THE LENGTH OF DREAMS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8437, 9 August 1889, Page 4

THE LENGTH OF DREAMS.

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!""- , faus. interesting question has recently r,-. 'keen discussed in Germany, among others ;,;Tjy Dr, F. Scholz, who has given some /;.': striking examples from his own expen£/ence and observation. It is not possible' ; .. to give a definite answer ; and probably ,'(,•. enough dreams vary very much in point :• of duration, just as they vary In force ■'. and vividness. At one time the figures '" of a dream, whether they emerge from the horn or the ivory gate, are as real as - in life; the sorrow is even more intense, the happiness more realistic. At another time they seem to live only in a pale ;V moonlight, and we watch the scenes rather ', ; ' than participate in them. It is very cer- ■. tain, however, that the majority _of ! . dreams are only of momentary duration, ' though extended occasionally to the ' length of a minute. In proof of this Dr. '- . Scholz tells the following story from his \ experience : — " After excessive bodily fatigue and a day of mental strain of a not disagreeable kind, I betook myself to bed after I had wound up my watch , v and placed it on the night-table. Theu I • lay down beside a burning lamp. Soon I found myself on tho high sea op board a •well-known ship. I was again young, '■and stood on the look-out. I heard the roar of the water, ami golden clouds floated ronnd me. How long I stood I j did not know, but ifc seemed a, very long ■ time, Then the scene changed. I was ' ' in the country, ana my long-dead parents • came to greet me ; they took me to ■ church, where the loud organ sounded I was delighted, but at the same time wondered to see my wife and children . .there. The priest mounted the pulpit and preached, but I could not understand what he said for the sound of the organ, ' which continued to play. I took my son by i tho hand and with him ascended thechurch tower ; but again the scene was changed. Instead of being near my son I stood near an early-known but long dead officer — I ought to explain that I was an army sureeon during tho manoonvres. I was wondering why the major should look so ' young, when quite close in my ears an unexpected caunon sounded. Terrified, I was hurrying off when I woke up and noticed that the supposed cannon shot had its causo in the opening of the bedroom door through someone entering. It . was as if I had lived through an eternity v in my dream, bnt when I looked at my watch I saw that since I had fallen asleep nob more than one minute had elapsed — a much shorter time than, it takes to relate the occurrence." Dr. Scholz has collected many other examples of a similar kind.