The Washington herald., 1915-12-12
UTILIZING OUR DREAMS.
BY oRIsON SWEET MARDEN.

"AIl the great effects obtained by poets
and story writer's. and even by religious
teachers. In the treatment OF supernat-
ural fear or mystery have been obtained.
directly or indirectly, through Dreams"
says I.afcadio Hearn.
Many people will question this state
ment, but the idea that We get knowl-
edge and inspiration of all sorts during
sleep Is as old as creation itself. Swe-
denborg. the great philosopher. claims
that his spiritual vision" was opened
during sleep. Referring to this in a let
ter to the King Of Sweden concerning
the suppression of some of his writinSA,
he eays:
Il have already informed your maJes-
ty. and beseech you to recall II to mind.
that the Lord. our Saviour. manifests
Himself to me in a sensible personal ap-
pearance: that He has commanded M
to write what has already been done.
and what I have still to do: that He
was afterward graciously pleased TO en-
dow me with the privilege of conversins
with angels and spirits, and to be in fel-
lowship with them
The Bible teens with illustrations OF
the activity of the subconscious mind or
self during sleep. Warnings are given.
are seen. plans are outlined. angels arc
conversed with, courses Of conduct ad-
vised, and every suggestion made to the
soul in the dream state Is literally carried
out in the waking hours.
Theosophists believe that during slecr
the soul or spirit acts independently Of
the body: that 1t actually leaves the
body and goes out into the night to per
form tasks appointed II by the Creator.
Most Of US probably have had the
experience of dropping to sleep at night
discouraged because we could not solvn
some vexing problem to our satisfaction.
II may have been one IN mathematics
during our school days. or. later on. 4
weightisr one In business or profe ssionaI
life. and. behold. in the morning. without
any conscious effort On our part. the
problem is solved: all its intrica cles wer.
unraveled. and what had 50 puzzled Us
the night before was perfectly clear. Our
objective self did not enter tho
laboratory where the miracle
was wrought. We do not know how il
was wrought. We only know that u
was done somehow without our knowl-
edge while We slept
Some Of our greatest inventions ant
discoveries have been worked out by ths
mind during sleep. Many
an inventor who went to sleep with
puzzled brain. discouraged and disheart-
ened because he could not make the cor
Meeting link between his theory and its
practical application. has awakened ir
the morning with his problem solved.
Mathematicians and astronomers have
had marvellous results worked out while
they slept. answers to questions which
had puzzled them beyond measure during
their waking hours Writers. poets.
painters. musicians, all have received IN
spiration for their work while the body
slumbered.
Many people attempt to explain these
things on a purely physical basis. They
attribute the apparent phenomena to the
mere fact that the brain has been re-
freshed and renewed during the night
and that we can think better and more
clearly in the morning. That Is true.
20 far as 1t goes. but there Is something
more, something beyond this. We know
that ideas are suggested and problems
worked out along lines which did not
occur to the waking mind We have all
lad experiences OF some kind or another
which show that there is some great
principle. some intelligent power back
" the flesh, but not Of It, which Is con-
inually active in our lives. helping us to
solve all our problems.
II Is now established beyond a doubt
hat certain parts Of the brain continue
ictive during the night when the rest nt
Is under the anesthetic of sleep. But
We have hardly begun to realize what a
tremendous ally this sleepless creative
,art OF the brain can be made In our
mental development.
1t is my firm belief that by an intelli-
:ent, systematic direction of this sleep
ess faculty OF the brain we can actually
make it create for us along the line OF
ur desires. AS II Is most people. by
ot putting the mind In proper harmoni-
US condition before going to sleep. not
My do not intelligently use this marvel
us crea tive agency. but destroy all pos
ibiity of beneficial results from its ac-
lon.
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