IGNORANCE OF THE CAUSES OF DREAMS.
Ignorance of the causes of our dreams has given rise to many
superstitions. Ancient divines have told us that some of our dreams
proceed from ourselves, others from the Deity, and others again from
the devil. We know, to be sure, from experience, that dreams proceed
from ourselves in _some_, if not in all cases. We admit, however,
that God has spoken to some of his dependent creatures by dreams; for
we learn this from the Holy Scriptures. But such dreams were direct
revelations for the accomplishment of some divine purpose. The volume
of revelation was long since closed, and all that is essential to the
present and eternal happiness of mankind is plainly revealed. There is
therefore no necessity for any further communications from Heaven; and
the gospel does not authorize us to expect any. Dreams may sometimes
strike a conviction upon the mind, which our waking thoughts may fail
to do. And they may sometimes have the appearance of being fulfilled;
and yet there may be no necessity of supposing that God has made us the
special organ of divine communications. Our dreams, in such cases, may
be explained upon the principles of mental philosophy, without
resorting to the miraculous interposition of Deity for an explanation.
To say that the devil is the author of all our disagreeable dreams that
happen generally when we are in some trouble of body, mind, or estate,
is too absurd to believe. And it is specially unbecoming the followers
of Jesus to harbor an opinion so unbecoming in itself, so pernicious in
its consequences, and so derogatory to the supreme Ruler of the
universe. The true doctrine is, that our dreams originate from
ourselves. Some are influenced by our bodily sensations. A person with
a bottle of hot water at his feet dreams of ascending Ætna; and he
finds the heat of the ground almost insupportable. Another kicks the
bed clothes from his feet, and dreams of walking through snow banks,
even in the summer season. Some dreams are influenced by the state of
our stomach and bowels. The hungry prisoner dreams of well-furnished
tables and the pleasures of eating. The glutton dreams of a surfeit and
its attendant unpleasant sensations. Some dreams are influenced by our
dispositions. The person of amiable temper and cheerful spirits is
frequently refreshed with delightful scenes and visions of bliss; while
those of morose, gloomy, irritable, and melancholy habits are generally
harassed with those of a disagreeable and oppressive character. Some
dreams are influenced by the state of our health. Sickness is usually
productive of those of an unpleasant nature; while health secures those
of an opposite description. A gentleman, mentioned by Locke, was not
sensible of dreaming till he had a fever, at the age of twenty-six or
seven. Some dreams are influenced by our waking thoughts. The
mathematician solves difficult problems. The poet roves in Elysian
groves. The miser makes great bargains. The sensualist riots in the
haunts of dissipation. The criminal sees the dungeon or the gallows.
The awakened sinner beholds the flames of hell, or looks upon the
sceptre of pardon; and the Christian anticipates heavenly joy.
Strong mental emotions are sometimes embodied into a dream, which, by
some natural coincidence, is fulfilled. A murderer, mentioned by Mr.
Combe, dreamed of committing murder some years before the event took
place. A clergyman on a visit to the city of Edinburgh, from a distance
in the country, was sleeping at an inn, when he dreamed of seeing a
fire, and one of his children in the midst of it. He awoke with the
impression, and instantly started for home. When he arrived within
sight of his house, he found it on fire, and got there in time to
assist in saving one of his children, who, in the alarm and confusion,
had been left in a situation of danger. Without calling in question the
possibility of supernatural communications in such cases, this striking
occurrence may perhaps be accounted for on simple and natural
principles. Let us suppose that the gentleman had a servant who had
shown great carelessness in regard to fire, which had often given rise
in his mind to a strong apprehension that he might set fire to the
house. His anxiety might be increased by being from home, and the same
circumstances might make the servant still more careless. Let us
further suppose that the gentleman, before going to bed, had, in
addition to this anxiety, suddenly recollected that there was on that
day, in the neighborhood of his house, some fair or periodical merry
making, from which the servant was likely to return home in a state of
intoxication. It was most natural that these impressions should be
embodied into a dream of his house being on fire, and that the same
circumstances might lead to the dream being fulfilled.
The cause of a dream may sometimes be the cause of its fulfilment. A
clergyman dreamed of preaching a sermon on a particular subject. In a
few weeks, he delivered the discourse. His dream was therefore
fulfilled. But his waking thoughts caused the dream, for he had
meditated on this very subject; and they also caused its fulfilment,
for he proceeded to write and deliver the result of his meditations.
A belief in the supernatural origin of dreams sometimes leads to their
fulfilment. A person dreams of approaching sickness. His fears and his
imagination hasten on the calamity. A general, on the eve of battle,
dreamed of a defeat. His belief in dreams deprived him of courage, and,
of course, the enemy conquered. We have on record the case of a German
student, who dreamed that he was to die at a certain hour on the next
day. His friends found him in the morning making his will and arranging
his affairs. As the time drew near, he had every appearance of a person
near his end. Every argument was used to shake his belief in the
supernatural origin of his dream, but all to no effect. At last, the
physician contrived to place the hands of the clock beyond the
specified hour, and by this means saved the student's life. There are
instances on record where death has actually ensued in consequence of
such a belief. It has been produced by the wonderful power the mind
possesses over the body. And there can be no doubt that believers in
dreams often take the most direct means to hasten their fulfilment.
The apparent fulfilment of dreams is sometimes merely accidental. The
dream happens, and the event dreamed of soon follows; but the
coincidence is altogether fortuitous. A member of Congress informed a
friend that he frequently dreamed of the death of some one of his
children, while residing at Washington. The whole scene would appear
before him--the sickness, the death, and the burial; and this too
several times the same night, and on successive nights. His anxiety for
his family caused his dreams. Now, it would have been nothing strange
if a member of his family had died. But in this particular instance it
was not the case. In this way, however, we are always dreaming of our
absent relatives, and it would be singular if a death did not sometimes
occur at the time of the dream. So on all other subjects. One event may
follow the other, and yet the coincidence be perfectly accidental.
There are occasionally some amusing cases of this kind. A person
dreamed three times in one night that he must turn to the seventh verse
of the fifth chapter of Ecclesiastes, and he would find important
instruction. He arose in the morning, and, referring to the specified
passage, found these words: "_In the multitude of dreams there are
divers vanities._"
Finally, the occasion of some dreams seems as yet inexplicable. But as
we can account for so large a portion of them, it is rational to
believe that the causes of the few mysterious ones will be hereafter
satisfactorily explained. We think we are safe in believing that all
our dreams are caused by some principle of our intellectual or animal
nature. Let us then pay no further regard to them than to aim by a pure
conscience before God, and a careful attention to our stomachs and
health, to have them refreshing and agreeable.