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ble. It is also said of him, that, on a certain day of every year, he acted the part of a publick beggar, in consequence of a vision, and received alms of those, who were willing to give him small sums of money. In the reign of Antoninus Pius, one Artemidorus spent his whole time in going about collecting dreams and finally published the fruits of his labours in a large work still extant entitled ONEIROCRITUS. The superstitions among the Ancients in respect to dreams were very similar to what have been found to exist among the Indian tribes of North America. -But, laying out of the account the superstitions, which have given to our intellectual operations while we are asleep so much importance, there are other reasons for taking an interest in them, of which the philosopher need not be ashamed. And of these one is enough to justify us in this inquiry; viz. That dreams form no inconsiderable part of our intellectual experiences, and all the knowledge of them which we acquire is an accession to our knowledge of the principles of the mind in general.

§. 209. Of the prevalence of dreaming.

It is perhaps one reason of the attention, which the subject of our dreams has ever excited, among all classes of people, that they are so prevalent; it being very difficult, if not impossible, to find one, who has not had more or less of this experience. Mr. Locke, however, tells us of a person, who never dreamed till the twenty sixth year of his age, when he happened to have a fever, and then dreamed for the first time. Plutarch also mentions one Cleon, a friend of his, who lived to an advanced age, and yet had never dreamed once in his life, and remarks, that he had heard the same thing reported of Thrasymedes.

Undoubtedly these persons dreamed very seldom, as we find that some dream much more than others; but it is possible, that they may have dreamed at some times, and entirely forgotten it. So that it cannot with certainty be inferred from such instances as these, that there are any, who are entirely free from dreaming.

§. 210. Dreams are often caused by our sensations,

The first fact, which we notice in the explanation of the mental states, which go under the name of dreaming, is, that they are intimately connected with our bodily sensations, and are often caused by them.

Dugald Stewart relates an incident, which may be considered an evidence of this, that a person, with whom he was acquainted, had occasion, in consequence of an indisposition, to apply a bottle of hot water to his feet, when he went to bed, and the consequence was, that he dreamed he was making a journey to the top of mount Ætna, and that he found the heat of the ground almost insupportable. There was once a gentleman in the English army, who was so susceptible of audible impressions, while he was asleep, that his companions could make him dream of what they pleased. Once, in particular, they made him go through the whole process of a duel, from the preliminary arrangements to the firing of the pistol, which they put into his hand for that purpose, and which, when it exploded, waked him.

Sometimes the impressions on our senses do not merely suggest our dreaming thoughts and give a character to them, but appear to mingle with, and make a part of the train. If a person speak to us when in sleep, but his call is not effectual in waking us, the voice sometimes becomes an additional portion of our sleeping experiences.

A cause of dreams closely allied to the above is the variety of sensations, which we experience from the stomach, viscera, &c.

Persons, for instance, who have been for a long time deprived of food, or have received it only in small quantities hardly enough to preserve life, will be likely to have dreams, in some way or other directly relating to their condition. Baron Trenck relates, that being almost dead with hunger, when confined in his dungeon, his dreams every night presented to him the well filled and luxurious tables of Berlin, from which, as they were presented before him, he imagined he was about to relieve his hunger.

§. 211. Dreams influenced by disposition, health, &c,

It is a circumstance worthy of notice, that the character of dreams depends in a considerable measure on the character of the person himself, whether he be cheerful, or inclining to melancholy; whether he be a great reasoner, or of a quick and creative imagination. And, accordingly, as the one or the other of these characteristicks predominates, the person dreaming will be apt to find himself in sad or joyful situations, creating airy castles or puzzling himself over difficult propositions, or in such other circumstances, as may correspond to his previous mental tendencies.

The state of the health also has considerable influence, not only in producing dreams, but in giving them a particular character. The observation has been made by medical men, who have it in their power to give much information, illustrative of our mental condition, that acute diseases, particularly fevers, are often preceded and indicated by disagreeable and oppressive dreams; and also that some temperaments are more subject to dreams than others; the sanguine more frequently than the phlegmatick.

§. 212. Connection of dreams with our waking thoughts.

The great multitude of our waking thoughts appear in the form of trains of associations; and these trains of associated ideas, in greater or less continuity, and with greater or less variation, continue when we are asleep. The facts stated in the preceding section are an evidence of this, it appearing from them, that our dreams assume a character from our general disposition and mental habits.

There is also another circumstance going in evidence of this supposition. We find none of our associated recollections more strongly linked to each other and more frequently presenting themselves to the mind, than the remembrances of the scenes and occurrences of childhood and youth. And it has been remarked (probably with truth) that

those scenes and occurrences occur to the mind in our dreams more frequently than almost any others.

It has been observed, that there are probably few mathematicians, who have not dreamed of an interesting problem. Condorcet told some one, that, while he was engaged in abstruse and profound calculations, he was frequently obliged to leave them in an unfinished state, in order to retire to rest; and that the remaining steps and the conclusion of his calculations have more than once presented themselves in his dreams.--Franklin also has made the remark, that the bearings and results of political events, which had caused him much trouble while awake, were not unfrequently unfolded to him in dreaming. The orator presses home his arguments with renewed energy, when his senses are locked up in slumber; and the poet finds himself transported into those Elysian regions, which were created by his waking imaginations.

It seems clearly to follow from some circumstances of this kind, that our dreams are fashioned from the materials of the thoughts which we have while awake; in other words, they will, in a great degree, be merely the repetition of our customary and prevailing associations.

§. 213. Dreams have the appearance of reality.

When objects are presented to us in dreams, we look upon them as real; and events, and combinations and series of events appear the same. We feel the same interest and resort to the same expedients, as in the perplexities or enjoyments of real life. When persons are introduced, as forming a part in the transactions of our dreams, we see them clearly in their living attitudes and stature; we converse with them, and hear them speak, and behold them move, as if actually present.

The prominent reasons of this greater vividness of our dreaming conceptions, and our firm belief in their reality seem to be these.-The subjects, upon which our thoughts are then employed, occupy the mind exclusively. We can form a clearer conception of an object with our eyes

shut, than we can with them open, as any one will be convinced on making the experiment; and the liveliness of the conception will increase in proportion as we can suspend the exercise of all the other senses.

But in sound sleep, not only the sight, but the other senses also may be said to be closed; and the attention is not continually diverted by the multitude of objects, which arrest the hearing and touch, when we are awake.

It is, therefore, a most natural supposition, that our conceptions must at such times be extremely vivid and distinct. At $. 190, we particularly remarked upon conceptions or those ideas which we have of absent objects of perception, which possess this character. And it there appeared, that they might be attended with a momentary belief even when we are awake. But as conceptions exist in the mind when we are asleep in a much higher degree distinct and vivid, what was in the former case a momentary, becomes in the latter a permanent belief.-Hence every thing has the appearance of reality; and the mere thoughts of the mind are virtually transformed into persons, and varieties of situation, and events, which are regarded by us in precisely the same light, as the persons, and situations, and events of our every day's experience.--And here we have an explanation of what many individuals have experienced. They endeavour to recall the image of some departed friend, but their efforts are in a great measure unavailing, and they find they have but a very indistinct conception. On the contrary in sleep, when the mind is undisturbed by surrounding objects, the conception gathers strength; it becomes more and more distinctly defined and bright; and there is a clear vision of the form, which they had deeply thought upon, and long wished to see.

§. 214. Influence of volition suspended in dreaming.

There is frequently much of wildness, inconsistency, and contradiction in our dreams. The mind passes very rapidly from one object to another; strange and singular

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