St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-20
THE MIND IN SLEEP.

THE MIND IN SLEEP.
| As to the state of the mind during sound
sleep, we know nothing. AS one Of the
principal functions of the brain is to think, it
seems probable that in profound slumber no
thought arises-in other words, the mind, like
the body, is at rest. In imperfect sleep we
know that the mind is not at rest, and that if
! slumber is disturbed by dreams rest is not so
complete and refreshing as when it is dream
| less.
AS the will appears to be the outcome or
resultant of the combined action of all the
feelings, sensations and mental actions, it
is not surprising that 1t does not operate in
dreams. The dim or clear consciousness of
the utter powerlessness of the will to control
our imaginary actions forms one of the most
prominent features in distressing dreams.
| In our waking nom ents it is often diff
Quito subject the fancy and the Imagination
| to sober reason. Dreams are but the crea-
| tons of our uncontrolled imaginations,
hence, the mind acting only in part, the will
can not direct them. In dreaming parts
! only of the cerebral conyolutions are acting
with sufficient energy to be represented in
consciousness. These are good, large words,
| but they are as simple as any that can be
found to convey the meaning intended.
| Books sufficient to fill house have been
written on the subject of dreams without
making the subject any clearer. The inter
| probation of dreams has occupied the atten-
| ton of thousands of persons, but the subject
does not seem so vastly important, to most
| people, to-day as it did in the times of Jo-
| seph and Daniel.
| Sometimes dreams appear to have some re-
| al significance. Prophetic dreams have oc-
| Cured at times which sforeshadowed coming
events with considerable clearness. Thus,
! Galen relates the case of a patient who
dreamed that one of his legs had been turned
| into stone. He was shortly after paralyzed
| in the same member. Macario dreamed that
| he had severe pain in his throat. When he
awoke he was well, but during the day had
an attack of quinsy. Forbes Win slow re-
| lates a case in which, before an attack of ap-
oplexy, the patient thought in his dreams
that he was being scalped by Indians. Ham
mond relates the case of lady who had an
alta ok of epilepsy, preceded by the following
| sin gular dreams:
'tShe had gone to bed feeling somewhat
fatigued with the labors of the day, which
| had consisted in attending three or four
morning receptions, winding up with din
ner party. She had scarcely fallen asleep
! when she dreamed that an old man clothed
in black approached holding an iron crown
| Of great weight In his hands. As he came
nearer she perceived that it was her father,
| who had been dead several years, but whose
features she distinctly recollected. Holding
| the crown at arms length he said: stMy
daughter, during my lifetime I was forced to
wear this crown; death relieved me of the
burden, but it now descends to you.'
Saying which, he placed the crown on her
head and disappeared gradually from her
sight. Immediately she felt great weight
and an intense feeling of construction in her
head. To add to her distress she imagin ed
that the rim of the crown was studded with
the inside with sharp points which wounded
| her forehead so that the blood stream ed
| down her face. She awoke with agitation,
excited, but felt nothing. Looking at the
clock on the mantel-peceAhe found she had
been to bed exactly thirty-ive minutes. She
returned to bed and again fell asleep, but
was again awakened by similar dream.
This time the apparition reproached her for
not being willing to wear the crown. She had
| been in bed this last time over three hours
before awaking. Again she fell asleep, and
again at broad daylight she was awakened by
like dream. She now got up, took bath,
and proceeded to dress herself with her
maids assistance. Recalling the particulars
| of her dream, she recollected that she had
heard her father say one day that in his youth
while being in England, his native country,
he had been subject to epileptic convulsious
! consequent on a fall from tree and that he
| had been cured by having the operation of
| trephining performed by distinguished
London surgeon. Though by no means sup
erstitious, the dreams made a deep impress
sion upon her and her sister entering the
room at the time she proceeded to detail
them to her. While thus engaged she sud-
denly gave loud scream, became uncon-
scious, and fell upon the floor in true cpl
leptic convusion. This paroxysm was not
| a very severe one. 1t was followed in about
a week by another, and strange say this
was preceded, as the other, by the dream of
her father placing an iron crown on he r
and Of pain being thereby produced. Since
then several months have elapsed, and she
has had no other attack
Instances might be multiplied almost with
out limit of persons being thus warned of
impending illness by dreams of more or less
| significance. The explanation is not diff
CulU. OuiluS oiCCp OD5CuIe
caused by the perverted action of some part
of the body, then in the first stages of dis
ease, are felt and appreciated to some ex-
tent, while at the same time, they are not
sufficiently well marked to arrest the atten-
ton of the mind engrosscd with every day
cares and occupations. They are not truly
prophetic, for they indicate that disease is
already present All other warnings in
Dreams" of what is about to happen some
where beyond the chance of the warned one
receiving any intimation Of them except by
dreams, are to be placed to the account of
condolences. Dreams Of absent friends, Of
their doings and Of what is happening TO
them occur in countless numbers in our
nightly f.ncies. So long as they do not &C.
incide with what we learn to be actual events
they do not arrest the attention and are re-
placed in our memories by more important
things. But let one Of them coincide with
| something that actually occurs at the time or
at some long future period, and at once it
becomes a marvel worthy to be recorded III
the daily prints and TO be worked up with
similar ones into ''Footfalls on the Bounda-
ries of another World'' and the like If CO.
inciderces should never occur 1t would be a
far greater marvel than If dozen should be
recorded daily.-St Louis Globe Democrat
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Selling His Fife to IN Indian.
lUnita Chieftan.l
1t is of common occurrence for an Indian
to buy 8quaw, but Tor a white man to sell
his wife and children to an Indian is tran
szction which we never before heard Of. The
two principals in the transaction were Thorn