New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-17
MAGNETIC DREAMS.

From The ST. James'S Gd-cte
One OF the fundamental doctrines of SchOpen-
hnner's philosophy is that the world as we know it
has not an independent existence. Like Berkeley,
he held that it is merely IN appearance" The
only real existence, he maintained, is the thing
in ITSELF; and the thing in itself he identified
with the will In ordinary circumstances We know
the will only as 1t manliests itself undcr the forms
OF space, time and casualty; but he cOntendeq
that there are states OF the brain in which pen
citrate behind these forms, and come into contact
with the will as it is in its own nature. At such
times we escape from tho system Of intellectual il
uSigns which 1t IS the business OF science TO inves
tlgate; IN the realm of absolute truth which
constitutes the proper domain OF philosophy. Even
members of the Society for Psy chcal Research are
not likely TO take up higher ground than this; and
Jhey will certainly not surpats Sch0penhauer IN tho
confidence with which he drew conclusions rom
his ultimate principles. The states of the brain
which lead TO such surprising results occur wien
we are in magnetic sleep and magnetic sleep
NAV he produced when we are asleep III the Ord-
nary way. It uOes not follow that if we fall into
magnetic sleep shall have magnetic dreams :;
and If do dream magnetcally. it does not follow
that we shall remember what we have drcamt a
magnetic sleep Is Tar deeper than ordinary sleep,
and in the slow process OF awaKlng from IL ma
forret the spectacle which It has enabled us to see
Sometimes however, the impression which the Wis
ion has produced on our feeling remains aud on
these OCca0ns, If the vision has been one Of coming
disaster las il commonly IS III tho worst Of possible
worlds according TO SChOpenhauer', we have what
is called pYesentment of evil and our pIescntlment
is sure 10 be realized sooner or later.
Az other times our magnetic dream-that 49, our
Dercepton of realitIes-inay be Transformed into Il
sort of aIegory which is capable of different inter
nretatons Of this kind the predictions OF the
Delphic oracle, which frequently could not be nm
derstood until they were fulfilled. Schopenhauer
was not Of opinion. however that our mysterious vis
ions ia their gnal form invariably pass from the
memory; ana he gives an example OF one which he
himself had an opportunity Of studying. This IN
stance seemed to him all the moro remarkable be-
cause IL related TO q matter of little Importance.
One day he was writing letter in great haste. and
wien he had finished the third page he intended to
strew writing-saud over what he had written. In
his hurry he seized the inkstand iustezd OF the
vessel containing sand and dashed tho contents
over his letter. As the ink poured from his desk
he rang for the maid to wipe it from the floor,
When she was engaged in doing So she SAID " Last
night drsamJ that should DO wpng .lnk-sDots
from the floor here" That is not true. swered
Schuprnhauef 1t is true" she replied. " aud
when awOke mentioned IL to the other maid VINO
sleeps with me-" Just then the other maid hap
Tened to enter the room in order to call away her
fellow-seryant. SchOpenhauer advancing TO meet
her at once asked " What did this girl dream last
night - " I don't Know Yes, you do she told
you when she awoke" "Oh. to he sure the maid
then said, she dreamt that she would be wlplng
ink-srots from the floor here" Schopenhauer
cravely points out that this anecdote IS not only
sufficient evidence for magnetic dreaming. Dut that
il establishes the truth of tho doctrine that every
thing happens In accordance with fixed and ne
cessary order.