Letter 50008: I am in a hurry to get to the subject of my letter, so I will skip any preamble.

Nebridius to his dear Augustine -- greetings. 1. I am in a hurry to get to the subject of my letter, so I will skip any preamble. When it pleases higher powers -- by which I mean heavenly beings -- to reveal something to us through dreams, how do they do it, my dear Augustine? What method do they use? By what art or technique, what agency or means, do they accomplish this? Do they influence our minds with their thoughts, so that the same images appear in our thinking? Do they enact before us, either in their own bodies or in their own imaginations, the things we dream? If they actually perform these things bodily, it would follow that we must possess some other set of bodily eyes that observe what is happening internally while we sleep. But if they do not use their bodies and instead construct these scenes in their own imaginative faculty, impressing them onto our imaginations and thereby giving visible shape to what we dream -- then why, I ask, can I not compel your imagination to reproduce the dreams I have first formed in mine? I certainly possess the faculty of imagination, and it can present to my own mind whatever picture I choose. Yet this does not produce any dream in you. And yet I observe that even our own bodies have the power to generate dreams in us. Through the sympathetic bond connecting body to soul, the body compels us in strange ways to reproduce through imagination whatever it has once experienced. Thus in sleep, when we are thirsty we dream we are drinking; when hungry, we dream we are eating -- and there are many other instances in which experiences are transferred, through imagination, from body to soul. Do not be surprised at the lack of polish and subtlety in the way I have stated these questions. Consider the obscurity of the subject and the inexperience of the writer. It falls to you to do your best to supply what I lack.

Letter 8 (A.D. 389) Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... To Augustine Nebridius Sends Greeting. 1. As I am in haste to come to the subject of my letter, I dispense with any preface or introduction. When at any time it pleases higher (by which I mean heavenly) powers to reveal anything to us by dreams in our sleep, how is this done, my dear Augustine, or what is the method which they use? What, I say, is their method, i.e. by what art or magic, by what agency or enchantments, do they accomplish this? Do they by their thoughts influence our minds, so that we also have the same images presented in our thoughts? Do they bring before us, and exhibit as actually done in their own body or in their own imagination, the things which we dream? But if they actually do these things in their own body, it follows that, in order to our seeing what they thus do, we must be endowed with other bodily eyes beholding what passes within while we sleep. If, however, they are not assisted by their bodies in producing the effects in question, but frame such things in their own imaginative faculty, and thus impress our imaginations, thereby giving visible form to what we dream; why is it, I ask, that I cannot compel your imagination to reproduce those dreams which I have myself first formed by my imagination? I have undoubtedly the faculty of imagination, and it is capable of presenting to my own mind the picture of whatever I please; and yet I do not thereby cause any dream in you, although I see that even our bodies have the power of originating dreams in us. For by means of the bond of sympathy uniting it to the soul, the body compels us in strange ways to repeat or reproduce by imagination anything which it has once experienced. Thus often in sleep, if we are thirsty, we dream that we drink; and if we are hungry, we seem to ourselves to be eating; and many other instances there are in which, by some mode of exchange, so to speak, things are transferred through the imagination from the body to the soul. Be not surprised at the want of elegance and subtlety with which these questions are here stated to you; consider the obscurity in which the subject is involved, and the inexperience of the writer; be it yours to do your utmost to supply his deficiencies.