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！’