The state herald., 1920-07-06
CONCERNING DREAMS


sleep can reveal far more important
facts than the nature of the dishes
served at supper.
When soundly asleep we don't
dream. Dreams occur during pc
riods of half wakcfullcnss when the
mind works in spite Of us, rather
than because We are deliberately
thinking.
Certain classes of dreams are the
outcome of physical conditions. II
YOU strip the clothes off sleeper
he may dream that he is out in the
snow. You can make person
dream he is in storm of rain by
sprinkling water on his face.
So much for dreams due to mere
ly mechanical causes. But we all
have nightly visions that cannot, in
any way. be traced to such origins.
How do they occur!
All dream pictures are built mp OF
memories When we are awake we
select the ideas that bubble up into
our mind. because they are interest
ing or useful. When asleep We are
denied the power of choice.
Women sleep more lightly than
men-due to their inherited instinct
to watch an infant-and, accordingly
dream more, and remember their
dreams more completely than do
men.
The scientific Interpretation of
dreams is based on the following
facts:
l. \ dream is not representation
of fact, but is symbolic,
,. Dreams include. rs well as re-
allied memories, ideas that we are
unconscious of in our wide-awake
daily life.
For instance. | dreamed on one
occasion that | met friend | had
no. seen for long while, and he
was wearing convict's clothes. l
could not, at first, get at the bottom
of this vision, until | remembered
that Il few DAYS before | had been
reading letter from my friend as
j left my club, and on revisiting my
club | saw there n poster opposite,
displaying, in large letters. the leg
end Convict 99.'N AT the time of
reading the letter had not con-
sciously noticed the placard on the
wall. but must have read it uncon-
sciously. only really learning of its
existance through the dream.
DIR. Bernard Hart relates dream
showing how an idea Objectionable
to us when awake will manifest
itself during sleep.
"a colleague who occupies post
senior to me upon the staff Ore
Gently applied for an appointment at
another institution. His success
would have meant my promotion;
but he happens to be one of my grea.-
Sst iiiehus' uuu shouiu VeTtuuiiN
resent the suggestion that his de-
parture could occasion me anything
hut genuine sorrow.
Nevertheless, | dreamt this
dream: He and | were endeavoying
to write in an ineonceivably small
room. The space was so cramped
that the movements of one constant
~ interfered with those of the other.
A quarrel resulted and had the sat
isfaction of finally pushing my col
league and friend outside the door"
The constellation of ideas that DIR.
Hart would not acknowledge in the
waking state managed to find ex-
precision in a symbolical form during
sleep.
Children have been known to
dream when four months old. Dogs
dream. as the owner fone knows.
Many unpleasant dreams are the re-
vival into consciousness Of fears and
emotions and emotions that We felt
in the savage state. Delirium tremors
may originate during sleep. So drink
ers beware.
The analysis of dreams, as il is
called. is an important part of med
zeal practice, especially in cases of
shell-shock diseased minds. or nuer-
as,henia.
If distressing dream is recur-
rent. ms they often are, the cure is
10 get the idea underlying the night.
mare exposed to the cleansing at.
mosphcrc of worknday life, when
they will be entirely obliteratcd.
The simplest way to do this is to
write the dream down on II shec: Of
paper. Make the description as
complete as possible. 10 make Ger
tain that no detail hns been omitted,
then destroy Il. This may sound
iii. African muvin. lint thora IL .,