AScientificandPracticalInterpretationofDreamsWhat’sinaDream：AScientificandPracticalInterpretationofDreamsMiller，GustavusHindmanPREFACE。“Dreamsarerudimentsofthegreatstatetocome。Wedreamwhatisabouttohappen。”——BAILEY。
TheBible，aswellasothergreatbooksofhistoricalandrevealedreligion，showstracesofageneralandsubstantialbeliefindreams。Plato，Goethe，ShakespeareandNapoleonassignedtocertaindreamspropheticvalue。JosephsawelevenstarsoftheZodiacbowtohimself，thetwelfthstar。ThefamineofEgyptwasrevealedbyavisionoffatandleancattle。TheparentsofChristwerewarnedofthecrueledictofHerod，andfledwiththeDivineChildintoEgypt。
Pilate’swife，throughtheinfluenceofadream，advisedherhusbandtohavenothingtodowiththeconvictionofChrist。Butthegrossmaterialismofthedaylaughedatdreams，asitechoedthevoiceandverdictofthemultitude，“CrucifytheSpirit，butletthefleshlive。”
Barabbas，therobber，wassetatliberty。
Theultimatumofallhumandecreesandwisdomistogratifythepassionsofthefleshattheexpenseofthespirit。Theprophetsandthosewhohavestoodnearestthefountainofuniversalknowledgeuseddreamswithmorefrequencythananyothermodeofdivination。
Profane，aswellassacred，historyisthreadedwithincidentsofdreamprophecy。AncienthistoryrelatesthatGennadiuswasconvincedoftheimmortalityofhissoulbyconversingwithanapparitioninhisdream。
ThroughthedreamofCeciliaMetella，thewifeofaConsul，theRomanSenatewasinducedtoorderthetempleofJunoSospitarebuilt。
TheEmperorMarciandreamedhesawthebowoftheHunnishconquerorbreakonthesamenightthatAttiladied。8
PlutarchrelateshowAugustus，whileill，throughthedreamofafriend，waspersuadedtoleavehistent，whichafewhoursafterwascapturedbytheenemy，andthebedwhereonhehadlainwaspiercedwiththeenemies’swords。
IfJuliusC？sarhadbeenlessincredulousaboutdreamshewouldhavelistenedtothewarningwhichCalpurnia，hiswife，receivedinadream。
Croesussawhissonkilledinadream。
PetrarchsawhisbelovedLaura，inadream，onthedayshedied，afterwhichhewrotehisbeautifulpoem，“TheTriumphofDeath。”
CicerorelatesthestoryoftwotravelingArcadianswhowenttodifferentlodgings——onetoaninn，andtheothertoaprivatehouse。Duringthenightthelatterdreamedthathisfriendwasbeggingforhelp。Thedreamerawoke；but，thinkingthematterunworthyofnotice，wenttosleepagain。Thesecondtimehedreamedhisfriendappeared，sayingitwouldbetoolate，forhehadalreadybeenmurderedandhisbodyhidinacart，undermanure。Thecartwasafterwardsoughtforandthebodyfound。Ciceroalsowrote，“Ifthegodslovementheywillcertainlydisclosetheirpurposestotheminsleep。”
Chrysippuswroteavolumeondreamsasdivineportent。
Hereferstotheskilledinterpretationsofdreamsasatruedivination；
butaddsthat，likeallotherartsinwhichmenhavetoproceedonconjectureandonartificialrules，itisnotinfallible。
Platoconcurredinthegeneralideaprevailinginhisday，thatthereweredivinemanifestationstothesoulinsleep。Condorcetthoughtandwrotewithgreaterfluencyinhisdreamsthaninwakinglife。
Tartini，adistinguishedviolinist，composedhis“Devil’sSonata“undertheinspirationofadream。Coleridge，throughdreaminfluence，composedhis“KublaKhan。”
ThewritersofGreekandLatinclassicsrelatemanyinstancesofdreamexperiences。Homeraccordedtosomedreamsdivineorigin。Duringthethirdandfourthcenturies，thesupernaturaloriginofdreamswassogenerallyacceptedthatthefathers，relyingupontheclassicsandtheBibleasauthority，madethisbeliefadoctrineoftheChristianChurch。
Synesiusplaceddreamingaboveallmethodsofdiviningthefuture；hethoughtitthesurest，andopentothepoorandrichalike。9
Aristotlewrote：“Thereisadivinationconcerningsomethingsindreamsnotincredible。”CamilleFlammarion，inhisgreatbookon“PremonitoryDreamsandDivinationoftheFuture。”says：“Idonothesitatetoaffirmattheoutsetthatoccurrenceofdreamsforetellingfutureeventswithaccuracymustbeacceptedascertain。”
JoanofArcpredictedherdeath。
Cazotte，theFrenchphilosopherandtranscendentalist，warnedCondorcetagainstthemannerofhisdeath。
Peopledreamnow，thesameastheydidinmedievalandancienttimes。
Thefollowingexcerptfrom“TheUnknown。”1arecentbookbyFlammarion，theFrenchastronomer，supplementedwithafewofmyownthoughtsandcollections，willanswerthepurposesintendedforthisbook。
“Wemayseewithouteyesandhearwithoutears，notbyunnaturalexcitementofoursenseofvisionorofhearing，fortheseaccountsprovethecontrary，butbysomeinteriorsense，psychicandmental。
“Thesoul，byitsinteriorvision，mayseenotonlywhatispassingatagreatdistance，butitmayalsoknowinadvancewhatistohappeninthefuture。Thefutureexistspotentially，determinedbycauseswhichbringtopasssuccessiveevents。
WORLD，asrealastheworldknowntoourphysicalsenses。
“Andnow，becausethesoulactsatadistancebysomepowerthatbelongstoit，areweauthorizedtoconcludethatitexistsassomethingreal，andthatitisnottheresultoffunctionsofthebrain？
“Doeslightreallyexist？
“Doesheatexist？
“Doessoundexist？
“No。
“Theyareonlymanifestationsproducedbymovement。
“Whatwecalllightisasensationproduceduponouropticnervebythevibrationsofether，comprisingbetween400and75610
trillionspersecond，undulationsthatarethemselvesveryobscure。
“Whatwecallheatisasensationproducedbyvibrationsbetween350and600trillions。
“Thesunlightsupspace，asmuchatmidnightasatmidday。
Itstemperatureisnearly270degreesbelowzero。
“Whatwecallsoundisasensationproduceduponourauditorynervebysilentvibrationsoftheair，themselvescomprisingbetween32，000
and36，000asecond……
“Verymanyscientifictermsrepresentonlyresults，notcauses。“Thesoulmaybeinthesamecase。
“Theobservationsgiveninthiswork，thesensations，theimpressions，thevisions，thingsheard，etc。，mayindicatephysicaleffectsproducedwithoutthebrain。
“Yes，nodoubt，butitdoesnotseemso。
“Letusexamineoneinstance。
“Turnbackto156。
“Ayoungwoman，adoredbyherhusband，diesatMoscow。
Herfather-in-law，atPulkowo，nearSt。Petersburg，sawherthatsamehourbyhisside。Shewalkedwithhimalongthestreet；thenshedisappeared。
Surprised，startled，andterrified，hetelegraphedtohisson，andlearnedboththesicknessandthedeathofhisdaughter-in-law。
“WeareabsolutelyobligedtoadmitthatSOMETHINGemanatedfromthedyingwomanandtouchedherfather-in-law。Thisthingunknownmayhavebeenanetherealmovement，asinthecaseoflight，andmayhavebeenonlyaneffect，aproduct，aresult；butthiseffectmusthavehadacause，andthiscauseevidentlyproceededfromthewomanwhowasdying。
Cantheconstitutionofthebrainexplainthisprojection？Idonotthinkthatanyanatomistorphysiologistwillgivethisquestionanaffirmativeanswer。Onefeelsthatthereisaforceunknown，proceeding，notfromourphysicalorganization，butfromthatinuswhichcanthink。
“Takeanotherexamplesee57。
“Aladyinherownhousehearsavoicesinging。Itisthevoiceofafriendnowinaconvent，andshefaints，becausesheissureitisthevoiceofthedead。Atthesamemomentthatfrienddoesreallydie，twentymilesawayfromher。11
“Doesnotthisgiveustheimpressionthatonesoulholdscommunicationwithanother？
“Hereisanotherexample163：
“ThewifeofacaptainwhohasgoneouttotheIndianmutinyseesonenightherhusbandstandingbeforeherwithhishandspressedtohisbreast，andalookofsufferingonhisface。Theagitationthatshefeelsconvincesherthatheiseitherkilledorbadlywounded。ItwasNovember14th。TheWarOfficesubsequentlypublisheshisdeathashavingtakenplaceonNovember15th。Sheendeavorstohavethetruedateascertained。TheWarOfficewaswrong。Hediedonthe14th。
“Achildsixyearsoldstopsinthemiddleofhisplayandcriesout，frightened：“Mamma，IhaveseenMamma。”Atthatmomenthismotherwasdyingfarawayfromhim124。
“Ayounggirlataballstopsshortinthemiddleofadanceandcries，burstingintotears。`Myfatherisdead；Ihavejustseenhim。’Atthatmomentherfatherdied。Shedidnotevenknowhewasill。
“Allthesethingspresentthemselvestousasindicatingnotphysiologicaloperationsofonebrainactingonanother，butpsychicactionsofspirituponspirit。Wefeelthattheyindicatetoussomepowerunknown。
“Nodoubtitisdifficulttoapportionwhatbelongstothespirit，thesoul，andwhatbelongstothebrain。Wecanonlyletourselvesbeguidedinourjudgmentandourappreciationsbythesamefeelingthatiscreatedinusbythediscussionofphenomena。Thisishowallsciencehasbeenstarted。Well，anddoesnoteveryonefeelthatwehaveheretodowithmanifestationsfrombeingscapableofthought，andnotwithmaterialphysiologicalfactsonly？
“Thisimpressionissuperabundantlyconfirmedbyinvestigationconcerningtheunknownfacultiesofthesoul，whenactiveindreamsandsomnambulism。
“Abrotherlearnsthedeathofhisyoungsisterbyaterriblenightmare。
“Ayounggirlseesbeforehand，inadream，themanwhomshewillmarry。
“Amotherseesherchildlyinginaroad，coveredwithblood。
“Aladygoes，inadream，tovisitherhusbandonadistantsteamer，andherhusbandreallyreceivesthisvisit，whichisseenbyathirdperson。12
“Amagnetizedladyseesanddescribestheinteriorofthebodyofherdyingmother；whatshesaidisconfirmedbytheautopsy。
“Agentlemansees，inadream，aladywhomheknowsarrivingatnightinarailroadstation，herjourneyhavingbeenundertakensuddenly。
“Amagistrateseesthreeyearsinadvancethecommissionofacrime，downtoitssmallestdetails。
“Severalpersonsreportthattheyhaveseentownsandlandscapesbeforetheyevervisitedthem，andhaveseenthemselvesinsituationsinwhichtheyfoundthemselveslongafter。
“Amotherhearsherdaughterannounceherintendedmarriagesixmonthsbeforeithasbeenthoughtof。
“Frequentcasesofdeathareforetoldwithprecision。
“Atheftisseenbyasomnambulist，andtheexecutionofthecriminalisforetold。
“Ayounggirlseesherfiancé，oranintimatefrienddyingthesearefrequentcases，etc。
“Alltheseshowunknownfacultiesinthesoul。Suchatleastismyownimpression。Itseemstomethatwecannotreasonablyattributetheprevisionofthefutureandmentalsighttoanervousactionofthebrain。
“Ithinkwemusteitherdenythesefactsoradmitthattheymusthavehadanintellectualandspiritualcauseofthepsychicorder，andIrecommendscepticswhodonotdesiretobeconvinced，todenythemoutright；totreatthemasillusionsandcasesofafortuitouscoincidenceofcircumstances。Theywillfindthiseasier。Uncompromisingdeniersoffacts，rebelsagainstevidence，maybeallthemorepositive，andmaydeclarethatthewritersoftheseextraordinarynarrativesarepersonsfondofajoke，whohavewrittenthemtohoaxme，andthattherehavebeenpersonsinallageswhohavedonethesamethingtomystifythinkerswhohavetakenupsuchquestions。
“Thesephenomenaprove，Ithink，thatthesoulexists，andthatitisendowedwithfacultiesatpresentunknown。Thatisthelogicalwayofcommencingourstudy，whichintheendmayleadustotheproblemoftheafter-lifeandimmortality。Athoughtcanbetransmittedtothemindofanother。Therearementaltransmissions，communicationsofthoughts，andpsychiccurrentsbetweenhumansouls。Spaceappearstobeno13
obstacleinthesecases，andtimesometimesseemstobeannihilated。”
AfewyearsagoapersonwhomIwilldesignateas“A“relatedadreamtomeasfollows：“Itakenointerestinpugilismorpugilists，butIsaw，inadream，everydetailoftheCorbettandFitzsimmonsmill，fourdaysbeforeittookplaceoutWest。TwonightsbeforethefightI
hadaseconddreaminwhichafavoritehorsewasrunning，butsuddenly，justbeforethejudge’sstandwaspassed，ahithertounobservedlittleblackhorseranaheadandthecrowdshoutedinmyears，`Fitzsimmonswins！’