Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-09-19

tIeCleu Oy lllc music, we RlVe nun 10 Hllll
and made no move until he slept; then
while one watched him and another the
clock, third loudly slammed the blind Of
y window about ten feet away. The effect
was instantaneous. The man sprang up
at the sound, looked around in ALARM and
then exclaimed
"Thank God that it was only dream!'
He had dreamed of being on crowded
street in front of u building which the
crowd declared unsafe, but still fingered
near it. The dreamer tried to elbow his
way along, but the people jeered and
laughed mt him and held him there. He
begged and entreated, coaxed and threat
rned, but they held him there, and the
finally toppled over him, the
shock breaking his dream. 1t seemed
certain to us that he had dreamed the
entire dream in second, the time secm-
ing y long half hour to him; but to place
The question beyond dispute we indulged
seven or eight similar experiments. Some-
times we let weight fail to the floor, or
struck u chair with stick, and again we
the blind or door, seeking to
produce such sounds rs are heard about II
house at night. In every instance, wheth-
er the sleepers were aiing or well, they
dreamed Of having some startling adven-
ture, and awoke with II start; and no
dreams lasted over minute. One Sleep
er was run over by a horse; another fell
from cliff; another was crushed by ma
chinely; and each dream seemed so real
that the man sometimes felt of his limbs
TO be certain that they were not broken.
| was lying on my side one evening, not
long ago, on II lounge facing the clock.
There was no 5ne else in the room. and no
noise outside to disturb me. | saw that it
was eight o'clock. and was then overcome
by sleep. dreamed of walking along II
country. | passed several farm houses,
rested for some time at the foot of hill,
held long conversation with farmer
and then walked past three mile posts.
Coming near an inn, and it being near
night went in to engage lodgings. There
was an ugly looking man in the bar room
and AS | entered he called out:
81 say! did you kill him?"
| got up to 90 out, and he followed and
struck me on the head, which caused me
to wake. had slept just three minutes,
and the sound which aroused me was the
sound of an omnibus going by. | verify
believe that my dream, while it seemed to
cover period Of three or four hours, did
not occupy more time than that taken by
the omnibus to drive past-perhaps thirty
or forty seconds. Many persons have been
distressed in mind because dreaming Of Il
bad accident, when the dream is simply
the result of some harsh or disagreeable
sound being conveyed to the ear of the
sleeper.
More than one rOmancer has had his
hero or heroine waken from sleep just in
time to escape assassination, being warn
ed in their dreams that the heavy viii
lian of the story was stealing upon hem.
1t is also generally believed by believers
in dreams that presentiments of danger are
whispered to sleepers who have friends on
the other side of the mystic river To test
this theory stole upon sleeping patient,
armed with knife, and, looking as fierce
us anyboody's heavy william " could be
made 10 look, skulkod up to him, flour
ished the knife around his head and before
his closed eyes until my arm ached and
neither was his sleep broken nor did he
have u dream. The same experiment
was tried with half dozen others, and
vet not one sleeper was influenced in the
test
That position has much to do with in
ducing bad dreams is admitted. One of
the eases experimental on was that of a
well man who was very sound sleeper.
One could lift his arms, raise Il foot, place
q weight on his breast, and even turn him
partly over us he slept, and he would not
be aroused, but we found two Or three
WAYS to wake him. When we lifted his
arms up over his head he had bad dreams,
generally of suffering personal injury.
The same result was produced by placing
II weight on his feet, or by taking the pill
low from under his head, or by making
any great change in the position assumed
when sleep came. In any case where we
could raise his arms we could bring bad
dreams. Probably two sleepers out OF
five, especially during the warm weather,
sleep with their arms raised above their
head, and this accounts for many of the
dream stories.
believe it is popular error to suppose
that the sleeper who rests on lis back will
have bad dreams. Out of eighteen patients
in my ward at the hospital, all well enough
to assume any position, six rested on theil
backs to sleep, and their dreams were as
cheerful as the dreams of those resting
otherwise. Indeed | can name two chill
dren who, if not permitted to lie on theil
backs while sleeping will at once be arous
ed by bad dreams In preparing for sleel
one assumes the most comfortable position
possible, and, while that position may ht
the right side for some, the left side for
others, yet there are others who will resi-
on their backs.
Perhaps every reader holds the idea that
dreams are induced by the events of the
day, but the supposition is not altogether
correct. If one has met with loss, hearC
exciting news, or met with an adventure
during the day, he may dream OF 1t u
nirht, but it does not follow rs rule. Sc
Letting six of the patients, without hint
ing my real object to them, | gave then
each II charge. One was to receive II re
ward for guessing conundrum; and an
other was to come to me for money at
certain hour and moment next day anoth
er was to remember to tell IL nurse some
thing mt II certain moment; and eacl
charge was something to excite the mind
and keep the patient fearful that he wonlt
neglect his crrand. And yet not one O
the persons dreamed of what had 10 So,
to him. l have experimental with chil
dren and older people, and in most instan
ces the rule of theory has failed to work
Tile GdldTV.
PAIN The PENALTY OF SUPERIORITY
The ideal perfect life that men imaSin
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