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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 45

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XLV.—Dreams, an Incidental Effect of the Soul’s Activity. Ecstasy.

We are bound to expound at this point what is the

‹ Chapter 44 Chapter 46 ›

opinion

of

Christians

respecting

dreams

,

as

incidents

of

sleep

,

and

as

no

slight

or

trifling

excitements

of

the

soul

,

which

we

have

declared

to

be

always

occupied

and

active

owing

to

its

perpetual

movement

,

which

again

is

a

proof

and

evidence

of

its

divine

quality

and

immortality

.

When

,

therefore

,

rest

accrues

to

human

bodies

,

it

being

their

own

especial

comfort

,

the

soul

,

disdaining

a

repose

which

is

not

natural

to

it

,

never

rests

;

and

since

it

receives

no

help

from

the

limbs

of

the

body

,

it

uses

its

own

.

Imagine

a

gladiator

without

his

instruments

or

arms

,

and

a

charioteer

without

his

team

,

but

still

gesticulating

the

entire

course

and

exertion

of

their

respective

employments

:

there

is

the

fight

,

there

is

the

struggle

;

but

the

effort

is

a

vain

one

.

Nevertheless

the

whole

procedure

seems

to

be

gone

through

,

although

it

evidently

has

not

been

really

effected

.

There

is

the

act

,

but

not

the

effect

.

This

power

we

call

ecstasy

,

in

which

the

sensuous

soul

stands

out

of

itself

,

in

a

way

which

even

resembles

madness

.

Thus

in

the

very

beginning

sleep

was

inaugurated

by

ecstasy

:

“

And

God

sent

an

ecstasy

upon

Adam

,

and

he

slept

.

”

The

sleep

came

on

his

body

to

cause

it

to

rest

,

but

the

ecstasy

fell

on

his

soul

to

remove

rest

:

from

that

very

circumstance

it

still

happens

ordinarily

(

and

from

the

order

results

the

nature

of

the

case

)

that

sleep

is

combined

with

ecstasy

.

In

fact

,

with

what

real

feeling

,

and

anxiety

,

and

suffering

do

we

experience

joy

,

and

sorrow

,

and

alarm

in

our

dreams

!

Whereas

we

should

not

be

moved

by

any

such

emotions

,

by

what

would

be

the

merest

fantasies

of

course

,

if

when

we

dream

we

were

masters

of

ourselves

,

(

unaffected

by

ecstasy

.

)

In

these

dreams

,

indeed

,

good

actions

are

useless

,

and

crimes

harmless

;

for

we

shall

no

more

be

condemned

for

visionary

acts

of

sin

,

than

we

shall

be

crowned

for

imaginary

martyrdom

.

But

how

,

you

will

ask

,

can

the

soul

remember

its

dreams

,

when

it

is

said

to

be

without

any

mastery

over

its

own

operations

?

This

memory

must

be

an

especial

gift

of

the

ecstatic

condition

of

which

we

are

treating

,

since

it

arises

not

from

any

failure

of

healthy

action

,

but

entirely

from

natural

process

;

nor

does

it

expel

mental

function

—

it

withdraws

it

for

a

time

.

It

is

one

thing

to

shake

,

it

is

another

thing

to

move

;

one

thing

to

destroy

,

another

thing

to

agitate

.

That

,

therefore

,

which

memory

supplies

betokens

soundness

of

mind

;

and

that

which

a

sound

mind

ecstatically

experiences

whilst

the

memory

remains

unchecked

,

is

a

kind

of

madness

.

We

are

accordingly

not

said

to

be

mad

,

but

to

dream

,

in

that

state

;

to

be

in

the

full

possession

also

of

our

mental

faculties

,

if

we

are

at

any

time

.

For

although

the

power

to

exercise

these

faculties

may

be

dimmed

in

us

,

it

is

still

not

extinguished

;

except

that

it

may

seem

to

be

itself

absent

at

the

very

time

that

the

ecstasy

is

energizing

in

us

in

its

special

manner

,

in

such

wise

as

to

bring

before

us

images

of

a

sound

mind

and

of

wisdom

,

even

as

it

does

those

of

aberration

.

Notes

1
We had better give Tertullian’s own succinct definition: “Excessus sensûs et amentiæ instar.”
2
Gen. ii. 21.
3
Prudentes.
4
Sapere.