in a true Light they have seriously laid to heart all this I am apt to think they may find cause to entertain other Conceptions and more favourable Sentiments and judge this hitherto too much neglected study well worthy of their future Regards I call it neglected study for though not few of the Antients and some of latter times have written concerning Dreams as Aristotle Themistius Artimedorus Carden c. yet did they not sufficiently comprehend the true Nature Sourse Original or Radix thereof nor the real Distinctions that are to be made of them and whence each kind do proceed but have treated of the same so Darkly and at Random with so little assurance and probability that amongst a Thousand Significations by them assigned we shall hardly find two or three true having no more sollid Root or Experience for what they advance then Conjectures or Imaginations whereof they have made large Volumns which do but render those that mind them more anxious and perplexed than before And though abundance of ignorant People foolish Women and Men as weak have in all Times and do frequently at this day make many ridiculous superstitious Observations from their Dreams which for the most part arising from the meer sensitive brutish nature do indeed signifie no more than those of Beasts as we shall more fully demonstrate in the following discourse yet still the Essential nature and use of Dreams may justly be said to be neglected because instead thereof vain and idle notions are imbraced just as if a body should go to chop with a Saw or to saw with an Ax he uses indeed those Instruments but absurdly and to no purpose but his own Detriment And yet ought not this common abuse of misconstrued Dreams at all to derogate from the worth of the thing it self duly regulated any more than because some men are drunk therefore we should with Licurgus cut down all Vines or because many greedy people surfeit themselves with Victuals or rashly prejudice their Health by Tampering with Medicines they do not understand therefore we should abandon Food and all sorts of Physick 'T is certain every thing has two Handles and so much is man degenerated that he generally lays hold on the worst Thus he turns Religion into Superstition and the most useful things into the most destructive But all this still happens through his own ill conduct Error CHAP. II. Of Sleep its Causes and Natures The internal Senses described With a digression touching those that walk in their Sleep as also of the disease commonly called The Night-Mare TO Discourse Effectually of Dreams it will be requisit to premise some brief Considerations touching Sleep which is the stage whereon those Phantasms and Representations are acted and the time in which our souls are taken up with the business of Dreams Sleep is the natural Rest of a living Creature or a partial temporary Cessation of animal Astions and the functions of the external Senses caused immediately by the weakness of the Animal Faculty proceeding from a sweet and stupifying Vapour arising from the Concoction and Digestion of the Alimentary Food Exhaled from the Stomach and thence ascending to the Brain and watering and bedewing it with unctious Fumes whereby the operations of the Senses are for a time obstructed to the end the powers both of the Mind and Body may be recruited refâ—…eshed and strengthened But besides the Exhalations from the Concoction of the Food received and the native frigidity or coolness of the Brain congealing those exhaled Vapours there are many accidental Causes which by consuming the Spirits occasion Sleep as overmuch Labor Weariness immoderate Heat intense Cold overmuch Evacuation things which pleasingly amuse or charm the Spirits as Musick the murmurs of soft falls of Waters profound Cogitations Darkness or the departure of the Sun from our Horizon for all Light is both active and actuating so the Sun being the Vehicle or mage of â—…ntellectual Light and Fountain of Light Natural not only heats and vivifies and communicateth a certain briskness and cheerfulness to all Creatures by his presence but also by the consequence of his with-drawing or absenâ—…e strikes a certain occult and dolesom sense of sadness on the spirits of all animated â—…reatures by reason of the defect of his exhilirating Beams Lastly There are certain stupifying Medicaments drawn from Somniferous Herbs and Plants of the Vegetable Kingdom as Poppies Lettice Opium and the like which are easily able by their vapourous Quality to overcom the Brain and thence occasion Sleep Whence it appears that the material Cause of Sleep is a vapour exhaling and ascending the 〈◊〉 which vapour sometimes proceeds from diseased corrupted Humours and then the Sleep is not natural but unsound troublesom the symtom of a disease The natural vapour is that which either ariseth from the Concoction of the aliment in the Stomach which generally causeth a man's first Sleep which therefore is more sound deep and vehement by reason of the more gross Exhalations and more turbulent by reason of the impurity of the vapours or else 't is the Ebullition or Boyling up of the more fervid Blood which commonly causeth morning Sleeps which are more sweet light and apt for Dreams by reason of the more pure vapours and the more rare and perlucid Exhalations but when the same is too long continued 't is apt to fill the head with vapours which being so over filled is disturbed and Akes and occasions Rhumes Catarhs Consumption of the Lungs and many other inconveniencies which all people should take special notice of and endeavour to prevent especially the nice and Sloathfull Dames of the Female Sex who both by their Constitution and want of Exercise and ill customs in this kind do more abound with moist Humors and consequently are more obnoxious to those Mischiefs The Form of Sleep consists in a free and willing cessation of the external Sences for when the first Censorium which is called the Organ of the common Sense is bound and obstructed with a soporiferous vapour the external Actions of the animal Functions cease Here is to be noted that as the outward Senses are Five in number viz. Seeing Hearing Feeling Tasting and Smelling of which if any one remain free and not affected sleep cannot be perfect as where any one of them in a person that has the use of them all happens to be affected such person cannot be said to be composedly vigilent So there are also Four other Senses called Internal because seated within the Brain-pan and whose objects are not only the species of things present but they perceive the sensible species of things absent past and to come 1st The first called the common Sense where all the diverse Objects apprehended or rather communicated by the outward Senses are assembled and gathered together to the end they may afterwards be compared distinguished and discerned the one from the other which the particular Senses could not do being every one attentive
PYTHAGORAS HIS Mystick Philosophy REVIV'D OR THE Mystery of DREAMS UNFOLDED Wherein the Causes Natures and Uses of Nocturnal Representations and the Communications both of Good and Evil Angels and also departed Souls to Mankind are Theosophically Unfolded that is According to the Word of GOD and the Harmony of Created Beings Night unto Night sheweth Wisdom Psal. 19. 2. To which is added A Discourse of the Causes Natures and Cure of Phrensie Madness or Distraction By THO. TRYON Student in Physick and Author of The Way to long Life Health and Happiness London Printed for Tho. Salusbury at the Sign of the Temple near Temple-Bar in Fleet-street 1691. THE CONTENTS OR CHIEF HEADS of the Two Ensuing Treatises Of Dreams Chapter 1. IS by Way of Introduction shewing the Difficulty of this Work it s Usefulness both in Physick morral Phylosophy and Divinity Objections against the Observations of Dreams Distinguish'd and Answered Those that have hitherto Treated of this Subject have done it imperfectly because they understood not the true Radix of Dreams The Vain or Superstitious Conceits of many People about their Dreams no Argument but a Wise and Good man may still regard his with great profit to himself from Page 1. to p. 11. Chapter 2. Gives a Definition of Sleep and shews its Causes Natures and End The Mischief when 't is too long Also a plain Description of the Nature and Uses of the inward Sence's Faculties of man Viz. the common Sence Phantasie Iudgment Memory and where each of them Reside Why we sometimes remember our Dreams and sometimes not Of those that Talk Rise Walk c. iâ—… their sleep the Causes thereof and hoâ—… to prevent it as also of those that arâ—… troubled with the Night-Mare itâ—… Causes and Cure from Pag. 11. to 26â—… Chapter 3. Layes open the general Cause or Radix of Dreams whence they are derived viz. from the ever active proerty of the Soul that really we never sleep without Dreaming and the reasons why we do not sometimes perceive it That there is no standing still in the ways of God or Nature whence occasionally is discoursed why young Converts very zealous at first do afterwards decay in Grace and Knowledge the Advantages of being sober and serious and pressing on after greater Acquisitions and Attainments from Pag. 26. to p. 47. Chapter 4. Treats of the Causes of Dreams more particularly where seven Causes are assigned viz. 1st The Constitution 2dly The Profession or Course of Life 3dly The influx of the Planets 4thly Diet or Medicine 5thly Evil Spirits 6thly Good Spirits and Angels 7thly and lastly Extraordinary Visions from God all which are severally handled and the whole reduced into a threefold Radix viz. either 1. from the outward Principle of this World or 2. from the dark wrath or 3. from the friendly Divine Principle of Gods Love and Light and how by your Dreams you may know which of these three Principles do predominate in your Souls with a distinction of the several kinds of Dreams arising from each Complexion Sanguine Cholerick Melancholy and Phlegmatick as also of those that flow from each of the seven Planets from Pag. 47. to p. 58. Chapter 5. Contains a deep and serious Discourse proving that Dreams are a Figure or Resem blance of the Condition of Souls after Death The representations in Dreams are real to the Soul whilst we sleep tho they seem fantastick to us after we wake by reason of the vast difference between the material and immaterial Worlds from Pag. 58. to p. 68. Chapter 6. Shows how departed Souls Communicate with persons living in Dreams and sometimes in Apparitions What kind of Bodies such Apparitions have and whence taken How long such Bodies can endure Burning of dead Bodies a means to prevent the appearing of their Spirits and why A necessary Note for Midwives That it is easier for departed Souls to communicate with us in Dreams then by Apparitions Here is likewise discoursed of the Communications of Angels with men How Spirits either good or evil are attracted by sympathy or simile and their effects whence the vanity of mens imaginations and desires do in a great measure proceed from Pag. 68. to p. 89. Chapter 7. Treats particularly of the Offices rendred to men by good Angels The Ground of mixt Thoughts Actions The Shapes wherein good and bad Angels appear and the Reasons thereof from Pag 89. to p. 125. Chapter 8. Rehearses in order several Scripture-Examples and Testimonies touching Dreams and discants thereon illustrating thereby many difficult Texts from Pag. 125. to p. 143. Chapter 9. Discourses of Angels-Guardians of Countries and particular Persons and their Offices towards men mentioned in Scripture and how men do conciliate their assistance not by invocation or worship which is not due to them but by simile as they increase in Faith Holiness and Innocency from Pag. 143. to p. 176. Chapter 10. Why man cannot communicate with Spirits in his outward Sences but in Dreams and Extasies It also treats of strange material Figures represented Calls heard Blows received and the like before Death Of middle Spirits Against telling of Dreams Why Dreams are always represented in coopereal Forms and in what sence mens Works are said to follow them after death from Pag. 176. to p. 202. Chapter 11. Offers reasons why we are not to think that these Communications from good Angels by Dreams and the like so frequent in former times are not now wholly ceased Together with the Reasons why the same are so Rare and Seldom from Pag. 202. to p. 219. Chapter 12. The causes why Dreams are always represented actually present As also of the means tending to promote intellectual Communications the Excellency of Temperance and a regular Diet and sober vertuous course of Life and that it doth mightly advance true significant and profitable Dreams and helps to make an honest useful Emprovement thereof Also a Conclusion of the whole exhorting to Piety Holiness and Innocency from Pag. 219. to p. 249. Of Madness Section 1. DEfines the several sorts of Distraction that the same ariseth not so much from Excess of any of the Humors as from irregular Passions of the mind and poysonous Ferments Pag. 249 250 251. Section 2. The particular Passions most apt to cause it Pag. 251 252 253. Section 3. The maner how they disorder the Soul Pag. 253 254 255 256. Section 4. Pride the general cause of several sorts of Madness Pag. 256 257 258. Section 5. Madness is a bringing forth of all conceptions or imaginations as fast as they arise without any choice from Pag. 258. to p. 261. Section 6. They have no Vail to cover or disguise themselves with Pag. 261 262. Section 7. Most of the actions of men are worse and more mischievous and silly then those of common Madmen proved by particular instances from Pag. 262 to p. 267. Section 8. The several species of Madness and hoâ—… by their Carriage you may know whaâ—… Principle is most
Death do often Communicate their desires and reveal various Secrets unto their Friends for Dreams are Incorporeal and the Souls deceased have no other way to impart their Secrets that is so amiliar as this except some few who at their Death are greatly affectionated to Wife and Children or the like and dye with a strong desire of revealing something that lies hid or to manifest their affections to their surviving Friends and these sometimes do it by assuming an aireal Body and appearing Affections being the chief general Cause of Apparitions of Souls departed But then the will and desire must be very strong and powerful at the departure of the Soul from the Body or else it cannot cloath it self with a sidereal or Elemental thin Body for the External Eye cannot see any thing but what is like is self or compounded of them same Elements and there is great difficulty for any Soul to cloath it self with a material Body neither indeed can it be done if the Affections and desires be not wonderful strong and powerful Which shadow or thin Body continues no longer than the Radical moisture in the deceased Body does in some degree continue for as the moisture and matter of the Body does waste so the Apparition or Ghost does grow weak and at last vanish For the Soul cloathed it self by the help of the matter contained in the Body which is done by a sympathitical Operation between the External and Internal for there is some likeness or Relikes of the Spirit remaining in the deceased Body so long as it continues moist and full of matter for if it were not so it were impossible that any Soul should appear in any Body or shape either humane or Beastial Therefore it was that some of the Philosophical Antients commanded the Bodies of the dead to be burni to Ashes which did totally destroy the Humour Radicalis or Spirit of the external elemental Nature thereby perventing such Apparitions as wâ—… are speaking of and hindering Souls from Cloathing themselves with thin Aireal Bodies which they can do only by a Sympathetical agreement between themselves and their old Houses the deceased Bodies For if the Soul departs from the Body filld with Affections to external things be they what they will then finding it discomposed and disquieted it longs after its old Body or House and by Simile and help of the Fluid Humours and Spirits yet remaining in the Body it attracts a subtle matter in which having vested it self it becomes to outward view Corporeal â—…ut if the body should be consumed by Fire then the Spirit or Soul would be prevented wholly of matter for this sidereal Cloathing And therefore this way of burning the dead bodies was practised as in divers other Nations so also in England in former Ages for then it was more frequent for departed Souls as also for divers other sorts of Spirits to appear to the living than of late years for some Reasons which I shall not stand to insist upon or explain in this place And therefore they did consume their dead Bodies with Fire by which there was an immediate and full Separation between the Body and Soul and no simile remain'd and consequently no matter could be attracted or coagulated for the formation of such Spectre's or Apparitions For the like Reason we may note by the way that the first Midwives and Directors of Women after Delivery ordered the After-Birth with Consumption by Fire to put a period to the Atomes or subtle Spirits that can and do powerfully penetrate all Bodies for they are so subtle and quick that nothing can hold or hinder them from returning to their Centers but only the Annilation of the whole But it is further to be observed That all Midwives ought to let the After-Burthen be through cold before they burn it or else the fierce surprisal which the Fire makes upon the Spirits will force them back to their Center whence they proceed with a Rapid motion and carry with them the hot sulpherous Atomes and Particles of the Fire which in some Complections will wound the Health and oft-times cause Fevers and unnatural Heats and Indispositions and more heat the Milk by simile These things are seldom considered and therefore the Evils thereof are the ofter felt But to return from this Digression wherein we thought it not unfit to point out briefly the Nature Causes and Manner of Souls appearing after Death which sometimes happens where the affections are exceeding violent as aforesaid it is far easier and more familiar for the deceased Souls to communicate their secrets to their living Friends in Dreams then to appear thus in external Forms by cloathing themselves with thin Elemental Bodies for men in Dreams are nearer unto the condition of departed Souls then when awake and therefore they can with ease and great familiarity discourse and reveal their minds unto them more especially if there were a simile between their spirits or if there was a hearty Love and Affection whilst they lived For all the time the Body sleepeth it is as it were dead and ten hours is but as one minute but the spirit and soul liveth and acteth and seeth and apprehendeth things as if it had not any earthly Body but were already in Eternity for near and afar off is all a like unto it it can as easily visit remote Countries and Regions beyond the Equinoctial or Tropicks as a mans own House or Garden it can sink it self into the deepest of Depths and also sore aloft and range through all the Coelestial sphears the Etherial Spirits of men being thus volatile and busie when the outward body or senses are dead or which is all one for the time asleep the Immaterial Beeings or seperated Souls being of an homogenial Nature and like state can easily hold communication therewith by such means as are proper for the intercourse of such spirituous Essences especially if before the Death of the Body there was something strongly impressed on the Spirit of the deceased which proves very burthensome until they have by some means revealed it to those to whom they had a desire to impart it before their Death but by some accident were prevented or where there is some great sympathy or similitude between the Soul of the deceased and the Living and for this last reason the Souls of strangers sometimes do make application to such sympathizing Souls of the Living whilst the Body lies asleep and reveal great secrets or foretel them of things sometimes good and sometimes evil that are likely to befal them But there is such a vast disproportion between the Incorporeal Beeings viz. Souls departed Spirits and Angels on the one side and our outward material Senses and Reason on the other as makes all these Wonderful mysteries that happen to man of this Nature appear but as meer fantasies shadows or Vanity and therefore this secret spiritual converse and real Communications of Souls are deâ—…ided in the highest degree which
unbelief and contempt doth drive away and cause a seperation of the Souls of the deceased as also of all good Spirits and Angels which otherwise would be more prompt and ready to such Communications as being forward to serve help and enlighten those that are sober and well-minded and such as believe and are sensible of those wonderful things and mysterious Impartments for a strong Faith firm desire and belief viz. when the Spirit or Soul is delighted in the Consideration of this spiritual discourse and converse does naturally attract and draw the internal powers Souls and good Angels and causeth them to delight to accompany men both sleeping and waking defending them from various dangers and troubles and ready at all times to reveal and foretel them of future things but on the contrary Incredulity with vain despising Discourses do potently drive them away and causes as it were a total separations so that there seems to thâ—… outward senses and Reason of most men that there is no such thing but all idle vain Conceits so greatly is mankind depraved having by vanity and carnal apprehensions put out the inward Eyes of his intellectuals so that they are to him but as idle immaginations But the Records of sacred Truth do assure us that most of the Sober inlightned men in former Ages were sensible of this secret converse of Angels and Souls and had mysteries revealed to them from God and his ministring Spirits in Dreams and Visions as appears in the holy Scriptures of which we shall take a particular survey in a Chapter by it self But now mankind's frowardness intemperance and incredulity have so estranged those holy powers good Angels and Spirits that they cannot come near man to reveal unto him the secret mysteries of their Beeings and Conditions oâ—… foretel him either Good or Evil that shall happen unto him for a firm Faith in God and frequent meditation on those sublime things have a wonderful power sympathetical inclination and attraction on good Angels and Spirits of all offices and kinds for all things both in the material immaterial worlds haâ—… that secret communiction and opperation by likenesses for the nearer we resemble and become like the good Angels they are the more ready and prone to serve us this being the simpathetical drawing which is the way of God in nature for every thing doth incorporate with its likeness and by a secret agreeable power each thing is ready to strengthen its own Property having the Key in its self that can open the Gates of its own Principle in all other things both Heavenly and Earthly for they all flow from the two grand principles viz. Good and Evil and which soever of these two a man suffers his will to enter into that property or principle gets the dominion and chief goverment in the Soul and if it be in the evil or fierce wrathfull principle then the Spirit and Soul by way of desires and imaginations penetrates all Elements and things both external and internal and wheresoever it finds matter capable or disposed to receive them it incorporates and with highest diligence indeavours to destroy its contrary viz. all Goodness and Vertue And thus men are rendred fit and capable to be the companions of and have society or secret communication with evil Angels and spirits there being often internal agreement and compacts bewteen the Souls of men and evil Angels by way of Imagination and desires in the very center of their lives which very few persons are sensible of though subject unto and consequently cannot comprehend from whence those multitudes of evil suggestions desires and vain imaginations where-with they find themselves incombred do proceed for whosoever suffers his will and strong desires to enter into the fierce violent envious wrathfull original spirit or property has unity with and becomes a Companion of all evil angels and spirits whence do proceed those wonderfull troops and numberless swarms of vain thoughts imaginations desires words and actions being the very dictates of Devils And from the same black Stygian fountain do arise that wonderful subtilty and cunning and those strange unimaginable inventions of evil words acts and vain plays so various a sober man would think it impossible for men to be so strong ready and cunning in the doing of evil hence the old deceiving Serpent is said to have been more subtil then any beast of the field Gen. 3. 1. And our Lord Christ tells us that the Children of this world the race of Cain and sons of Belial are wiser that is more crafty and full of inventions in their Generation then the Children of Light and so the Apostle Paul calls Elinas the Sorcerer O thou full of all Subtilty and all Mischief thou Son of the Devil and Enemy of all Righteousness Acts 13. 10. for as man is various in his central ground as to inclinations dispositions love hate and the like so various also are the evil angels and spirits whence we read their name is said to be Legion because they are many so that whatsoever a man inclines to or awakens in his will and desires whether good or evil there is presently a spirit or angels of the same property ready and prompt to execute and put into practice such his imaginations and to incline and urge him forward in the thing But these sublime Matters are understood or considered but by very few and therefore I would intreat my Friends and all that are of humane Race seriously to ponder in their Minds from what Fountain Principle and Ground that great Variety of Dark Vain and Evil Thoughts Imaginations Words and Actions do proceed of which some few I shall set down for an Example or Looking-glass to the considerate Reader As first in Child-hood for to wish to be Kings and Emperors to have brave Houses and costly Furniture to have gay Clothes and think that whoever meets one does or at least ought to admire an Ass foâ—… his golden trappings to desirâ—… f live idlely and spend all ones time in eating drinking sleeping and playing And as people attain to maturer Years to wish and desire a great deal of Mony and Liberty to have Variety of Women to exceed all others in Evil Mischievous Arts and Sciences to Hurt Kill and Murder all such as shall Offend them For a Man secretly to wish his Wife dead that He might have another with more Mony to contrive how to Circumvent another in a Bargin or Defraud him of his Inheritance or Right by colour of Law and then to boast of our Wit and Cunning in doing it for a man to design himself an Universal Empire or the Government of the whole world as some Princes have done and sacrificed millions of mens lives to that conceit These and the like strange Evil â—…nd most abominable Thoughts â—…inations and Desires bubble up in and have possession of most mens Minds even to the day of death which do all arise and proceed from the poysonous