Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-10-13
THE TIME OF DREAMS
THEY OCCUPY BUT A MINUTE FRAC-
TON OF A SECOND.
A Scientist Says There Are Three
Glasses of Dreams and Tells How
They Are Cuused-The Effect of
An Overloaded Stomach.

An Overloaded Stomach.
Dreams may be divided into three
classes. Those caused by internal ac-
ton, those brought about by external
action and those which result from
the strong influence Of another's will
upon the sleeper.
Dreams are generally a repetition OF
thoughts unguarded by reason. Those
caused by internal action, or brought
about by action within the body, are
due entirely to the action and state of
the stomach, and as the food Is digest
ed they draw up the nourishment and
distribute it throughout the nervous
system to replace the waste that has
taken place during the day. If the
stomach he surcharged with an abund-
ance of heating food TOO much nourish-
ment is forced upon the brain. causing
an abnormal filing of the channels,
thereby expanding them. bringing them
In touch with others and causing the
matter from one to low into or to mix
with the fluid Of n~e.ghjoring channels.
Whenever the fluid %traverses n channel
more or less forcihly the thought which
originated that passage is reproduced
more or less wildly. Hence cnsues the
general mixing up Of thoughts which
originally had no connection with each
other.
An overloaded stomach also causes n
flow of blood to the brain. sent there
by nature to assist in aSSimilating the
extra nourishmpnt. and the over
charged bl0od-Vcssels pressing upon
the nerve channels near the brain
cause even more turbulent disturb
ances. This accounts for the advance Of
50 many medical men hat no consider
able quality. especially of animal food,
should be taken Immediately before
bedtime. The crossing. recrOsSing n
the touching Of these thought channels
brought about in this way produce the
absurd mixtures of fancies that often
come to us when we +lCep.
The stomach. too. is n mill Which
keeps on forever grinding, the walls
acting as the grind tomas When. there
fore. there is nothing between them.
or. in other words. when the stomach
is empty. one wall grinGs upon another,
causing an irritation of the nerves.
which produces that peculiar sensation
of falling from some great height.
To understand how external action
will effect the dreams of the sleeper.
IL must I've borne in mind that those
dreams which seem to take hours and
even days in passing really occupy only
hut Il minute Fraction of n second. If,
therefore,. we are awakened by some
loud. strident noise. say by the crack
ing of a whip. then between the time
the sound strikes Il ears while we
are vet asleep. to the time WI. are fully
awake to realize what has caused the
sound. n few minutes only have
elapsed. hut those few moments We're
u fficiont to allow of q dream Of ar
larently several hours duration.
AS an example. A milkman driving
up beneath an open bedroom window
cracks his whip xMartly. Immediately
the thought produced by the sound
causes n dream. The sleeper imagines
himself a soldier. who has fallen into
the enemy's hands. He is led out to
be shot. He stands blindfolded with
hands tied before the platoon of sol
diers. He hears the click. click, click,
as the rifles are cooked. He hears the
word given and the noise of the volicy
rings ont in his ears. Then he awak-
ems with n start to hear the rumble or
the mill mans wagon wheels as he
cracked his whip and drove over the
rough cobhlestOnes.
A blow. n cut. or n sensation Of pain
Will operate IN the same way. and
awaken certain channels of thought
connected with pain Just as the noise
awoke those connected with sound.
For instance. a sleeper dreams that he
is closed up in some close travelling
carriage. and is hein" rapidly driven
off in some unknown direction 10y n
man who has designs upon his purse
and life. He tries 70 shout. in vain he
struggles to Get free. and in n tuSscl
drives an arm through the glass win
dow of the carriage. The hand Is cur
and bleeding. 1t smartS f%eHrfully. and
he awakcns to find that he has thrown
out his arm and his hand has smashed
some fine medicine glass on a stand
by the bedside. The whole passed be-
tween the time that the hand struck
the glass creating tie sensation of pain
and the moment the sleeper awoke to
realize the fact.
Prof. J. o. Neumann. F. r. s.. a ply
Geological student of some note. is n
firm believer in the third class of
dreams, or those brought about by the
] strong influence of another'S will OF
thought. He claims that the cause is
akin to hypnotic suggestion. with the
difference that the person bringing
about the effect does so ANONYMOUSLY.
Mr.. Neumann cites an instance of
which he had personal knowledge.
knowing as he did all the parties to the
case.-Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.