До Адама

           SoIwasnotsurprised,stilllateroninmylife,torecognizeinstantly,thefirsttimeIsawthem,treessuchasthespruce,theyew,thebirch,andthelaurel.Ihadseenthemallbefore,andwasseeingthemeventhen,everynight,inmysleep.

           This,asyouhavealreadydiscerned,violatesthefirstlawofdreaming,namely,thatinone’sdreamsoneseesonlywhathehasseeninhiswakinglife,orcombinationsofthethingshehasseeninhiswakinglife.Butallmydreamsviolatedthislaw.InmydreamsIneversawANYTHINGofwhichIhadknowledgeinmywakinglife.Mydreamlifeandmywakinglifewerelivesapart,withnotonethingincommonsavemyself.Iwastheconnectinglinkthatsomehowlivedbothlives.

           EarlyinmychildhoodIlearnedthatnutscamefromthegrocer,berriesfromthefruitman;butbeforeeverthatknowledgewasmine,inmydreamsIpickednutsfromtrees,orgatheredthemandatethemfromthegroundunderneathtrees,andinthesamewayIateberriesfromvinesandbushes.Thiswasbeyondanyexperienceofmine.

           IshallneverforgetthefirsttimeIsawblueberriesservedonthetable.Ihadneverseenblueberriesbefore,andyet,atthesightofthem,thereleapedupinmymindmemoriesofdreamswhereinIhadwanderedthroughswampylandeatingmyfillofthem.Mymothersetbeforemeadishoftheberries.Ifilledmyspoon,butbeforeIraisedittomymouthIknewjusthowtheywouldtaste.NorwasIdisappointed.ItwasthesametangthatIhadtastedathousandtimesinmysleep.

           Snakes?LongbeforeIhadheardoftheexistenceofsnakes,Iwastormentedbytheminmysleep.