SLEEP AND DEATH. 333 



to an irregular action of the brain, in which the con- 

 trolling power of the will is lost, and the memory and the 

 imagination bear unlimited sway^ Indeed all the faculties 

 of the mind may be in exercise. The mind reasons, judges, 

 wills, and experiences all the various emotions. We seem 

 to hear, see, walk, talk, and perform the usual offices of rffe. 

 Sometimes the voluntary muscles are thrown into action, 

 and the dreamer moves, speaks, groans, cries, or sings ; but 

 the moment consciousness is roused, he is awake. Dreams, 

 therefore, have well been said to be " a portion of animal 

 life, escaping from the torpor in which the rest of it lies 

 buried." 



8. Before the functions of the brain were understood, 

 (_dreams were regarded as supernatural^ and even now are 

 considered in this light by the ignorant and superstitious. 

 Mr. Baxter, as well as Bishop Newton divided them intent wo 

 kinds, good and evz7,j[because they believed that good and 

 evil spirits were concerned in their production, according as 

 one or the other obtained the ascendaricyj) It is supposed 

 that animals dream, especially the dog ; are they subject to 

 supernatural influence 1 



9. /It is a singular circumstance in relation to our dreams, 

 that we mistake our ideas for actual perceptions, and sup- 

 pose that the train of images that passes through our minds, 

 represents scenes which really exist] rThis is doubtless owing 

 to the fact that, during sleep, the senses do not admit exter- 

 nal impressions, and of course we are unable to compare the 

 ideas that arise in our minds with sensible impressions, and 

 thus perceive the difference between them) Our only con. 

 sciousness consists in the images and ideas actually present 

 in the mind ; and it is therefore unavoidable that we should 

 believe that our ideas represent objects actually existing. 



10. There is a kind of dreaming, in some cases of imper- 

 fect sleep, ^where the will retains its power over the muscles 

 of voluntary motion, while the external senses remain buried 



