on dreams-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　DREAMS



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Aristotle



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　J。　I。　Beare



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1







　　WE　must；　in　the　next　place；　investigate　the　subject　of　the　dream；



and　first　inquire　to　which　of　the　faculties　of　the　soul　it　presents



itself；　i。e。　whether　the　affection　is　one　which　pertains　to　the



faculty　of　intelligence　or　to　that　of　sense…perception；　for　these



are　the　only　faculties　within　us　by　which　we　acquire　knowledge。



　　If；　then；　the　exercise　of　the　faculty　of　sight　is　actual　seeing；



that　of　the　auditory　faculty；　hearing；　and；　in　general　that　of　the



faculty　of　sense…perception；　perceiving；　and　if　there　are　some



perceptions　common　to　the　senses；　such　as　figure；　magnitude；　motion；



&c。；　while　there　are　others；　as　colour；　sound；　taste；　peculiar　＇each



to　its　own　sense＇；　and　further；　if　all　creatures；　when　the　eyes　are



closed　in　sleep；　are　unable　to　see；　and　the　analogous　statement　is



true　of　the　other　senses；　so　that　manifestly　we　perceive　nothing



when　asleep；　we　may　conclude　that　it　is　not　by　sense…perception　we



perceive　a　dream。



　　But　neither　is　it　by　opinion　that　we　do　so。　For　＇in　dreams＇　we　not



only　assert；　e。g。　that　some　object　approaching　is　a　man　or　a　horse



＇which　would　be　an　exercise　of　opinion＇；　but　that　the　object　is



white　or　beautiful；　points　on　which　opinion　without　sense…perception



asserts　nothing　either　truly　or　falsely。　It　is；　however；　a　fact　that



the　soul　makes　such　assertions　in　sleep。　We　seem　to　see　equally　well



that　the　approaching　figure　is　a　man；　and　that　it　is　white。　＇In



dreams＇；　too；　we　think　something　else；　over　and　above　the　dream



presentation；　just　as　we　do　in　waking　moments　when　we　perceive



something；　for　we　often　also　reason　about　that　which　we　perceive。



So；　too；　in　sleep　we　sometimes　have　thoughts　other　than　the　mere



phantasms　immediately　before　our　minds。　This　would　be　manifest　to



any　one　who　should　attend　and　try；　immediately　on　arising　from



sleep；　to　remember　＇his　dreaming　experience＇。　There　are　cases　of



persons　who　have　seen　such　dreams；　those；　for　example；　who　believe



themselves　to　be　mentally　arranging　a　given　list　of　subjects　according



to　the　mnemonic　rule。　They　frequently　find　themselves　engaged　in



something　else　besides　the　dream；　viz。　in　setting　a　phantasm　which



they　envisage　into　its　mnemonic　position。　Hence　it　is　plain　that　not



every　'phantasm'　in　sleep　is　a　mere　dream…image；　and　that　the



further　thinking　which　we　perform　then　is　due　to　an　exercise　of　the



faculty　of　opinion。



　　So　much　at　least　is　plain　on　all　these　points；　viz。　that　the　faculty



by　which；　in　waking　hours；　we　are　subject　to　illusion　when　affected　by



disease；　is　identical　with　that　which　produces　illusory　effects　in



sleep。　So；　even　when　persons　are　in　excellent　health；　and　know　the



facts　of　the　case　perfectly　well；　the　sun；　nevertheless；　appears　to



them　to　be　only　a　foot　wide。　Now；　whether　the　presentative　faculty



of　the　soul　be　identical　with；　or　different　from；　the　faculty　of



sense…perception；　in　either　case　the　illusion　does　not　occur　without



our　actually　seeing　or　＇otherwise＇　perceiving　something。　Even　to　see



wrongly　or　to　hear　wrongly　can　happen　only　to　one　who　sees　or　hears



something　real；　though　not　exactly　what　he　supposes。　But　we　have



assumed　that　in　sleep　one　neither　sees；　nor　hears；　nor　exercises　any



sense　whatever。　Perhaps　we　may　regard　it　as　true　that　the　dreamer　sees



nothing；　yet　as　false　that　his　faculty　of　sense…perception　is



unaffected；　the　fact　being　that　the　sense　of　seeing　and　the　other



senses　may　possibly　be　then　in　a　certain　way　affected；　while　each　of



these　affections；　as　duly　as　when　he　is　awake；　gives　its　impulse　in



a　certain　manner　to　his　＇primary＇　faculty　of　sense；　though　not　in



precisely　the　same　manner　as　when　he　is　awake。　Sometimes；　too；　opinion



says　＇to　dreamers＇　just　as　to　those　who　are　awake；　that　the　object



seen　is　an　illusion；　at　other　times　it　is　inhibited；　and　becomes　a



mere　follower　of　the　phantasm。



　　It　is　plain　therefore　that　this　affection；　which　we　name　'dreaming'；



is　no　mere　exercise　of　opinion　or　intelligence；　but　yet　is　not　an



affection　of　the　faculty　of　perception　in　the　simple　sense。　If　it　were



the　latter　it　would　be　possible　＇when　asleep＇　to　hear　and　see　in　the



simple　sense。



　　How　then；　and　in　what　manner；　it　takes　place；　is　what　we　have　to



examine。　Let　us　assume；　what　is　indeed　clear　enough；　that　the



affection　＇of　dreaming＇　pertains　to　sense…perception　as　surely　as



sleep　itself　does。　For　sleep　does　not　pertain　to　one　organ　in



animals　and　dreaming　to　another；　both　pertain　to　the　same　organ。



　　But　since　we　have；　in　our　work　On　the　Soul；　treated　of　presentation；



and　the　faculty　of　presentation　is　identical　with　that　of



sense…perception；　though　the　essential　notion　of　a　faculty　of



presentation　is　different　from　that　of　a　faculty　of



sense…perception；　and　since　presentation　is　the　movement　set　up　by　a



sensory　faculty　when　actually　discharging　its　function；　while　a



dream　appears　to　be　a　presentation　（for　a　presentation　which　occurs　in



sleep…whether　simply　or　in　some　particular　way…is　what　we　call　a



dream）：　it　manifestly　follows　that　dreaming　is　an　activity　of　the



faculty　of　sense…perception；　but　belongs　to　this　faculty　qua



presentative。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2







　　We　can　best　obtain　a　scientific　view　of　the　nature　of　the　dream



and　the　manner　in　which　it　originates　by　regarding　it　in　the　light



of　the　circumstances　attending　sleep。　The　objects　of



sense…perception　corresponding　to　each　sensory　organ　produce



sense…perception　in　us；　and　the　affection　due　to　their　operation　is



present　in　the　organs　of　sense　not　only　when　the　perceptions　are



actualized；　but　even　when　they　have　departed。



　　What　happens　in　these　cases　may　be　compared　with　what　happens　in　the



case　of　projectiles　moving　in　space。　For　in　the　case　of　these　the



movement　continues　even　when　that　which　set　up　the　movement　is　no



longer　in　contact　＇with　the　things　that　are　moved＇。　For　that　which　set



them　in　motion　moves　a　certain　portion　of　air；　and　this；　in　turn；



being　moved　excites　motion　in　another　portion；　and　so；　accordingly；　it



is　in　this　way　that　＇the　bodies＇；　whether　in　air　or　in　liquids；



continue　moving；　until　they　come　to　a　standstill。



　　This　we　must　likewise　assume　to　happen　in　the　case　of　qualitative



change；　for　that　part　which　＇for　example＇　has　been　heated　by　something



hot；　heats　＇in　turn＇　the　part　next　to　it；　and　this　propagates　the



affection　continuously　onwards　until　the　process　has　come　round　to　its



oint　of　origination。　This　must　also　happen　in　the　organ　wherein　the



exercise　of　sense…perception　takes　place；　since　sense…perception；　as



realized　in　actual　perceiving；　is　a　mode　of　qualitative　change。　This



explains　why　the　affection　continues　in　the　sensory　organs；　both　in



their　deeper　and　in　their　more　superficial　parts；　not　merely　while



they　are　actually　engaged　in　perceiving；　but　even　after　they　have



ceased　to　do　so。　That　they　do　this；　indeed；　is　obvious　in　cases



where　we　continue　for　some　time　engaged　in　a　particular　form　of



perception；　for　then；　when　we　shift　the　scene　of　our　perceptive



activity；　the　previous　affection　remains；　for　instance；　when　we　have



turned　our　gaze　from　sunlight　into　darkness。　For　the　result　of　this　is



that　one　sees　nothing；　owing　to　the　excited　by　the　light　still



subsisting　in　our　eyes。　Also；　when　we　have　looked　steadily　for　a



long　while　at　one　colour；　e。g。　at　white　or　green；　that　to　which　we



next　transfer　our　gaze　appears　to　be　of　the　same　colour。　Again　if；



after　having　looked　at　the　sun　or　some　other　brilliant　object；　we



close　the　eyes；　then；　if　we　watch　carefully；　it　appears　in　a　right



line　with　the　direction　of　vision　（whatever　this　may　be）；　at　first



in　its　own　colour；　then　it　changes　to　crimson；　next　to　purple；　until



it　becomes　black　and　disappears。　And　also　when　persons　turn　away



from　looking　at　objects　in　motion；　e。g。　rivers；　and　especially　those



which　flow　very　rapidly；　they　find　that　the　visual　stimulations



still　present　themselves；　for　the　things　really　at　rest　are　then



seen　moving：　persons　become　very　deaf　after　hearing　loud　noises；　and



after　smelling　very　strong　odours　their　power　of　smelling　is　impaired；



and　similarly　in　other　cases。　These　phenomena　manifestly　take　place　in



the　way　above　described。



　　That　the　sensory　organs　are　acutely　sensitive　to　even　a　slight



qualitative　difference　＇in　their　objects＇　is　shown　by　what　happens



in　the　case　of　mirrors；　a　subject　to　which；　even　taking　it



independently；　one　might　devote　close　consideration　and　inquiry。　At



the　same　time　it　becomes　plain　from　them　that　as　the　eye　＇in　seeing＇



is　affected　＇by　the　object　seen＇；　so　also　it　produces　a　certain　effect



upon　it。　If　a　woman　chances　during　her　menstrual　period　to　look　into　a



highly　polished　mirror；　the　surface　of　it　will　grow　cloudy　with　a



blood…coloured　haze。　It　is　very　hard　to　remove　this　stain　from　a　new



mirror；　but　easier　to　remove　from　an　older　mirror。　As　we　have　said



before；　the　cause　of　this　lies　in　the　fact　that　in　the　act　of　sight



there　occurs　not　only　a　passion　in　the　sense　organ　acted　on　by　the



polished　surface；　but　the　organ；　as　an　agent；　also　produces　an　action；



as　is　proper　to　a　brilliant　object。　For　sight　is　the　property　of　an



organ　possessing　brilliance　and　colour。　The　eyes；　therefore；　have



their　proper　action　as　have　other　parts　of　the　body。　Because　it　is



natural　to　the　eye　to　be　filled　with　blood…vessels；　a　woman's　eyes；



during　the　period　of　menstrual　flux　and　inflammation；　will　undergo　a



change；　although　her　husband　will　not　note　this　since　his　seed　is　of



the　same　nature　as　that　of　his　wife。　The　surrounding　atmosphere；



through　which　operates　the　action　of　sight；　and　which　surrounds　the



mirror　also；　will　undergo　a　change　of　the　same　sort　that　occurred



shortly　before　in　the　woman's　eyes；　and　hence　the　surface　of　the



mirror　is　likewise　affected。　And　as　in　the　case　of　a　garment；　the



cleaner　it　is　the　more　quickly　it　is　soiled；　so　the　same　holds　true　in



the　case　of　the　mirror。　For　anything　that　is　clean　will　show　quite



clearly　a　stain　that　it　chances　to　receive；　and　the　cleanest　object



shows　up　even　the　slightest　stain。　A　bronze　mirror；　because　of　its



shininess；　is　especially　sensitive　to　any　sort　of　contact　（the



movement　of　the　surrounding　air　acts　upon　it　like　a　rubbing　or



pressing　or　wiping）；　on　that　account；　therefore；　what　is　clean　will



show　up　clearly　the　slightest　touch　on　its　surface。　It　is　hard　to



cleanse　smudges　off　new　mirrors　because　the　stain　penetrates　deeply



and　is　suffuse