on dreams-第2章

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cleanse　smudges　off　new　mirrors　because　the　stain　penetrates　deeply



and　is　suffused　to　all　parts；　it　penetrates　deeply　because　the



mirror　is　not　a　dense　medium；　and　is　suffused　widely　because　of　the



smoothness　of　the　object。　On　the　other　hand；　in　the　case　of　old



mirrors；　stains　do　not　remain　because　they　do　not　penetrate　deeply；



but　only　smudge　the　surface。



　　From　this　therefore　it　is　plain　that　stimulatory　motion　is　set　up



even　by　slight　differences；　and　that　sense…perception　is　quick　to



respond　to　it；　and　further　that　the　organ　which　perceives　colour　is



not　only　affected　by　its　object；　but　also　reacts　upon　it。　Further



evidence　to　the　same　point　is　afforded　by　what　takes　place　in　wines；



and　in　the　manufacture　of　unguents。　For　both　oil；　when　prepared；　and



wine　become　rapidly　infected　by　the　odours　of　the　things　near　them；



they　not　only　acquire　the　odours　of　the　things　thrown　into　or　mixed



with　them；　but　also　those　of　the　things　which　are　placed；　or　which



grow；　near　the　vessels　containing　them。



　　In　order　to　answer　our　original　question；　let　us　now；　therefore；



assume　one　proposition；　which　is　clear　from　what　precedes；　viz。　that



even　when　the　external　object　of　perception　has　departed；　the



impressions　it　has　made　persist；　and　are　themselves　objects　of



perception：　and　＇let　us　assume＇；　besides；　that　we　are　easily



deceived　respecting　the　operations　of　sense…perception　when　we　are



excited　by　emotions；　and　different　persons　according　to　their



different　emotions；　for　example；　the　coward　when　excited　by　fear；



the　amorous　person　by　amorous　desire；　so　that；　with　but　little



resemblance　to　go　upon；　the　former　thinks　he　sees　his　foes



approaching；　the　latter；　that　he　sees　the　object　of　his　desire；　and



the　more　deeply　one　is　under　the　influence　of　the　emotion；　the　less



similarity　is　required　to　give　rise　to　these　illusory　impressions。



Thus　too；　both　in　fits　of　anger；　and　also　in　all　states　of　appetite；



all　men　become　easily　deceived；　and　more　so　the　more　their　emotions



are　excited。　This　is　the　reason　too　why　persons　in　the　delirium　of



fever　sometimes　think　they　see　animals　on　their　chamber　walls；　an



illusion　arising　from　the　faint　resemblance　to　animals　of　the　markings



thereon　when　put　together　in　patterns；　and　this　sometimes



corresponds　with　the　emotional　states　of　the　sufferers；　in　such　a



way　that；　if　the　latter　be　not　very　ill；　they　know　well　enough　that　it



is　an　illusion；　but　if　the　illness　is　more　severe　they　actually　move



according　to　the　appearances。　The　cause　of　these　occurrences　is　that



the　faculty　in　virtue　of　which　the　controlling　sense　judges　is　not



identical　with　that　in　virtue　of　which　presentations　come　before　the



mind。　A　proof　of　this　is；　that　the　sun　presents　itself　as　only　a



foot　in　diameter；　though　often　something　else　gainsays　the



presentation。　Again；　when　the　fingers　are　crossed；　the　one　object



＇placed　between　them＇　is　felt　＇by　the　touch＇　as　two；　but　yet　we　deny



that　it　is　two；　for　sight　is　more　authoritative　than　touch。　Yet；　if



touch　stood　alone；　we　should　actually　have　pronounced　the　one　object



to　be　two。　The　ground　of　such　false　judgements　is　that　any　appearances



whatever　present　themselves；　not　only　when　its　object　stimulates　a



sense；　but　also　when　the　sense　by　itself　alone　is　stimulated；　provided



only　it　be　stimulated　in　the　same　manner　as　it　is　by　the　object。　For



example；　to　persons　sailing　past　the　land　seems　to　move；　when　it　is



really　the　eye　that　is　being　moved　by　something　else　＇the　moving　ship。＇



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3







　　From　this　it　is　manifest　that　the　stimulatory　movements　based　upon



sensory　impressions；　whether　the　latter　are　derived　from　external



objects　or　from　causes　within　the　body；　present　themselves　not　only



when　persons　are　awake；　but　also　then；　when　this　affection　which　is



called　sleep　has　come　upon　them；　with　even　greater　impressiveness。　For



by　day；　while　the　senses　and　the　intellect　are　working　together；



they　（i。e。　such　movements）　are　extruded　from　consciousness　or



obscured；　just　as　a　smaller　is　beside　a　larger　fire；　or　as　small



beside　great　pains　or　pleasures；　though；　as　soon　as　the　latter　have



ceased；　even　those　which　are　trifling　emerge　into　notice。　But　by　night



＇i。e。　in　sleep＇　owing　to　the　inaction　of　the　particular　senses；　and



their　powerlessness　to　realize　themselves；　which　arises　from　the



reflux　of　the　hot　from　the　exterior　parts　to　the　interior；　they



＇i。e。　the　above　'movements'＇　are　borne　in　to　the　head　quarters　of



sense…perception；　and　there　display　themselves　as　the　disturbance



（of　waking　life）　subsides。　We　must　suppose　that；　like　the　little



eddies　which　are　being　ever　formed　in　rivers；　so　the　sensory　movements



are　each　a　continuous　process；　often　remaining　like　what　they　were



when　first　started；　but　often；　too；　broken　into　other　forms　by



collisions　with　obstacles。　This　＇last　mentioned　point＇；　moreover；



gives　the　reason　why　no　dreams　occur　in　sleep　immediately　after　meals；



or　to　sleepers　who　are　extremely　young；　e。g。　to　infants。　The



internal　movement　in　such　cases　is　excessive；　owing　to　the　heat



generated　from　the　food。　Hence；　just　as　in　a　liquid；　if　one　vehemently



disturbs　it；　sometimes　no　reflected　image　appears；　while　at　other



times　one　appears；　indeed；　but　utterly　distorted；　so　as　to　seem



quite　unlike　its　original；　while；　when　once　the　motion　has　ceased；　the



reflected　images　are　clear　and　plain；　in　the　same　manner　during



sleep　the　phantasms；　or　residuary　movements；　which　are　based　upon



the　sensory　impressions；　become　sometimes　quite　obliterated　by　the



above　described　motion　when　too　violent；　while　at　other　times　the



sights　are　indeed　seen；　but　confused　and　weird；　and　the　dreams



＇which　then　appear＇　are　unhealthy；　like　those　of　persons　who　are



atrabilious；　or　feverish；　or　intoxicated　with　wine。　For　all　such



affections；　being　spirituous；　cause　much　commotion　and　disturbance。　In



sanguineous　animals；　in　proportion　as　the　blood　becomes　calm；　and　as



its　purer　are　separated　from　its　less　pure　elements；　the　fact　that　the



movement；　based　on　impressions　derived　from　each　of　the　organs　of



sense；　is　preserved　in　its　integrity；　renders　the　dreams　healthy；



causes　a　＇clear＇　image　to　present　itself；　and　makes　the　dreamer　think；



owing　to　the　effects　borne　in　from　the　organ　of　sight；　that　he



actually　sees；　and　owing　to　those　which　come　from　the　organ　of



hearing；　that　he　really　hears；　and　so　on　with　those　also　which　proceed



from　the　other　sensory　organs。　For　it　is　owing　to　the　fact　that　the



movement　which　reaches　the　primary　organ　of　sense　comes　from　them；



that　one　even　when　awake　believes　himself　to　see；　or　hear；　or



otherwise　perceive；　just　as　it　is　from　a　belief　that　the　organ　of



sight　is　being　stimulated；　though　in　reality　not　so　stimulated；　that



we　sometimes　erroneously　declare　ourselves　to　see；　or　that；　from　the



fact　that　touch　announces　two　movements；　we　think　that　the　one



object　is　two。　For；　as　a　rule；　the　governing　sense　affirms　the



report　of　each　particular　sense；　unless　another　particular　sense；　more



authoritative；　makes　a　contradictory　report。　In　every　case　an



appearance　presents　itself；　but　what　appears　does　not　in　every　case



seem　real；　unless　when　the　deciding　faculty　is　inhibited；　or　does



not　move　with　its　proper　motion。　Moreover；　as　we　said　that　different



men　are　subject　to　illusions；　each　according　to　the　different



emotion　present　in　him；　so　it　is　that　the　sleeper；　owing　to　sleep；　and



to　the　movements　then　going　on　in　his　sensory　organs；　as　well　as　to



the　other　facts　of　the　sensory　process；　＇is　liable　to　illusion＇；　so



that　the　dream　presentation；　though　but　little　like　it；　appears　as



some　actual　given　thing。　For　when　one　is　asleep；　in　proportion　as　most



of　the　blood　sinks　inwards　to　its　fountain　＇the　heart＇；　the　internal



＇sensory＇　movements；　some　potential；　others　actual　accompany　it



inwards。　They　are　so　related　＇in　general＇　that；　if　anything　move　the



blood；　some　one　sensory　movement　will　emerge　from　it；　while　if　this



perishes　another　will　take　its　place；　while　to　one　another　also　they



are　related　in　the　same　way　as　the　artificial　frogs　in　water　which



severally　rise　＇in　fixed　succesion＇　to　the　surface　in　the　order　in



which　the　salt　＇which　keeps　them　down＇　becomes　dissolved。　The



residuary　movements　are　like　these：　they　are　within　the　soul



potentially；　but　actualize　themselves　only　when　the　impediment　to



their　doing　so　has　been　relaxed；　and　according　as　they　are　thus　set



free；　they　begin　to　move　in　the　blood　which　remains　in　the　sensory



organs；　and　which　is　now　but　scanty；　while　they　possess　verisimilitude



after　the　manner　of　cloud…shapes；　which　in　their　rapid　metamorphoses



one　compares　now　to　human　beings　and　a　moment　afterwards　to



centaurs。　Each　of　them　is　however；　as　has　been　said；　the　remnant　of



a　sensory　impression　taken　when　sense　was　actualizing　itself；　and　when



this；　the　true　impression；　has　departed；　its　remnant　is　still



immanent；　and　it　is　correct　to　say　of　it；　that　though　not　actually



Koriskos；　it　is　like　Koriskos。　For　when　the　person　was　actually



perceiving；　his　controlling　and　judging　sensory　faculty　did　not　call



it　Koriskos；　but；　prompted　by　this　＇impression＇；　called　the　genuine



person　yonder　Koriskos。　Accordingly；　this　sensory　impulse；　which；　when



actually　perceiving；　it　＇the　controlling　faculty＇　describes　（unless



completely　inhibited　by　the　blood）；　it　now　＇in　dreams＇　when



quasi…perceiving；　receives　from　the　movements　persisting　in　the



sense…organs；　and　mistakes　it…an　impulse　that　is　merely　like　the



true　＇objective＇　impression…for　the　true　impression　itself；　while



the　effect　of　sleep　is　so　great　that　it　causes　this　mistake　to　pass



unnoticed。　Accordingly；　just　as　if　a　finger　be　inserted　beneath　the



eyeball　without　being　observed；　one　object　will　not　only　present　two



visual　images；　but　will　create　an　opinion　of　its　being　two　objects；



while　if　it　＇the　finger＇　be　observed；　the　presentation　will　be　the



same；　but　the　same　opinion　will　not　be　formed　of　it；　exactly　so　it



is　in　states　of　sleep：　if　the　sleeper　perceives　that　he　is　asleep；　and



is　conscious　of　the　sleeping　state　during　which　the　perception　comes



before　his　mind；　it　presents　itself　still；　but　something　within　him



speaks　to　this　effect：　'the　image　of　Koriskos　presents　itself；　but　the



real　Koriskos　is　not　present'；　for　often；　when　one　is　asleep；　there　is



something　in　consciousness　which　declares　that　what　then　presents



itself　is　but　a　dream。　If；　however；　he　is　not　aware　of　being　asleep；



there　is　nothing　which　will　contradict　the　testimony　of　the　bare



presentation。



　　That　what　we　here　urge　is　true；　i。e。　that　there　are　such



presentative　mov