第1章

AScientificandPracticalInterpretationofDreamsWhat’sinaDream：AScientificandPracticalInterpretationofDreamsMiller，GustavusHindmanPREFACE。“Dreamsarerudimentsofthegreatstatetocome。Wedreamwhatisabouttohappen。”——BAILEY。

TheBible，aswellasothergreatbooksofhistoricalandrevealedreligion，showstracesofageneralandsubstantialbeliefindreams。Plato，Goethe，ShakespeareandNapoleonassignedtocertaindreamspropheticvalue。JosephsawelevenstarsoftheZodiacbowtohimself，thetwelfthstar。ThefamineofEgyptwasrevealedbyavisionoffatandleancattle。TheparentsofChristwerewarnedofthecrueledictofHerod，andfledwiththeDivineChildintoEgypt。

Pilate’swife，throughtheinfluenceofadream，advisedherhusbandtohavenothingtodowiththeconvictionofChrist。Butthegrossmaterialismofthedaylaughedatdreams，asitechoedthevoiceandverdictofthemultitude，“CrucifytheSpirit，butletthefleshlive。”

Barabbas，therobber，wassetatliberty。

Theultimatumofallhumandecreesandwisdomistogratifythepassionsofthefleshattheexpenseofthespirit。Theprophetsandthosewhohavestoodnearestthefountainofuniversalknowledgeuseddreamswithmorefrequencythananyothermodeofdivination。

Profane，aswellassacred，historyisthreadedwithincidentsofdreamprophecy。AncienthistoryrelatesthatGennadiuswasconvincedoftheimmortalityofhissoulbyconversingwithanapparitioninhisdream。

ThroughthedreamofCeciliaMetella，thewifeofaConsul，theRomanSenatewasinducedtoorderthetempleofJunoSospitarebuilt。

TheEmperorMarciandreamedhesawthebowoftheHunnishconquerorbreakonthesamenightthatAttiladied。8

PlutarchrelateshowAugustus，whileill，throughthedreamofafriend，waspersuadedtoleavehistent，whichafewhoursafterwascapturedbytheenemy，andthebedwhereonhehadlainwaspiercedwiththeenemies’swords。

IfJuliusC？sarhadbeenlessincredulousaboutdreamshewouldhavelistenedtothewarningwhichCalpurnia，hiswife，receivedinadream。

Croesussawhissonkilledinadream。

PetrarchsawhisbelovedLaura，inadream，onthedayshedied，afterwhichhewrotehisbeautifulpoem，“TheTriumphofDeath。”

CicerorelatesthestoryoftwotravelingArcadianswhowenttodifferentlodgings——onetoaninn，andtheothertoaprivatehouse。Duringthenightthelatterdreamedthathisfriendwasbeggingforhelp。Thedreamerawoke；but，thinkingthematterunworthyofnotice，wenttosleepagain。Thesecondtimehedreamedhisfriendappeared，sayingitwouldbetoolate，forhehadalreadybeenmurderedandhisbodyhidinacart，undermanure。Thecartwasafterwardsoughtforandthebodyfound。Ciceroalsowrote，“Ifthegodslovementheywillcertainlydisclosetheirpurposestotheminsleep。”

Chrysippuswroteavolumeondreamsasdivineportent。

Hereferstotheskilledinterpretationsofdreamsasatruedivination；

butaddsthat，likeallotherartsinwhichmenhavetoproceedonconjectureandonartificialrules，itisnotinfallible。

Platoconcurredinthegeneralideaprevailinginhisday，thatthereweredivinemanifestationstothesoulinsleep。Condorcetthoughtandwrotewithgreaterfluencyinhisdreamsthaninwakinglife。

Tartini，adistinguishedviolinist，composedhis“Devil’sSonata“undertheinspirationofadream。Coleridge，throughdreaminfluence，composedhis“KublaKhan。”

ThewritersofGreekandLatinclassicsrelatemanyinstancesofdreamexperiences。Homeraccordedtosomedreamsdivineorigin。Duringthethirdandfourthcenturies，thesupernaturaloriginofdreamswassogenerallyacceptedthatthefathers，relyingupontheclassicsandtheBibleasauthority，madethisbeliefadoctrineoftheChristianChurch。

Synesiusplaceddreamingaboveallmethodsofdiviningthefuture；hethoughtitthesurest，andopentothepoorandrichalike。9

Aristotlewrote：“Thereisadivinationconcerningsomethingsindreamsnotincredible。”CamilleFlammarion，inhisgreatbookon“PremonitoryDreamsandDivinationoftheFuture。”says：“Idonothesitatetoaffirmattheoutsetthatoccurrenceofdreamsforetellingfutureeventswithaccuracymustbeacceptedascertain。”

JoanofArcpredictedherdeath。

Cazotte，theFrenchphilosopherandtranscendentalist，warnedCondorcetagainstthemannerofhisdeath。

Peopledreamnow，thesameastheydidinmedievalandancienttimes。

Thefollowingexcerptfrom“TheUnknown。”1arecentbookbyFlammarion，theFrenchastronomer，supplementedwithafewofmyownthoughtsandcollections，willanswerthepurposesintendedforthisbook。

“Wemayseewithouteyesandhearwithoutears，notbyunnaturalexcitementofoursenseofvisionorofhearing，fortheseaccountsprovethecontrary，butbysomeinteriorsense，psychicandmental。

“Thesoul，byitsinteriorvision，mayseenotonlywhatispassingatagreatdistance，butitmayalsoknowinadvancewhatistohappeninthefuture。Thefutureexistspotentially，determinedbycauseswhichbringtopasssuccessiveevents。

WORLD，asrealastheworldknowntoourphysicalsenses。

“Andnow，becausethesoulactsatadistancebysomepowerthatbelongstoit，areweauthorizedtoconcludethatitexistsassomethingreal，andthatitisnottheresultoffunctionsofthebrain？

“Doeslightreallyexist？

“Doesheatexist？

“Doessoundexist？

“No。

“Theyareonlymanifestationsproducedbymovement。

“Whatwecalllightisasensationproduceduponouropticnervebythevibrationsofether，comprisingbetween400and75610

trillionspersecond，undulationsthatarethemselvesveryobscure。

“Whatwecallheatisasensationproducedbyvibrationsbetween350and600trillions。

“Thesunlightsupspace，asmuchatmidnightasatmidday。

Itstemperatureisnearly270degreesbelowzero。

“Whatwecallsoundisasensationproduceduponourauditorynervebysilentvibrationsoftheair，themselvescomprisingbetween32，000

and36，000asecond……

“Verymanyscientifictermsrepresentonlyresults，notcauses。“Thesoulmaybeinthesamecase。

“Theobservationsgiveninthiswork，thesensations，theimpressions，thevisions，thingsheard，etc。，mayindicatephysicaleffectsproducedwithoutthebrain。

“Yes，nodoubt，butitdoesnotseemso。

“Letusexamineoneinstance。

“Turnbackto156。

“Ayoungwoman，adoredbyherhusband，diesatMoscow。

Herfather-in-law，atPulkowo，nearSt。Petersburg，sawherthatsamehourbyhisside。Shewalkedwithhimalongthestreet；thenshedisappeared。

Surprised，startled，andterrified，hetelegraphedtohisson，andlearnedboththesicknessandthedeathofhisdaughter-in-law。

“WeareabsolutelyobligedtoadmitthatSOMETHINGemanatedfromthedyingwomanandtouchedherfather-in-law。Thisthingunknownmayhavebeenanetherealmovement，asinthecaseoflight，andmayhavebeenonlyaneffect，aproduct，aresult；butthiseffectmusthavehadacause，andthiscauseevidentlyproceededfromthewomanwhowasdying。

Cantheconstitutionofthebrainexplainthisprojection？Idonotthinkthatanyanatomistorphysiologistwillgivethisquestionanaffirmativeanswer。Onefeelsthatthereisaforceunknown，proceeding，notfromourphysicalorganization，butfromthatinuswhichcanthink。

“Takeanotherexample(see57)。

“Aladyinherownhousehearsavoicesinging。Itisthevoiceofafriendnowinaconvent，andshefaints，becausesheissureitisthevoiceofthedead。Atthesamemomentthatfrienddoesreallydie，twentymilesawayfromher。11

“Doesnotthisgiveustheimpressionthatonesoulholdscommunicationwithanother？

“Hereisanotherexample(163)：

“ThewifeofacaptainwhohasgoneouttotheIndianmutinyseesonenightherhusbandstandingbeforeherwithhishandspressedtohisbreast，andalookofsufferingonhisface。Theagitationthatshefeelsconvincesherthatheiseitherkilledorbadlywounded。ItwasNovember14th。TheWarOfficesubsequentlypublisheshisdeathashavingtakenplaceonNovember15th。Sheendeavorstohavethetruedateascertained。TheWarOfficewaswrong。Hediedonthe14th。

“Achildsixyearsoldstopsinthemiddleofhisplayandcriesout，frightened：“Mamma，IhaveseenMamma。”Atthatmomenthismotherwasdyingfarawayfromhim(124)。

“Ayounggirlataballstopsshortinthemiddleofadanceandcries，burstingintotears。`Myfatherisdead；Ihavejustseenhim。’Atthatmomentherfatherdied。Shedidnotevenknowhewasill。

“Allthesethingspresentthemselvestousasindicatingnotphysiologicaloperationsofonebrainactingonanother，butpsychicactionsofspirituponspirit。Wefeelthattheyindicatetoussomepowerunknown。

“Nodoubtitisdifficulttoapportionwhatbelongstothespirit，thesoul，andwhatbelongstothebrain。Wecanonlyletourselvesbeguidedinourjudgmentandourappreciationsbythesamefeelingthatiscreatedinusbythediscussionofphenomena。Thisishowallsciencehasbeenstarted。Well，anddoesnoteveryonefeelthatwehaveheretodowithmanifestationsfrombeingscapableofthought，andnotwithmaterialphysiologicalfactsonly？

“Thisimpressionissuperabundantlyconfirmedbyinvestigationconcerningtheunknownfacultiesofthesoul，whenactiveindreamsandsomnambulism。

“Abrotherlearnsthedeathofhisyoungsisterbyaterriblenightmare。

“Ayounggirlseesbeforehand，inadream，themanwhomshewillmarry。

“Amotherseesherchildlyinginaroad，coveredwithblood。

“Aladygoes，inadream，tovisitherhusbandonadistantsteamer，andherhusbandreallyreceivesthisvisit，whichisseenbyathirdperson。12

“Amagnetizedladyseesanddescribestheinteriorofthebodyofherdyingmother；whatshesaidisconfirmedbytheautopsy。

“Agentlemansees，inadream，aladywhomheknowsarrivingatnightinarailroadstation，herjourneyhavingbeenundertakensuddenly。

“Amagistrateseesthreeyearsinadvancethecommissionofacrime，downtoitssmallestdetails。

“Severalpersonsreportthattheyhaveseentownsandlandscapesbeforetheyevervisitedthem，andhaveseenthemselvesinsituationsinwhichtheyfoundthemselveslongafter。

“Amotherhearsherdaughterannounceherintendedmarriagesixmonthsbeforeithasbeenthoughtof。

“Frequentcasesofdeathareforetoldwithprecision。

“Atheftisseenbyasomnambulist，andtheexecutionofthecriminalisforetold。

“Ayounggirlseesherfiancé，oranintimatefrienddying(thesearefrequentcases)，etc。

“Alltheseshowunknownfacultiesinthesoul。Suchatleastismyownimpression。Itseemstomethatwecannotreasonablyattributetheprevisionofthefutureandmentalsighttoanervousactionofthebrain。

“Ithinkwemusteitherdenythesefactsoradmitthattheymusthavehadanintellectualandspiritualcauseofthepsychicorder，andIrecommendscepticswhodonotdesiretobeconvinced，todenythemoutright；totreatthemasillusionsandcasesofafortuitouscoincidenceofcircumstances。Theywillfindthiseasier。Uncompromisingdeniersoffacts，rebelsagainstevidence，maybeallthemorepositive，andmaydeclarethatthewritersoftheseextraordinarynarrativesarepersonsfondofajoke，whohavewrittenthemtohoaxme，andthattherehavebeenpersonsinallageswhohavedonethesamethingtomystifythinkerswhohavetakenupsuchquestions。

“Thesephenomenaprove，Ithink，thatthesoulexists，andthatitisendowedwithfacultiesatpresentunknown。Thatisthelogicalwayofcommencingourstudy，whichintheendmayleadustotheproblemoftheafter-lifeandimmortality。Athoughtcanbetransmittedtothemindofanother。Therearementaltransmissions，communicationsofthoughts，andpsychiccurrentsbetweenhumansouls。Spaceappearstobeno13

obstacleinthesecases，andtimesometimesseemstobeannihilated。”

AfewyearsagoapersonwhomIwilldesignateas“A“relatedadreamtomeasfollows：“Itakenointerestinpugilismorpugilists，butIsaw，inadream，everydetailoftheCorbettandFitzsimmonsmill，fourdaysbeforeittookplaceoutWest。TwonightsbeforethefightI

hadaseconddreaminwhichafavoritehorsewasrunning，butsuddenly，justbeforethejudge’sstandwaspassed，ahithertounobservedlittleblackhorseranaheadandthecrowdshoutedinmyears，`Fitzsimmonswins！’