The Study of Dreams.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1922, Page 4

The Study of Dreams.

GUIDE TO MENTAL STATES.

LONDON, Sept. 9. “Dreams ought to be studied as a guide to mental states,” declared Dr Iviniinins, a London educational authority, addressing the British Medical Association, “but only trained mental experts can deal adequately with the interpretations of dreams.” The “dunce of the class” was a case for the psychologist, and there should be clinics where the teacher could send him. Dr Hamilton Pearson instanced the case of a small girl, ton years old. who had an ungovernable temper, and whose sanity was doubted. She was backward at school. She dreamed that she was standing in a park, and that a large hairy hand offered her two nuts, one of which she had to choose. She found it contained a small gold cup. “The symbolism of dreams is clear” added Dr Pearson. “The gold cup is I the age-old symbol of her sex. Her , problem is undoubtedly non-acceptance of her sex. She passionately wanted to lie a hoy, and all her talk was of the unfairness of the Creator in making her a girl. Her limitations in tree climbing made her frantic, and she vented her anger on her parents, the most exalted beings available to her. An analysis brought her to a full understanding of the problem, and the last time I saw her she told me she had found some compensations in being a girl, hut still had not lost tho desire to he a hoy.” Dr Chriehton Miller, of Harley street, said that Smith minor’s nervous breakdown in middle life was often due to a driving teacher, who crammed Smith minor through his examination. i A strange story of bow a murder of which lie declared himself unaware was brought back to him by a dream was related to the confession of a 141 year-old boy named Leonard Kearigan, road by o police inspector at a Portsl mouth inquest. The boy who was ■ murdered was only three years old. , "George Smith,” said the lad, “asked me for a drink. I took him to our hack kitchen. Then I carried i him upstairs. Then 1 put him in a box and covered him up with some > clothes. I shut the lid and laid some

old bedding on the box. I did not remember any more till 1 woke up on father's bed. Afterwards went out and sat on tho Sunday School stops as if nothing had happened. I did not know T had done it till last night, when I had a dream, and it came to me.”