270 MYTH AND SCIENCE. 



while the other wanders at pleasure during the dream. 

 The New Zealander supposes that the dreamer's soul 

 leaves his body, and that he meets the things of which 

 he dreams in the course of his wanderings. The Dyak 

 also believes that the soul is absent during sleep, 

 and that the things seen in dreams really occur. 

 Garcilasso asserts that this was likewise the Peruvians' 

 belief. A tribe in Java abstains from waking a sleeper, 

 since his soul is absent in dreams. The Karens say 

 that dreams are what the Id or soul sees during sleep. 

 This theory is also found among more civilized peoples, 

 as for instance in the Vedic philosophy and the 

 Kabbala, and it has come down to our clays among 

 the common people, and even among those of some 

 culture. 



One belief connected, with dreams, generally 

 diffused among all savage and civilized peoples, is 

 that of the appearance of dead men, or of their ghosts. 

 Of this all the traditions and popular myths in the 

 world are full. Such a belief, first excited by the 

 vision of the dead in dreams, is easily aroused in the 

 savage or uneducated mind, even when he recalls to 

 memory while he is alone, and especially at night, 

 the image of one whom he loved in life. Affection, 

 and the lively emotion of sorrow and desire give such 

 a life-like appearance to these images that they 

 become objectively present to the mind, to console the 

 mourner, or, on the other hand, to threaten the 

 murderer. I have more than once heard persons of 



