412 MAUEY ON SLEEP AND DREAMS. 



intimate will be found the relations and resemblances 

 disclosed. 



We have spoken already of those pale spectra of 

 former dreams, as we may best deem them, which now 

 and then flit across the memory, strangely mingling 

 with passing events. Another phenomenon akin to this 

 is the curious hold on the brain which certain dreams 

 seem to acquire ; shown by their frequent recurrence, 

 with the same general incidents and feelings, yet with- 

 out any actual reality of origin. Every observer of 

 himself may here have his own particular tale to tell ; 

 but the general fact will probably be recognised. We 

 know an instance where six such dreams, frequently 

 but irregularly recurrent, and this during a period of 

 very many years, are well attested by close observation 

 of the person who is the subject of them. We may 

 presume, though we cannot prove, that the peculiar 

 grasp of these visions on the sleeping mind the c dreams 

 of dreams/ we may call them depends on the force 

 of the impressions in which they originated 

 strengthened, it may be, by repetition. In all our 

 reasonings on these obscure points we are forced to 

 recur to the conception just stated of actual material 

 changes utterly incomprehensible in their nature 

 made and infixed on the brain, and probably most 

 forcibly impressed at those times of life when the 

 mental faculties are in greatest vigour. Admitting the 

 latter fact, it explains to us several seeming ano- 

 malies of memory ; such as the frequent and vivid 

 recollections in advanced age of the events of earlier 

 life, while those" of recent occurrence vanish speedily 



