THE MIND IN SLEEP.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 412, 25 November 1884, Page 5

THE MIND IN SLEEP.

As to the state of the mind during sound sleep, we know nothing. As one of the principal functions of the brain is to think, it seems probable that in profound slumber no thought aiises — in other words, the mind, like the [[body, is at rest, and lhat ii slumber is disturbed by dreams rest is not so complete and refreshing as when it is dreamless. As the will appears to be the outcome or resultant of the combined action of all the feelings, sensations- > and mental actions, it is not surpris. ing that it does not operate in dreams The dim or clear consciousness of the utter powerlessnef s of the will to control our imaginary action forms one of the most prominent features in distressing dreams. In our waking moments it is often difficult to subject the fancy and the imagination to sober reason. Dreams are but the creations of our uncontrolled imaginations, hence, the mind acting only in part, the will can not direct them, in dreaming parts only of the cerebral convolutions are acting with sufficient energy to be represented in consciousness. These are good, large words ; but they are as simple as any that can be found to con- i vey the meaning intended * Books sufficient to fill a house have been written on the subject of dreams without making the subject any clearer. The interpretation of dreams has occupied the attention of thousands of persons, buc the subject does not seem so vastly important, to most people, to-day as it did in the times of Joseph and JJaniel. Sometimes dreams appear to have some real significance. Prophetic dreams have occurred at times which foreshadowed coming events with considerable clearness. Thus, Galen re lates the case of a patient who dreamed that one of his legs had been turned into stone. He was shortly afterwards paralysed in the same member. Mecariq dreamed that he had a severe pain in his throat. When he awoke he was well, but during the day he had an attack of quinsy. Eorbes AVinslow relates a case in which, before jan attack of apoplexy, the patient thought in his dreams shat he was being scalped by Indians. Hammond relates the case of a lady who had an attack of epilepsy, ff preceded by the following singular dreams : " She had gone to bed feeling somewhat fatigued with the labors of the day, which had consisted in attending three or four morning receptions.winding up with, a dinner party. She had scarcely fallen asleep when she dreamed that an old man clothed in black approached, holding an iron crown of great weight in his hands. As he came she perceived that it was her father, who had been dead several years, but whose features she distinctly recollected. Holding the crown at arm's length he said : "My daughter, during my lifetime I was forced to wear this crown ; death relieved me of the burden" but it now descends to you.' Saying which, he placed the crown on her head and disappeared gradually from her sight. Immediately she felt a great weight and an intense feeling of constriction ia h.-;r head. To add to her distress she imagined that the rim of the crown was studded on the inside wilh sliarpjpoints which wounded her forehead so that the blood streamed down her face. She awoke with agitation, excited, but felt nothing. Looking at the clock on the mantelpiece she found s,he bud been to bed exactly thiptj'-flve minutes. She returned to bed and again fell asleep, hut was again awakened by a similar dream. This time the apparition reproacli?d her far not being willing to wear the orown. She had been in bed this last time over three hours before awaking. Again she fell asleep, and again at broad daylight she wa.B. awakened by a like dream, §dhe now got up, took a bath »»$ proceeded to dress herself with her maid's assistance. Recalling that she had heard her father say one day that in his youth while being in F<ngland,, hjs native country, he had, been, subject to epileptic convulsions consequent on. a fall from a tree, and that he had heen cured by having the operation oftre, panning performed, by a, distinguished. London surgeon, 'though, by no means fupfirstjtiqus, the dreams made a deep im.pr«?ssisn upon her, aiid her sister entering the room at the time, she proceeded to detail thf-Vft to her. While thus engaged she, suddenly gave a lo,ud, scream,, became uncenspiftus, and, fall upon the fljoor in a true epileptic convulsion.. Tiftift -par* j oxysm. wa^ not a very severe otio. It wiis fp/Jowed, in about a week by ai othei«, and, strange to say, this wos p>ec ded, astheo'her, by the dream of her f»t l ur placing an iron cro'Yfl «n hi-r h idard of the p ur\ h.'^ttg thereby pioduced, then several months j bs^ve elapsed, and bhe has l^ad no other attack- m j "' ■^risfences might be wmltfpjiedi almost without limit; of Demons.; being thus

t warned of impending illness by dreams of more or less significance. The , explanation is not difficult. Luring 'f sleep obscure sensations caused by the b perverted action of some part of ijtb'fl: - s I'ody, then ■ in the ;! first : stagfts':- o£ < 1 dise.isp, are felt and appreciated to a >• ceriain extent, whilo at the same lime, - iheyarenot sufficiently well marked '. to arrest the attention of the mind v | engrossed with evvry day cares and s ! occupations. They are not truly pro-, - I phetic, for they indicate that disease isi 3 | already present. All other " warnings ' . I in dreams " of what is about to happen ] somewhere beyond the chance of I the warned one receiving any inti--3 mation of them except by dreams, are to \>e placed to the account of coincit dences. Dreams of absent friends, of 1 their doings, what is happening to . them occur in countless numbers in our nightly fancies. So long as they I do not coincide with what we learn to be actual events they do not arrest tho. i attention and are replaced in our ' memories by more important things. But let one of ihem coincide with something that actually occurs at the time or at some long future period. and at once it becomes a marvel f worthy to be recorded in the daily 1 prints and to be worked up with ■ similar ones into " Footfalls on the ' Boundaries of Another "World " and ; the Jike. -If coincidences should never > occur ifc would be a far greater f marvel than if a dozen should be recoi'ded daily.