39$ THE BORDERLAND OF SCIENCE. 



known as to ordinary testimony believe that the 

 occurrences of the dream have been somewhat modified 

 after the event. I do not doubt that if every person 

 who had a dream leaving a strong impression on the 

 mind, were at once to record all the circumstances of 

 the dream, very striking instances of fulfilment would 

 occur before long ; but at present, certainly, nine- 

 tenths of the remarkable stories about dreams fail in 

 the point I have referred to. 



The great objection, however, to the theory that 

 certain dreams have been intended to foreshadow real 

 events, is the circumstance that the instances of fulfil- 

 ment are related, while the instances of non-fulfilment 

 are forgotten. It is known that instances of the latter 

 sort are very numerous, but what proportion they bear 

 to instances of the former sort, is unknown ; and while 

 this is the case, it is impossible to form any sound 

 opinion on the subject, so far as actual evidence is 

 concerned. It must be remembered that in this case, 

 we are not dealing with a theory which will be dis- 

 posed of if one undoubted negative instance be 

 adduced. It is very difficult to draw the line between 

 dreams of an impressive nature such dreams as we 

 might conceive to be sent by way of warning and 

 dreams not specially calculated to attract the dreamer's 

 attention. A dream which appeared impressive when 

 it occurred but was not fulfilled by the event, would 

 be readily regarded, even by the dreamer himself, as 

 not intended to convey any warning as to the future. 

 The only way to form a just opinion would be to 



