vague analogy." Pelletier also presupposes that for the origin of symbolic association there must be a deficiency in power of discrimination. Let us now apply these reflections to the dream.
At the onset of sleep there is the suggestive imperative, "you wish to sleep, you don't wish to be disturbed by anything."[1] This is an absolute command for the ego-complex which subdues all associations. But the autonomous complexes as shown above are no more under the direct control of the ego-complex. They allow themselves to be pushed back quite far, and to be reduced, but not to be completely lulled to sleep. For they are like small secondary minds having their own affective roots in the body and by means of which they always remain awake. During sleep the complexes are perhaps just as inhibited as during the waking state, for the imperative call to sleep inhibits all side thoughts.[2] Nevertheless, just as during the noises of the day and in the waking state, so they succeed from time to time in presenting to the sleeping-ego their pale, apparently senseless, by-associations. The complex thoughts themselves are unable to appear, as the inhibition of sleep-suggestion is especially directed against them. If they are able to break through the suggestion, that is, if they can come to the full possession of attention, of course sleep immediately ceases. We see this very frequently in the hypnosis of hysterics; the patients sleep a short time, then they suddenly
- ↑ Of course this is only a figurative expression for the sleep obsession, or sleep instinct (see Claparède: Esquisse d'une théorie biologique du sommeil. Archives de Psychologie, Tome IV, p. 246). Theoretically I agree with the point of view formulated by Janet: "Par un côté le sommeil est un acte ; il demande une certaine énergie pour être décidé au moment opportun et pour être accompli correctement." Les Obsessions, I, p. 408. Like every psychic process, sleep probably has its special cell chemism (Weygandt!). In what it consists no one knows. Considered from the psychological side it seems to be an autosuggestive phenomenon (Forel and others utter similar views). Thus we understand that there are many transitions from the pure suggestive sleep to the organic sleep obsession which gives the impression of a poisoning by some metabolic toxin.
- ↑ The instinctive sleep inhibition can be expressed psychologically as "désintérêt pour la situation présent" (Bergson, Claparède). The effect of the "désintérêt" on the association activity is the "abaissement de la tension psychologique" (Janet) which as afterwards described manifests itself in the characteristic association of dreams.
