Buffon's Natural History. Volume 05 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c — John Shaqi
Buffon's Natural History. Volume 05 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &cBuffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
History
Buffon's Natural History. Volume 05 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c
Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
Natural history
By no means am I inclined to believe, that persons who walk and
converse while asleep are in reality occupied with ideas. In all such
actions the mind seems to have no concern. Sleep-walkers go about,
return and act, without reflection or knowledge of their situation or
danger; alone are their animal faculties exercised, and even of these
some remain unemployed; and while in this state, a sleep-walker is of
course more stupid than an idiot. As to persons who speak while asleep,
they never say any thing new. An answer to certain common questions, a
repetition of a few familiar expressions, may be produced, independent
of the principle of thought or action of the mind. Why should we not
speak without thought when asleep, since when most awake, and under the
influence of passion, man utters numberless things without reflection.
As to the occasional cause of dreams, by which former sensations
are renewed without being excited by present objects, it is to be
observed, that we never dream when our sleep is sound: every thing is
then in a state of inaction, and we sleep both outwardly and inwardly.
The internal sense, however, falls asleep the last, and awakes the
first, because it is more active, and more easily agitated, than the
external senses. It is when our sleep is less sound that we experience
illusive dreams, and former sensations, those especially which require
not reflection, are renewed. The internal sense being unoccupied by
actual sensations from the inaction of the external senses, exercises
itself upon its past sensations. Of these the most strong appear the
most often; and the more they are strong, the more the situations are
extravagant; and for this reason it is, that almost all dreams either
terrify or charm us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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