The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-08-15
Curious Things About Dreams.

perhaps terrify us-that we think the
thoughts that others seem to speak with
their lips-that we aud no others are the
authors Of the comedy that is acted be
fore us, or of the terrible tragedy in
which we ourselves are the only sufferers
There is another curious thing about
dreams, and that is, the short period of
time in which they occur. This has been
often measured-by nothing, for example,
the hour or minute when one has fallen
asleep, dreamed long dream, and anoke.
Many remarkable instances of this have
been given. | shall add to these one
from my own expercpce. Very late one
night, when wearied in body aud mind,
[ was debating to friend what required
to be sent to press early next morning, /
spoke a sentence and suddenly fell asleep.
| dreamed very long aud complicated
dream, aud then | awokc, feeling quite
refreshed, but for moment utterly con-
fused as to where | was, or what | had
been doing Recovering myself, | began
to apologize to my friend for having so
long detained him at that hour Of night;
expressing the hope that he had been
able to employ himself pro6tably in pre-
pairing his college exercises, when at last,
turning round-for he had been writing
with his back to me-he asked me, with
au expression of wonder and almost alarm,
if | felt unwell or what did | mean p
[ wondered much more. when [ heard
that he had HeUer Htted his pen, nor had
ceased writing, and that | was reused by
his repeating the last word of the sen
tence, SO that | could not possibly have
slept above three or four seconds And
thus long dream, which seems to occupy
a night, has often been found to have oc-
cuped, perhaps, only few seconds
before waking. This may account
for fact often noticed by men recovered
from drowning, that just before becom-
ing unconscious, their whole life seemed
suddenly pass befroe them, like pan
Drama, aud time was nothing in the rap
idity of thought.
There is one experience which we have
acquired, believe, from our dreams as
from no other source, and that is our
awful suffering through fear. Who was
ever smitten when awake with such alb
ject terror, such dread alarm from sights
of horror, from dangers dim, impalpable,
mysterious, overwhelming, as in a night
mare We seem to encounter death in
its worst forms, TO combat terrible foes,
to endure agonies Of torment, to be per-
secuted by every savage demoniacal pow
er-wild beasts of the desert. the hideous
forms Of serpent life and of ocean life,
while we are all the time utterly power
less and deserted. Even the dearest
friends turn away, and we are alone amidst
ali that can fill the soul with such fear
that the hero of hundred fights starts
up with a cry of terror, aud the greatest
emperor screams like a child What q
wonderful description is that of such a
dream given by Eliphaz the Temanite in
the Book Of JOB
Now thing was secretly brought to
me, and mine car received little there
Of. La thoughts from the visions of the
night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
fear came upon me, and trembling, which
made all my bones to shake. Then a
spirit passed before my face the hair of
my flesh stood up; it stood still, but
could not discern the form thereof; an
image was before mine eyes ; there was
silence
1t is very likely that you will sagely
rcmcrk that all those terrible dreams of
ours have been caused by some tride-
some indiscretion in eating, or by some
acid, or indigestion. have no doubt
this is generally the case. Some of you
H., ,f
George Cruikshapk's, representing man
asleep on his back, with an expression of
agony on his face while black pig sits
on his chest, and looking at him, asks,
why did you eat pork for supper 2" 4
most pertinent question, which might be
varied by asking sufferers from night
mare, why did you cat "cheese," or ''pie
crust" or this or that dainty, which
causes you now TO suffer And it sure
ly is worth learning, as taught SO vividly
By such night agonies, what an effect the
body has on the mind how what we call
a trihe affecting the nicely adjusted aud
finely tempered organization of the one
will affect the other, and small morsal
perhaps Of toasted cheese make the i'm
mortal spirit of the greatest stateman as
well as Of the greatest boy. experience a
horror OF great darkness So, look sharp
after the body by obedience to Gods will
regarding you and you will save much
suffering in the soul.
Another curious fact about dreams is
that we very, seldom, if ever, dream about
what chiefly occupies our minds during
the day. This side Of the brain, so to
speak, is wearied, and sleeps soundly /;
while that portion which was idle during
the day remains awake and works at night.
Accordingly, if we want to know what has
given rise to our dreams, we must search
among the most trivial of our day thoughts;
but alas the trivial are SO numerous that
we seldom have patience to search long
enough to discover the tiny cup of water
which, at night our fancy magnifies into