Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-26

the influence Of Impressions made upon
MIN when he was asleep. He detailed a
person to make various experiments
upon his senses without informing him
in advance what he was about to do and
10 wake him after each test His nose
and his lips were first tickled with
feather. He dreamed that pitch plaster
had been applied to his face and later
torn away so violently as to bring with
it the skin from his face. pinch at the
back OF the neck made him dream of a
blister and brought to his memory a
doctor who had attended him when a
child.
Psychologists often have to consider
the very common dream Of person go
ing about the streets and other public
places without clothing. Most people
have had this dream experience It
probably arises from q sensation Of cold
following All insufficiency OF clothing or
following the loss of bed clothing.
feverish condition followed by chill
might also produce this dream effec
When the skin Is particularly sensitive
through illness the smallest impressions
may be perverted into hammer blows,
attacks from wild animals etc.
Alaudsley, in his most interesting chap
ters on sleep and dreaming In The Path
ology Of the Mind, attributes many dream
causes to cerebral circulation (page 39.
When the brain is thinking, he explains,
there is a more active flow of blood
through it than when it is at rest, but
this flow must not be too active. or sound
thinking is impossible. An excessive or
deficient flow Of blood through the
brain is adverse to successful thought
When these conditions are applied TO the
brain at sleep we obtain interesting
dream results. Nightmares which awaken
one and then return again with sleep are
OF this nature. Local fluctuations OF the
circulation also may be the cause OF dis.
turDed dreams. 1t is easy TO conceive,
says Maudsley, that some trivial dis.
order OF an organ may affect temporarily
through yasO-motor nerves tile circuia-
ton in the cerebral area in which it is
represented; the particular vascular area
Will blush or become pale, as it we're, in
sympathy with the state OF the organ.
The quality OF the blood is also an i'm
portant factor in dreams. Lack OF iron
II the blood or detlciently carbonized
blood will have the same effect upon the
sleeping brain as upon the waking mind
Overwork Is a well-known cause OF
bad dreams. Physical and nervous ex.
haustion affect the brain centres and
react in sleep as they do when you
are awake. Moral shocks disturb the
brain cells and produce disordered sleep
consciousness.
AS scientists experiment more and
more with dreams, the more we work
away from the old superstitions and at
tain a correct pathological reason for
consciousness III sleep. The ancients
tried to draw prophecy and portent and
guidance from their dreams We are be-
ginning to analyze and run to tho doe
tor 1t Is normal thing TO dream---the
mind goes on with its curious working
when Judgment drops It's hand in sleep
and is no longer 1T the rudder. Most
dreams seem TO be nothing more nor less
than harmless reassociation of impress
sions fitting before us like moving pic.
ture film gone mad. Those dreams
whic1 tell us OF physical disorder, we
are 'ust beginning to note. They usu-
ally are due 10 arrangements following
lack OF physical exercise and ordinary
watcnfulness OF the functions OF elm.
tnation.