Beyond Good and Evil · Chapter
193 explained
The chapter explores the profound influence of recurring dreams on the waking soul, arguing that habitual dream experiences become as integral to one's being as actual events.
What happens
The chapter explores the profound influence of recurring dreams on the waking soul, arguing that habitual dream experiences become as integral to one's being as actual events. It uses the example of a person who frequently dreams of flying to illustrate how such dreams can fundamentally alter one's conception of happiness and capability, making the poetic descriptions of flight seem crude and laborious by comparison.
Themes in this chapter
Psychology as the Fundamental Science
Analyzes the formative power of subconscious dream experiences on the conscious self and its values, treating psychology as the primary lens for understanding human nature.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Presents a psychological analysis of how dream experiences shape the soul and our waking values.
Key passages
“What we experience in dreams, provided we experience it often, pertains at last just as much to the general belongings of our soul as anything 'actually' experienced”
Frequent dream experiences become as much a part of our inner being as real-life events.
Establishes the core argument for the psychological reality of dreams.
“how could the man with such dream-experiences and dream-habits fail to find 'happiness' differently coloured and defined, even in his waking hours!”
A person accustomed to dreaming of flying would have a fundamentally different understanding and desire for happiness while awake.
Illustrates how subconscious conditioning reshapes conscious values and aspirations.