The Irish standard., 1891-02-07
THE MI d in ST. LEE.
Mental Activity During the Sea-
son Of Slumber.
Instances Of the Action Of the Brain
lorces While the Bodily Senses
We're Asleep-Some EtrangSH
Sensations.

Simply the working OF Inc mlAu WHALE
the body is asleep.
The mind does not need sleep; at
least, in good health, 1t never takes IT,
Sir William Hamilton declares says the
New York Sunday Journal, that the
mind is never wholly inactive, ana that
we are never entirely unconscious OF It's
activity. Joufroy is quoted as denying
that during bodily sleep the nina IS
dormant. Even if we do not remember
or dreams, he says, It is no proof that
we have not dreamed.
How many dreams leave only the
faintest trace on the memory! 1t IS,
therefore, permitted to suppose that
many dreams leave no trace at all.
Kant said that we always dream when
asleep, and that to cease to dream would
be to cease to live. People who talk
of dreamless sleep use an expression
which really is at variance with facts;
the mind works on, works ever
When any one is engaged OH q pro-
longed enterprise, like great book,
the building Of an ediifce, the conduct
of military campaign, the negotla zion
of a valuable contract, he not only ire
uuently dreams Of his work, but the
mind dreams of it at times when the
memory does not record it distinctly.
This is the unconscious cerebratlon'
which has worn out so many brains and
wrecked SO many careers.
l. When Sir Walter Scott was writing
his great series of historical novels he
recorded in his diary that whenever he
came to g. difficult place, where his char
aoters seemed to be in an inextrica bic
situation, he wal ted patiently until the
next morning, when on awakening, the
solution of the whole trouble would
come into his mind.
This was because the s'unconscious
oarebration," which in time was to use
M the splendid brain, had been going
on all night solving the difficulty while
the authors body was allowed to take
repose.
Sometimes the body is Influenced by
it's surroundings, or by certain sensa-
tons which penetrate through the vail
of sleep-so that the mind INDUCES III
pranks, such as afflicted good DR.. Greg
Dry.
This wise man had bottle of not
water put at his feet on going to bed
one cold night. Presently he burned
his toes so severely that he dreamed he
was climbing Mount Etna and that his
feet, breaking through the volcanic
soil, were burned. .iHshot lava.
When he awglsesAnd found that the
water bottle was thp.eause of the dream,
he at once regarded ii as curious in
stance Of the effect OF the sense Of touch
in dreams.
His case was like that Of another doc
tor, who, having had his head blis5ered,
fell asleep and Dreamed that he was be-
ing sealped by Indians.
Another Instance Of the association Of
the sensation Of touch with dreams was
camp one night wrapped in his blankets,
dreamed that he was climbing the
side Of an iceberg, and that his face
was panied by coming in contact with
the lie.
Presently he awol1e with start and
found that The cold nose Of a wolf was
touching his cheek.
A French scientist once experimental
on himself by operating on his mind,
through the sense Of touch, while he WAS
asleep.
He left his knees uncovered when he
went to bed one cold night and dreamed
that he was riding on stage coach in q
terrible tempest, during which he suf~
fered terribly from cold knees,
Surroundings often give the primal
impulse to the mind, SO that when it
dreams it is merely carrying out an i'm
preston partly formed by the bodily
sense before the body fell asleep.