Editorial. 29 



These images were not reproductions of familiar scenes or faces, 

 but fantasy products in which the variety was infinite. In 

 only one or two cases have similar experiences been admitted 

 by others. One friend occasionally hears a band of music with 

 all the parts and claims that it would be possible to write the 

 score. The explanation of such phenomena seems to be that 

 latent residua are revived and intensified by defective blood 

 pressure and the correlations are carried out in accordance either 

 with the varying intensity of the irritant or in obedience to laws 

 as yet undiscovered. It is believed that there is a similar pro- 

 cess continually going on in our subconsciousness and that 

 the results of these phenomena make themselves felt in the 

 thoughts which "pop into our heads " as we are wont to say 

 without obvious sense or source. 



It has frequently been observed that it is easier to account 

 for dreams than for sleep. Lotze vainly sought to solve the 

 problem of the intermittent manifestation of the soul — a prob- 

 lem of vital consequence to his theory of the existence of the 

 soul — by postulating a large number of small irritants which 

 cooperate to depress the psychical activity and finally succeed 

 in temporarily inhibiting it. 



For those, on the other hand, who identify psychical pro- 

 cesses more or less closely with their physical or rather physio- 

 logical concomitants the more reasonable explanation is that ex- 

 haustion of the nervous system diminishes its receptivity for 

 external stimuli which are far the most efficient agents. The 

 internal irritants, on the other hand, arising from the organic 

 processes, although normally less intense during sleep, acquire a 

 greater significance and to a certain extent take the place of 

 cortical excitements. The seat of the soul is thus in a sense 

 transferred from the cerebral cortex to the axial portion of the 

 brain. Thus, the inhibitory or controling effect of cortical in- 

 nervation being diminished, the sub-cortical processes are free 

 to make such use as they can of the avenues of association 

 chance leaves open to them. 



If the above theory be true the closer connection of dream 

 experiences with dominent states of teeling becomes clear upon 



