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Zoonomia, Vol. I - Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Erasmus Darwin
page 49 of 633 (07%)
transactions of our dreams. Thus when any painful or pleasurable sensations
possess us, as of love, anger, fear; whether in our sleep or waking hours,
the ideas, that have been formerly excited by the objects of these
sensations, now vividly recur before us by their connection with these
sensations themselves. So the fair smiling virgin, that excited your love
by her presence, whenever that sensation recurs, rises before you in
imagination; and that with all the pleasing circumstances, that had before
engaged your attention. And in sleep, when you dream under the influence of
fear, all the robbers, fires, and precipices, that you formerly have seen
or heard of, arise before you with terrible vivacity. All these sensual
motions, like the muscular ones above mentioned, are performed with
strength and velocity in proportion to the energy of the sensation of
pleasure or pain, which excites them, and the quantity of sensorial power.

II. 1. Many of these muscular motions above described, that are most
frequently excited by our sensations, are nevertheless occasionally
causable by volition; for we can smile or frown spontaneously, can make
water before the quantity or acrimony of the urine produces a disagreeable
sensation, and can voluntarily masticate a nauseous drug, or swallow a
bitter draught, though our sensation would strongly dissuade us.

2. In like manner the sensual motions, or ideas, that are most frequently
excited by our sensations, are nevertheless occasionally causeable by
volition, as we can spontaneously call up our last night's dream before us,
tracing it industriously step by step through all its variety of scenery
and transaction; or can voluntarily examine or repeat the ideas, that have
been excited by out disgust or admiration.

III. 1. Innumerable trains or tribes of motions are associated with these
sensitive muscular motions above mentioned; as when a drop of water falling
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