The suburban citizen., 1901-03-09
THE EMYSTERY OFDREAMS
SOME PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANA-
TlONs THAT FAIL TO SATISFY.

Unpleasant, and There arc Hohe
Folks who Are Real Dream Lovers -
Something About Nightmares
"Never tell your dreams, for that
only makes you dream the more,' Is
the advice that often greets the per
son who tries to enliyen the next
morning by telling her adventures in
the wondrous land of dreams. But
that advice, invented really to ward
off the bore Of listening, rests in n
great and fundamental mistake,
Dream the more? why, that's just
what the real dream lover wants, for
she knows there is a pleasure in
dream-laden sleep of which sound and
vlsionless slumber knows not the first
letter. To explain the real charm Of
the thing would be like trying to ex-
plain the real charm of a play In
which the spectator merges her own
indlvdualism in that of the actors, or
of a novel with whose characters she
laughs or weeps in delicious If senti-
mental style. Dream the more? The
argument is fruitless and unavaillng.
1t would be wiser plan to say the
contrary, when you wish to hear no
lengthy detailed accounts Of the hap
penings Of dreams.
There are dreams that are unpleas-
ant, but these must be endured, just
as unpleasant things in everyday life
must be endured. The person who
likes to dream puts up with the poor
ones because Of the bright ones, and
considers that the pleasure outbal-
ances the reverse in the long run.
Dreams and nightmare are not to be
confused. In fact, your real dreamer
considers that they are not made Of
the same stuff, for while one is deli
cious and substantial unreality, the
other is a hard and physical fact.
There are those awful, heart-breaking
races with a dreadful something in
pursuit, and just as you think you are
going to escape, you find yourself in a
blind alley with no way out and the
dreadful something at your heels.
That is a physical fact, and in spite Of
your anguish you may know that you
are just in an uncomfortable position
from which your utmost will power
seems pOwerless to move you. Then
there are those long cold tramps
through the snow that you take in
your uncovered feet You may have a
great many interesting dream encOun-
ters on that journey, but all the time
the physical fact that you are cold
verges it over into the realm Of night
mare. Nightmare pure and simple is
caused by remaining so long in one
position that the blood ceases to circu-
late, and that proves that 1t is just a
physical fact. Dreams are different
Psychologists may try to explain
dreams, but 1t is doubtful If they ever
find a theory that entirely satisfies the
dreamer. In fact, she cares little or
nothing for theories, for the dreams
themselves are enough. They may
feel that they have settled the ques-
ton on the theory of brain cells, but
they neglect to explain the chief charm
Of the whole thing, the unexpected
that is always happening. Perhaps
during Il nocturnal ramble your mind
or you may run up against an old
friend you haven't seen for years,
That is all very well and good. Your
brain cell that she once occupied may
be reopening after a prolonged state
of inactivity. But the old friend you
haven't seen for many years begins a
long and rambling discourse about
something you've never heard of. You
or your dream self is mildly surprised
at first, but by and by it concludes to
ask a very pointed question. The an
swer when it comes is so totally differ.
ent from what your dream self has
anticipated, and so totally different
from what you've ever thought that
the next day you reject the brain cell
theory It's good as far as it goes
but it doesn't cover the ground.
No one who has become interested
in an exciting novel likes to leave ii
unfinished. When that does happen,
other books, equally good, fail some
how to fill the void. There is that one
story whose end will never be known.
A person has been known 10 grieve,
mildly, to be sure over novel whose
name, author and publisher she had
forgotten, but whose plot in it's un-
foldings had remained in her mind for
years. It's so with dreams. An un-
finished dream leaves a vague longing,
hopeless in its uncertainty. You may
try to fall asleep and begin where you
left off, but the chain is broken, and
you never have more than the synop-
sis Of preceding chapters. Sometimes
you can manage in a state of half
awake and half-asleep to piece out the
remainder and finish the thing up, but
all the time you know you are only
hoodwinking yourself and ending it
as you want 1t to end.
There are seldom difficulties so great
that you cannot overcome them.
When those that are too great do come
in, then you may struggle and strug-
gle, but all the time you have a sneak
ing undercurrent Of thought that tells
you 1t is only dream. You get the
same satisfaction that smooths over
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