The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-17

dream consciousness carries or so-sie
PLANNED mental work. showing that there
may be logic IN the mental processes IN
sleep, and adherence TO the dominant idea
OF wakefuiness even N dreams. We ind
the same logical processes IN the hypnotic
subject. where the mental process works
out a logical sequence 10 the dosnsnans
thought which is the suggestion made by
the hypnotiSsr. The activity OF the mus
Giles in sleep Is often an automatic con-
tiuuafion OF movements begun awake
We md that certain external stimuli may
cause movements during sleep thar imply
consciousness, i. G., where experiu1erters
have uncovered the sleeper's body he will
frequently recover himself without wax.
Ing. II tickied with a feather he @+iiiill rub
the part so stimulated. We find children
will turn over in sleep when told TO On SO
without awakening. and that many per-
sons win readily answer in sleep QGes-
sions put To them by Il familiar voice, as
Is frequently the case between mother
and child
The resemblance between hypnotism
and sornns.abulisn Is 50 great that the
name "scmnambulism is used Tor both.
Hypnotisra being described by Richet ard
others as artificial somaamnnlisn. while
somnambulism las we ind it In the sleep
ing suhjecD is described as natural SOM
nambuIism. /.
a phenomenon very much.akin 10 some
forms of insanity is that of nightmare.
which among primitive people is dreaded
and looked upon as possession OF the body
being taken by demon. though we have
long since interpreted it subjectively as
arising from some action OF the sleeper's
brain. Its very name recalls the fact that
Anglo-Saxons regarded the experience as
the attack OF a night demon. Saxon,
moer-spirit, elf. demon. etc: old German.
mar-elf, demon-nachtmarl
na sS,G "a tsl nf efxyfSf TINS rsS In.
the waking state, In some forms of what
We call melanchoiia. in which the insane
persons mind is possessed with some
vague vast and horrible delusion, and he
is incapable OF the least exertion. stand
ing or sitting like statue wherever he
may be placed-in which he may be said
to truly he In a state OF lasting nightmare
impressions from without that are rec
ognized by the senses, are perverted to
suit the horrors of the delusion.
Prof. Flint. in his very exhaustive treat
les on physiology. after rather full dis
cussion of dreams and their causation.
gives his opinion as follows: I'VE may
have dreams which are not due TO i'm
pressions as far as may be ascertained.
TO impressions from The external world
received during Sleep"
IL was for the purpose OF interpreting
the dreams whose origin Prof. Flint SO
vaguely hints at that We owe the instf-
tuition OF the f-2ypftdn, Grecian ana tSo-
man oracles. We find that in divinatory
magic the Babylonians had the most elab-
crate code OF rules: that Egypt and Baby
lon were the chief sources whence the
world acquired knowledge of the higher
branches of the occult sciences so-cailed.
Which knowledge, when il passed into the
custody of Greece and Rome, was con-
soiidated. and by them grated on our
Occidental civilization.
But the ancients have hardly outdone
our modern and middle period seers In
the Importance given to this subject
dreams. On this point / would recall 10
the reader the large part they play in
both the Old and New Testaments. DIR.
w. NJ. Mci.aury, of this city, in a PAM
phlet on "Hailucinations and Delusions,'
in which, after devoting some space to
the discussion of dreams. he concludes:
Dreams and visions comprise an impor-
tant part OF the sacred Scriptures. al
inspired writers seem to have been inn
pressed with the Importance OF these evil
dences of spirit manifestation. The PEN
tateuch. the Prophets, the Apostles. all
dwell with miuuteness of detail upon this
phase of evidence of supernatural fnspira-
tion," ,@