DREAMING. 617 



excitement in dreaming is the extreme rapidity of conception, 

 so that a succession of events may be crowded into a dream 

 which we are certain cannot have lasted more than a few 

 moments a rapidity which takes place in the waking state only 

 under the strongest excitement, as in the fear of instant death 

 " Persons recovered from drowning have mentioned," says Dr. 

 Macnish, " that in the course of a single minute, almost every 

 event of their life has been brought to their recollection." 2 

 Some dreams have been singularly prophetic, from the extreme 

 intelligence of the dreaming brain : in other instances, as when 

 the prevision has related to the individual's death, the strong 

 impression on the mind may have worked the fulfilment of the 

 prediction : in others there may have been mere coincidence, 

 but the coincidence has been most extraordinary. The greater 

 part, however, of dreaming prophecies are never fulfilled. 



The impression from dreams sometimes continues for life, espe- 

 cially from the dreams of childhood, and sometimes its events are 

 afterwards confounded with reality. a We always wake from a 

 dream in the mood of our dream : and, on waking from a terrific 

 dream, emotion and unconsciousness that all was a dream have 

 continued for a short time so powerful, notwithstanding the per- 

 ception of all objects of sense around, as to cause the individual 

 to jump out of window or to commit murder; sometimes insanity 

 has resulted, and sometimes, as from strong emotion in the 

 waking state, the cure of some diseased 



It is an error to suppose that our dreams are a mere repetition 

 of sentiments and ideas previously experienced. Man may invent 

 in his sleep just as when awake : for the internal sources of our 

 sentiments and ideas are the same, whether we are asleep or 

 awake. c 



Dreams are no doubt forgotten as well as remembered : and, 

 what is curious, we not only sometimes forget our dreams till we 

 dream again, when the same things are recognised, with or 

 without our knowing that they had been dreamt. We may 

 dream of things as having been dreamt before, when, on waking, 

 we cannot remember the circumstance. 



To suppose, with some, that sleep is always accompanied by 



z 1. c. p. 62. a Dr. Macnish, 1. c. pp. 46. 102. 



b Phil. Trans, vol. ix., for such a cure of dumbness. 



c Gall, 11. cc. 4to. vol. ii. p. 454. ; 8vo. t. ii. p. 506. sqq. 



