The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-08
SIGNIFICANCE OF DREAMS
An Interesting Lecture by 8 Noted
English Scientist.
Expectations About Visions Durias Sleep
Ruthtcssiy Dealt with - Physical
flls In Most Cases Are
to blame.

"What the actual scientific view Of
dreaming now is may be inferred from
a lecture which was recently delivered
on the subject at the royal institution
by Dr.. Il. w. Richardson. In the poets
view says the London Telegraph,
dreams are visitors from the ivory gate
or, rs Shakespeare calls them, children
OF an Idle BRAIN but science is more
prOsaic and teaches that DIRE ans may
DC, cftcr all, nothing more than the
common vibrations of terrestrial
media acting upon Il corporal
vibratoi'ium.' like the sound heard
on u wire intcnsion long after
1t has been struck by the must
elan. All musical instruments dream,
say Dr. Richardson, after we cease to
play on them and if we bring the mi
crophonc into use we can hear the
dream. This is rs near poetry rs science
will permit us to approach in explain
ing the phenomena of thought going on
during sleep; for the accomplished
lecturer proceeded to inform his au-
dicncc that dreams arc all explainablc
or physical grounds-thcrc Is no mvs-
terry about them save that which springs
from blindness to facts
After dividing dreams into sub
jcctive and objective. and mixtures OF
both, lie went on to class among the
first species dreams produced by indi-
gcstion. pain or fever while objective
dreams arc those started 10y noises or
Other events going on outside the sleep
CT. This is Il fair sample of the ruthless
way IL which science disposcs of super
stitior.' Against the imaginative view
of the significance of dreams men of
science protest, and will probably con-
tinuc to protest as long as there are
any mon of science left. They quote
the old lady in the Spectator. who be-
hcvcd that the earthquake ut Lisbon
had some mysterious but quite uncy-
plained connection with the fact that "A
few days before She had happened to
spill some salt at table
Perhaps the most practical lesson
taught at the royal institution lecture
was one which may assist us TO know
which of our dreams are signs that
something is wrong with orr bodily or
Ean'zation. AS rule. said the lecturer,
i, is better not 10 dream at all. Dream
icssncss IS usually Il symptom OF all
round health. a child's dreams are in
variabiy signs of disturbed health, and
should hc regarded with anxiety. For
adults 1t is Il good thing to know that
our Drains are being ovcrstraincd when
our nightly dreams relate to events OF
the day and If we actually seem in
sleep Il. be continuing our daily work
TINS is danger signal which never
must bc disrcgardcd. When we feel
wcaricd III the morning very likely it
results from dreams we have forgotten,
and then the best thing to do is to take
exercise. Without coming to any de-
&ldcu opinion as to the supernatural
meaning attributed to dreams, we can
at least profit by these practical hints.
Considered as products OF bad digcs-
ton dreams cannot be reasonably cy-
pc-;v, to tell us anything of useful
character or to supply us with any warn
ing, except one directed against the
continuation of depravcd dietctic hab-
its. II it is true that the sleep of health
rs dreamless, then it becomes dit1icult TO
believe that The only persons TO whom
visions in sleep are vouchsa fed should
he the victims of indigestion. 1t is al
WAYS puzzle for persons of an unim-
a@.na:ivc turn of mind to understand
how the future, which does not yet
exist can be supposed to have any ef-
itCb OH lllc present.. ana IL must be adj
mittcd that dreams of warning are
much harder to believe in than the
BRAN waves and thought transfer
ences which members of the psychieal
research society take as matters
quite in the ordinary course of things
There is considerable mass of tcsti-
inony in favor Of the power of the mind
to produce results ut an enormous dis
lance by some system of psychical
tclceraphy OF which nobody has yet
discovered the secret. A man who goes
70 sleep and dreams that his brother is
being killed by wild tribe in central
Africa. and who afterwards hears that
nc did meet with that fate at the pre-
else lime when the vision occurred. need
not fly to any supernatural explanation
OF the phenomenon. II is quite differ
cnt when Il dream tells of something
which is To happen in II few months
time. IN the latter case most people
vii! prefer to join with science in
attributing the fact either TO a law
OF coincidence or to a simple dcllsion
We must do science the justice to
admit that if she increases the gloomi-
ness of life in some directions. Il 5 by her
do3trinc of the struggle for existence
She decreases it in other respects, one
oi which is by aiding in the gradual
Punishment of any confidence in visions
and omens and wcirdncss generally"