New-York tribune., 1910-08-21
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR AUGUST FL 1910

first time or after partial wakening, and when the
retina surfaces have been most recently excited
But especially in moonlight, or in early morning
when the depth of sleep IS least the hght shlTln2
or leaking through the closed lids IS an exeter ana
supqester of visual dreams. Not few dreams OF
conflagrations, of absent and dead frends seen
in sleep, of glorihed saints have orginateo IN
this way Thus Maury in his dream the hgure
of female clothed IN a shining robe and seated IN
a chair near him; the sensation stimulus belng due
to the reflection of a lamp upon the polished back
of the same chair Another author tells how similar
cause led him in dream to see the image OF a
loved one to whom he stretched out his arms; and
again the form of a suicide in white, SHINING shlrt
and moving with totterlng steps
The artificial excitement of dreams tends to Illus
trate and enforce this theory of the sensuous origin
of MANY of our dreams Thus the sleeper IN whose
ears some steel shears made to Vlbrate heard
church bells and then the tocsn OF alarm: and
finally he dreamed of the days of June, 1913 IN the
CITY of Paris. Another, who was made to smell
eau de Cologne, transported IN his dream to
perfu1ner's shop in Cairo Nudow tells OF man
made to initiate the movements OF one swimming!
by pouring little water into his open mouth. And
indeed in all this experimenting with the dreamer
in normal sleep and with the dreamer IN hypnosis
Yields quite analogous results.
Between the dreams of the normal sleeper and
those of the hypnotic subject and between he latter
and the dream life of the waking insane, there are
perfectly fixed distinctions to be made
Where individuality Comes in
EFERENCE has already been made to the mar
N velous stories, dramas, which the dreamer
weaves out Of and about the few threads of sensory
stimuli that reach the brain. Here IS where the SO
called laws of association, and indeed all the mental
habits of the individual, come INTO account Out OF
the same or very similar stuff of sensation, differ
en dreamers make widely different and characters
tcay individual dreams. These differences depend
upon age, SEX temperament and state of he health,
education, and, indeed upon all that goes to make
up the complex person in waking life.
, Distinctions in personality-lf may use the
y word in this ConneCtiOn-are however, less sig
nificant in dream life than when the different
+l.f ,fo11f heir
powers. In dreams all preemnentlV chill
dren of common nature This important truth
may be stated IN a more technical way by calling
attention the inferior objectivlty of the self IN
dream life. That organization OF the mental ee
ments which experience and culture and acquired
self control have succeeded in producing is relaxed,
and for the time being fall back into the lower
and more primal conditions of elemental and
formed SelfhoOd. The imperfect organization of the
self that shows itself dream life due to certal
curtalment of the sensuous elements, such as give
practical grasp upon the nature OF our physical
and social environment; to lack OF clear, self
conscious memory to the speed and hurly-burly
of the associated ideas to the absence OF the more
rational feelings and sentiments; to the lowering of
the panful energies of the will; and to the removal
of the restraints that our consciousness OF the prev
allen opinions what is and true and right
imposes upon us.
From the physical point of view the dream life
of man becomes more like the life of lower ami
mails or of plants. From the point of view of
cerebral physiology, 1t is more decentrahzed,
it were. From the psychological point of view
are less rational and self controlled We perform
the impossible with the utmost ease and with bonn
bastic apprecilt of Importance,
become unSpeatable towards in dream. Thus
Macnsh succeeded without difficulty in riding
his own back, as Baron MtnchhauSen pulled himself
out of the swamp by his pigtai On the con-
trary, friend of mine awakened in a veritabe
cold sweat of because of a fall from root