently delivers the discov-
cries OF arts, the distribution OF Justice,
and he establishment of legal lustitu-
tions Thus, IN the temple of H>chla-
pins, diseases are healed through divine
dreams, and, through the order of noe
turnal appearances, the medical ant is
obtained from secret Dreams Hero
dian tells us that Antonius being i'll.
'hastened TO Pergamus. in Asia, with
intent to apply to Hsculapius for the
recovery of his health, and there
amused himself with dreams
'PlatO's theory on this subject was,
that dreams are caused by demons or
spirits, which he imagined filled the
earth and air; and that some of these
spirits being of good, and others of
evil natures gave rise to corresponding
dreams. Wild and fanciful as this
idea IS, 1T is not little strange to see
it advocated by very sober Scotch
philosopher of the seventeenth cen
fury, with some slight modification.
Our Dreams says Mr.. Baxter, are
promoted by separate immaterial
beings and again he argues that
these beings lie in wait for, and catch
the opportunity of the body to repre-
sent at the same time, something
frightful to the mind
"More rational than the last quoted
speculation was Aristotle's opinion,
which. in reality, differs very little
from that supported by modern meta
physicians. He says that every visible
object makes an impression on the
mind, but that this impression may re-
main in latent condition until 1T be
called into active existence during
sleep, by motions in the brain, com.
menced before slumber has occurred,
but continuing TO operate in sleep,
and giving rise to dream, which is
phdHtGS0lG or appearance of a thing,
after the object itself is removed.
"'Persons of radical integrity will
not easily be perverted in their dreams,
nor noble minds do pitiful things in
sleep \ Sir Benjamin Brodie
says: Dreams are, at any rate, an ex-
erclse of the imagination, and one effect
of them may be TO increase the activity
of that important faculty during our
waking hours. AS they are influenced
by our prevailing inclinations, so they
may help us to form a right estimate of
our own characters; and assuredly il
would be presumptuous to say that
they may not answer some still further
purpose in the economy of percipient
aud thinking beings Thos.
Hobbies, of Malmesbury, says: Dreams
are the imagination of them that sleep.
There is a reciprocation OF
motion from the brain to the vital
parts, and back from the vital parts to
the brain; whereby not only imagina-
ton begetteth motion in these parts,
but also motion in those parts begetteth
Imagination like to that by which it
was begotten. Baron Won Feuchtersle-
ben, an eminent German psychologist,
asserts that dreaming is nothing more
| than the occupation of the mind in
sleep with the pictorial world of fancy