WONDERFUL DREAMS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 141, 18 December 1928, Page 35

WONDERFUL DREAMS

By Dr. C. W. Kimmins

Tho child dreams-far more at Christmas time than at any other period of the year, and during November and.December children ,up to tho ages of eight or nine year's dream, far more about the joys of Christmas tban about all other subjects-.put; together. .'The majority of thorn-are concerned with, tho presents that Santa Claus will bring them, or that' their parents will- give them. In this way the most distinguishing feature of tho -dream—the fulfilment of a wish—is clearly, shown.--. A child who at this time lias a great longing for some particular thing nearly always dreams that it has baen given to him as a Christmas present. Any collection of young children's dreams obtained even so early as the beginning of November will contain quite a large proportion relating in some way to Christmas. Another great purpose of the dream is compensation for tho ■ disappointments in every day life. Thus a child who is very sad because somo cherished object has \ not. boon included in his Christmas presents, dreams afterwards that tho much desired present was included. Hero is the record of a girl's wish dream which is fairly typical: "I dreamt that my mother bought mo and my sister a largo Christinas tree, and on this tree thero wero a number of tiny littlo candles which wore of different colours, and there was a lot of toys hanging on it. Mother had a wishbone, which she had kept, aud slio said that wo could sco who got tho wish, and so we pulled and I had the wish. I wished that my Dad was homo on Christmas Day. When Christmas Day came wo wero dressed in our best, and our uncles and aunts had come, and wo wore enjoying ourselves. We wont into the parlour and wo fouud somoono dressed up as Santa Claus, and ho asked us what wo wanted off the tree. When we had got what wo wauled ho took off the clothes of Santa Claus and it was my' father, arid so my wish camo true, and then I woke up and told my mother." Christmas fare is notoriously indigestible, and it is woll known that indigestion has the effect of producing unpleasant dreams, somo taking the form of nightmares. Some children dream of being chased by Christmas puddings, others that turkeys and geese aro running after thorn. Revenge dreams are not uncommon. Thus, a boy dreams that he has a talk with a worm and at the end of tho conversation he cuts off the worm's head. Whoreupon tho worm pursued the terrified boy shouting, "Give me back my head again!" The compensation in the dream frequently has a very valuable effect of softening a great sorrow. We lose a dear friend and dreams help us to bear the loss. Every droamer knows that in dreamland the dead aro alivo and appear frequently in dreams in perfect health, even after many years. It would not bo possible to exaggerate the importanco of this retention of the loved one in dreams, and the effect it has of adding to tho refreshment and enjoyment of sleep. It is my firm opinion that in many domestic tragedies which might have resulted in a menial breakdown as the ('OnsequejK'o of tho terrible shock of a sudden loss, Iho worst is averted by tho MDBolaliou of the dream. The dream is also a god-send to the permanently afflicted boy ox girl. The deaf child in

[all rights reserved]

tho land of dreams can hear, tho blind can boo, the cripple still has the lost limb, and the chronic invalid is in robust health. During the Great War tho dreams of badly wounded soldiers were a source of great delight to thorn. The awful prospect of life without the leg, or arm, or sight, as the result of the torrible injuries received lost some of its terror becauso in the dream all was woll aud no loss had been sustained. ' DREAM COMPENSATIONS. An excellent example of compensation in the dream is afforded by the recent- murder trial which attracted such universal attention. Mrs. Pace was charged with having poisoned her husband by means of arsenic. He had evidently died of arsenical poisoning. The inquiry before the Coroner had been very prolonged and the result finally reached by the jury was a verdict that she had murdered her husband. Sho was, therefore, put upon her trial for murder. The tension of her mind during tho trial must havo been very torrible, and when she was acquitted of this awful crime, she was in such a state of nervous exhaustion that she could hardly rcaliso that the trial was over and that sho was a free woman. Fortunatoly she has given an account of her feelings during this torriblo ordealj and '.'tie record shows the extraordinary compensatory valuo of tho dream. Duringitho wholo of tho trial she had most vlyid drowns iv tho nights in prison. One "might imagine that tho material of h,er dreams would be concerned with tho. awful incident of hor trial. Mercifully, -however, in dreamland nothing waslhtrthar from hor thoughts; she was entirely shielded from theso baneful experiences. Hor dreams were entirely of a., happy homo, surrounded by her much-loved children. It would bo impossible to imagino a more remarkable caso of tho valuo of tho dream. Dreams aro indeed wonderful. Wu have seen what an important part they play in tho life of tho child, especially at Christmas time. Moreover, the link tho dream forms With the fairy story in child life assists tho play of the imagination, and is of groat importance when the entrance of the child into the kingdom of reality causes tho fairy story to wane, leaving tho dream as the main element in the imaginative life of the child. We have also seen what an Important part it may play in the life of the adult in ameliorating somo of the natural ills which flesh is heir to. Its valuo in revealing the origin of the malady in cases of mental collapse is too woll known to need more than a passing reference. Its importance, from those various linos of approach, shows that we can no longer treat tho dream with contempt. "You stupid child, you must have bevm dreaming," can no longer be used by an intelligent mother on hearing her child make a statement which she cannot understand. The dream has attained a reputation aud position which justifies a great interest being taken in whatever gives additional information with regard to if. THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE. . A, belief, in tho possibility of thought transference has made considerable pro-gress-of recent years. Distinguished scientific men, of whoso credibility thore can bo no possiblo doubt, havo car-, ricd'oii' experiments under, conditions., which can admit mo source of error,

.which'appear to prove that a group of people can by thought alone, without speech, arouse iir another group at somo distance..the thoughts upon which thoy are themselves concentrating. With the information; wo possess of tho marvels of wireless.coriimuncatton wo aro mare prepared to accept the theory of the transfer, of thought frofn mind to mind than we should have believed to be possible-in days gone by. ' In the literature of dreams we have many, apparently well authenticated, accounts, of premonitions of disaster to dear friends, who might naturally at important crises be thinking intently of the. dreamer.. .-The-seriously injured boy thinking.of his-mother at some distant place, .and cases-of that kind. When such a premonition is discussed with others, and then at a later time the news comes of the disaster and in every dotail of time, method of occurrence, and so on support is given to the record of -the''dream,-the natural explanation would be that it was due to some sort of thought transference. Some cases of a very different nature are recorded of events which would make it appear-that the future is foreseen and visions of coming disasters given in dreams. These prophetic dre'ains, of which many accounts are to be found in, literature, . generally receive'scant'attention. Recently, however, a book .has been written by a wellknown -scientist which may stimulate interest iv this field. Not only are cases-given, -of serious catastrophes which appeared to tho author beforehand in dreams; but, what is far nioro important, he attempts to prove that, such insight into the future may bo explained on" scientific grounds. If this, can bo established, the. dream will play a still greater, part in our mental life than it has in the past. •