The Washington bee., 1910-10-29
THOUGHTS IN DREAMS
Startling RapIdity With Which the
Mind Works In Sleep.
soME STRANGE EXPERIENCES
TSss Events Of = Whsle Lifetime May
PHI Past the Dreamer In 3 Few Mo.
EnsHts-oussr Results OF q Dream
Experiment by Noted Psychologist.

4 characteristic Of dreams which, as
Ghe rather materielistic Dr. Clarke
sayA, 'htnts at a Life that has neither
beginning nor end and is bounded by
no limits which human thoughts car
compass" is the rapid1ty with which
events happen in the dream world
thus, when asleep and dreaming. we
1--we an entire lifetime In a minute;
IN & space Of time that is scarcely
EnOzs than a second we pass through
experiences that could not be duplicat-
sd in THIS objective sphere in hours,
perhaps in years.
Cont Lavslette relates that one
night, when imprisoned and under sen
tsnee Of death, he dreamed that he
stood toR five hours at a Paris street
corner, where he witnessed a con-
tinuozs succession Of narrowing scenes
eE blood, every one Of which wrought
his soui TO the highest pitch Of excite
meat. When he woke be found that
be had been asleep less than two min
utes.
IN q more recent experiment, made
expressly 70 test the truth OF these
theories, the subject was aroused from
slsSp by a few drops Of water being
zpxfnkied upon his forehead. Il took
bat an instant to accomplish this re-
szzt, and yet in that iaeAleulably brief
space Of time ths man dreamed OF
soing on an excursion; Of an accident
By which he was plunged into a lake,
and during the long struggle to escape
death that followed an the experiences
oS his life seemed to fash before him,
5uzt as they ara said 70 appear to q
person who is actually drowning.
Dreams are triekstsFs. Professor
kitchener Of Cornell university told
with gusto Of his experience. As a
specialist In psychology he interested
himself in dreams. Like a true scisn-
tzst, be once set about gathering data.
He wanted to know what caused
dreams, where they came from, what
they meant. and all that. He deter
mined to watch himself when he slept
and 70 awake himself at once when
he found himself dreaming something
Of value SO, with a notebook on a
writing table near his bed, he forced
himself to waken for several nights
and to write down, while the dream
impressions were vivid, his remem-
brances Of the details and by a study
Of the room, the bed and his physical
condition to attempt to arrive at the
possible causes Of his dreams.
He was getting on famously. One
night be had a particularly vivid
dream. In accordance with his prac-
tee, he forced himself to awake and
Immediately write down clearly every
thing about II, then went back TO sleep
again. The next morning he arose
and was astounded to see that his note
sheet was blank. He remembered pos
ttively the notes he had set down
thereon in the middle Of the preceding
night. The next night again he wrote
down his notes after his dreams, only
to have the same uncanny sensation
the next morning at finding nothing
recorded.
The strange circumstances set him to
pondering. That night he impressed
upon his mind before dropping on into
slumber that he must awaken with his
first dream, or, II not with that, with
his second dream. Subsequently this
strong antezleeping command deliver
ed to himself was present all through
his dream consciousness. When the
first scenes Of a vivid dream came be-
fore his fancy he felt himself awaken,
and he set about writing down the
facts upon the pad at his table.
It was then that from some source
Of inner consciousness he felt the com
mand again to awake, although be
seemed at the time to be in full posses
sion Of his normal faculties. His eyes
opened, and the secret was out. He
found himself lying in bed, where he
had been all that night. His rising
after each dream had become 80 much
a routine that he had dreamed that
he had arisen and had made the notes,
and his dream was so clear that 1t
seemed reality Magazine.