Article June 8, 1918 Issue

Dreams

KATHARINE T. PORTER

The operation of Christian Science in the human understanding is essentially a process of waking up. The Scriptures constantly refer to mortal existence as a dream, and St. Paul tells us that "it is high time to awake out of sleep." Mrs. Eddy also insists on this fact persistently throughout her writings, and from her urgency on this point one concludes that the realization that the mortal sense of existence is but a dream is essential to healing on scientific lines. To make spiritual progress, the dream sense of existence must become more and more unreal and incredible to us; we must see through its inconsistencies and falsities, and our best metaphysical perception must correspondingly acknowledge only that which is ruled by Principle. The reference to this life, so called, as a dream sometimes calls forth the protestation that it lasts too long to be of a dream nature, that we have been born asleep, as it were, and have never known anything else. It is also argued that a sleeping dream is utterly inconsequential, entirely without law or order or the consecutiveness which characterizes our earthly experience. This claim of the mortal life dream to be consistent and governed by law, requires examination and analysis; for it is not true, and it is foolish to allow it to exercise any influence upon mortals.

In Isaiah we find this prophecy: "It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite." It was along these same lines that the writer once received much spiritual help. Going to bed supperless, she too dreamed that a satisfying meal was spread before her, but was removed before she could partake of it. Waking, she experienced a pang of disappointment, and in spite of the obvious absurdity of the wish, ruefully thought, "I wish I had eaten those good things before I awoke, anyhow!" Then certain mental questions rapidly presented themselves, demanding replies, as often happens when a lesson is being driven home: "Would you be a bit better off if you had eaten that dream meal? Could it have satisfied you—or, on the other hand, could it have caused indigestion?" No, it could not have done either; for it was not substantial, or real. "Now, do you see why matter is not causative, cannot either heal or nourish, can have neither ill nor good effect?" It is not real substance. It is but a dream dose we take when we take medicine; for mortal existence is but a dream.

Since we generally consider dreams to be lawless, irrational, irresponsible, therefore no specific suffering is attached to our dream deeds. Mortal mind does not condemn us to limitations and penalties in the sleeping dream sense, as it does in the waking dream sense. In our dreams we can fly, change our surroundings and environment without effort, go through endless experiences and lightning changes without the least surprise or distress; we can part from those we love without any sense of loss or grief,—in short, in dreams time is unknown, space is annihilated, and personality has little or no sway. This enhanced sense of freedom is more or less generally with all dreamers, although the details are never twice alike; therefore the objection that the dream sense is limited to the individual himself, whereas the waking sense of life in matter is universal, loses any weight it may have had.

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