Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted; Or, What's in a Dream: A Scientific and Practical Exposition — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted; Or, What's in a Dream: A Scientific and Practical Exposition
John Stuart Mill · en
They are heard and seen, but there is no artistic recognition of the same.
Still it would be absurd to say to either the musician or the artist:
your art is false and is only an illusion of the senses.
One man apparently never dreams; another dreams occasionally,
and still another more frequently; none atttempt{sic} to interpret
their dream, or to observe what follows; therefore, the verdict is,
``There is nothing in dreams.'' (Schopenhauer aptly says:
``No man can see over his own height.... Intellect is invisible
to the man who has none.'') The first is like the blind man who
denies the existence of light, because he does not perceive it.
The second and third resemble the color-blind man, who sees
but who persists in calling green blue, and _vice versa_.
A fourth man sees in a dream a friend walking in his room;
the vision is so vivid he instantly gets up and strikes a match.
After making sure there is no intruder about the room he looks
at his watch and goes back to bed. The next day he receives
the unwelcome tidings that his friend died at the exact moment
of the vision.
At another time he hears in his dream a familiar voice cry out in agony.
Soon he hears of a shocking accident or distressing illness befalling
the one whose voice he recognized in the dream.[2]
[2] For authentic records, see Flammarion's ``Unknown.''
The third man, already referred to, has about the same dream experiences,
but calls them strange coincidences or unconscious cerebration, etc.
Again, the fourth man dreams of walking through green fields
of corn, grass or wheat. He notes after such dreams prosperous
conditions follow for at least a few days. He also notes,
if the area over which he passes is interspersed with rocks or other
adverse signs, good and bad follow in the wake of the dream.
If he succeeds in climbing a mountain and finds the top barren
he will accomplish his object, but the deal will prove unprofitable.
If it is green and spring-like in appearance, it will yield good results.
If he sees muddy water, sickness, business depression or causes
for jealousy may develop.
A nightmare suggests to the dreamer to be careful of health and diet,
to relax his whole body, to sleep with his arms down and keep plenty
of fresh air in the room.
He sums up the foregoing with a thousand similar dream incidents,
and is led to believe certain dreams possess an element of warning.