Epilepsy, or "falling sickness," has
no especial psychological significance. Its name descends from Hippocrates, and is intended to mean
the sudden loss of sensation,
and spasms. It is strictly an organic disease, referable to defects of
bodily functions, the result of many diverse causes reflected on the
brain. It is difficult to diagnose and perhaps entirely beyond the
control of the most skillful physician, who can only hope to palliate
the symptoms, trusting to the vital processes to bring restoration,
which they sometimes do. Excesses in ancestors is the first of causes,
intensified often by excesses in the subject.
Catalepsy is entirely distinct,
although a state of suspended powers of motion, and as the symptoms are
similar in the hypnotic patient, the term "Cataleptic state," has been
used as synonymous, and "cataleptic," as the same as "hypnotic." This is not
advisable, as it is misleading.
In ancient times the epileptic, like
all others seized with violent disease, was regarded as obsessed, and
exorcism was a most lucrative profession. We do not desire to return to
those absurd claims of the priesthood, although admitting the
possibility of obsession. It would be equivalent to denying the claims
of mesmerism or hypnotism to do that—for if a hypnotist is able to
control a subject, doing so not by any powers conferred by the body, but
by spiritual force, if the same hypnotist freed from his body came to this subject
as a spirit, it would be possible for him to influence him in the same manner,
and such influence might be
extended to a complete control, which would be known as obsession.
The use of the word sleep is as
misleading as that of cataleptic. At times what is called sleep is dominated by
psychic conditions such as the subject falls into during
watchfulness, as semi-trance, or clairvoyance and the blended manifestations pass
erroneously for those of sleep. In true sleep there is absolute rest of the
mind. The pulsations of the heart lessen, for this is the only rest that
ever-laboring organ can have. There is withdrawal of the blood from the
brain, and the processes by which muscular and nervous tissue are broken
down are suspended, while those of renovation are active. The worn
tissues are rebuilt, and normally
when this approaches completion the heart resumes its labor, the
increased flow of blood to the brain arouses the mind from its coma-like
rest, and it is said the person awakes. There may be disturbance of
digestion; the heart may not slow up for rest; the nervous strain may
have been so great that it cannot be quieted with nature's anodyne; the
muscles overtaxed contract and their lacerated nerves cry out against
sleep. Then these conditions of the body are reflected in the sleep which is no
more than partial unconsciousness. Such dreams furnish a remarkably
reliable means of diagnosis. There are psychic dreams which are
independent of bodily conditions, and at rare intervals there may be a
superior sensitiveness or mediumship during what is called sleep which is not possessed when waking. But these states are
not true sleep, which is dreamless, and profoundly unconscious, and the
spirit is held in abeyance to the condition of the physical body, and
rests with it.
To assert that the spirit at sleep
enters into an active existence, is like claiming that when a
caterpillar coils itself in its web to rest, the butterfly which will some time evolve, goes out winging the fields of air,
returning when the worm
awakes. This is absurd, because the transformation of the caterpillar into the butterfly has not taken place, and it is equally
absurd to assert that the
spirit is enjoying an active life, while its physical body sleeps.
Many are highly impressible while
asleep who are not so while awake. Hence the hours of slumber are
employed by guardian angels to impress ideas beneficial to the
recipient. These take the form of dreams which are usually prophetic.
Some imminent danger calls them forth, and they should always be heeded.
Suppose some great danger hovers over the sleeper, and his guardian
spirit desires to give him warning. If he should impress the real
danger, the sleeper would become startled by the first sentence, his mind become excited,
the necessary conditions of receptivity destroyed, and it would be impossible
to proceed. On the contrary, when symbols are employed
the mind remains passive, not knowing what is to come, or the meaning of
that already received, until all is given; and in waking moments it
reflects on the meaning of these symbols which are usually sufficiently
clear to allow of their interpretation. Laugh at the fantasies of a
fevered brain, or the visions produced by a gorged stomach—the nightmare
of the gormand, and ghost-seeing of the dyspeptic; but the dreams of the
clear head and pure heart are of angel visitants, and should be observed
and treasured. When man rests in the arms of sleep, often she hushes him
by the hymns of angelic voices, and gives him glimpses of the future, even
to the coming beauties of the
morning land.
