What would a wounded soldier dream about?

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This is from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Private Charles Johnson was shot in the hip during the Battle of Antietam. The following day, he wrote this in his diary:

“Slept a little last night, and was troubled by a dream in which demons, rattlesnakes, Hell, brimstone, cannon-balls, and railroad iron, bayonets and pitchforks, powder and smoke were all conglomerated into one shapeless, endless whirl, with me in the midst, though suffering no particular harm.”

Image credit:
Self-portrait of Charles Johnson

1631993834310.png
 
Would PTSD set in that fast?
The term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a modern term and should not have the word Post in it, as you do not know what he witnessed prior to that. Just sayin.
 
This is from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Private Charles Johnson was shot in the hip during the Battle of Antietam. The following day, he wrote this in his diary:

“Slept a little last night, and was troubled by a dream in which demons, rattlesnakes, Hell, brimstone, cannon-balls, and railroad iron, bayonets and pitchforks, powder and smoke were all conglomerated into one shapeless, endless whirl, with me in the midst, though suffering no particular harm.”

Image credit:
Self-portrait of Charles Johnson

View attachment 414491
This allows for much more room for thought than what has been given. All of us are prone to dream, now and again. When younger we are given to visions, and as we age our dreams become more vivid and numerous; thus says the prophet (Isaiah).
The interpretation of dreams has an impact on predicting a future, or receiving an answer from our past. Of course, we can always relegate the dream to nothing but entertainment to our sleeping souls, and meaning nothing but the idea passing. These pass so quickly we may lose sight of the dream, once remembered on awakening, soon to be forgotten when our real world draws us into it.
We definitely don't ignore the manic episodes of someone believing they won't live to see the end oof the battle. This premonition can be attributed to a dream or a vision the messenger received, and spoke it. We don't attribute it to nonsense, though we may try to dissuade the bearer of the news with rebuttals.
So, on the above example, I seem to feel the dreamer, regardless of whether it was produced by chloroform or whiskey, had a very quick dream of certain events he could associate with, but he being spellbound in the midst of the swirl; a wizard of Oz tornado type of dream. It must have impacted him and he felt the need to write it down before it would be forgotten. I am sure it diverted his attention for the remainder of his healing progress, and possibly allowed him hope of no further injury in the future, that he would come through unscathed. But I am not a Joseph or a Daniel in either the old or the new testaments, and not an Edgar Cayce either.
But I do enjoy dreams, and because I am getting older now, they are more frequent and more appealing than the visions I had in my youth.
Lubliner.
 
This allows for much more room for thought than what has been given. All of us are prone to dream, now and again. When younger we are given to visions, and as we age our dreams become more vivid and numerous; thus says the prophet (Isaiah).
The interpretation of dreams has an impact on predicting a future, or receiving an answer from our past. Of course, we can always relegate the dream to nothing but entertainment to our sleeping souls, and meaning nothing but the idea passing. These pass so quickly we may lose sight of the dream, once remembered on awakening, soon to be forgotten when our real world draws us into it.
We definitely don't ignore the manic episodes of someone believing they won't live to see the end oof the battle. This premonition can be attributed to a dream or a vision the messenger received, and spoke it. We don't attribute it to nonsense, though we may try to dissuade the bearer of the news with rebuttals.
So, on the above example, I seem to feel the dreamer, regardless of whether it was produced by chloroform or whiskey, had a very quick dream of certain events he could associate with, but he being spellbound in the midst of the swirl; a wizard of Oz tornado type of dream. It must have impacted him and he felt the need to write it down before it would be forgotten. I am sure it diverted his attention for the remainder of his healing progress, and possibly allowed him hope of no further injury in the future, that he would come through unscathed. But I am not a Joseph or a Daniel in either the old or the new testaments, and not an Edgar Cayce either.
But I do enjoy dreams, and because I am getting older now, they are more frequent and more appealing than the visions I had in my youth.
Lubliner.
Dreams are one thing, Night Mares are another. The term PTSD was Shell Shock in the early days. Have you ever seen the Elephant?
 
Dreams are one thing, Night Mares are another. The term PTSD was Shell Shock in the early days. Have you ever seen the Elephant?
Just one on one, and one on two, and it is traumatic. I don't disclaim the affliction but I find I am better at healing myself of it by not admitting it to others, or myself. I cope, period.
Lubliner.
 
@ucvrelics I am sure you have watched this episode before;

This display of time displacement, such as transcendence, where reality and unreality mingle, where some dream may be interrupted by wakefulness, it is common in its agreement. The idea of trying to awaken and believe I have succeeded, only to find out I am still in bed asleep, with the same lurking danger imminently on hand, is forceful. To finally pull myself out of the dissociation of time and place and danger, only to awaken in a cold sweat in my bed happened for many years. It is one of those that you can't just roll over and go back to sleep and forget about, because they reoccur under stress and privation. I have also been awake and been confronted with having my whole life flash in front of my face. Again, I had to overcome the 'spell' of danger that presented itself, and it was a struggle. It gets me nowhere to relate the incidents to others, whether they be common or not. It is what it is when the separation occurs. It takes many weeks or months before any sense can be made of it, and that is PTSD for those who still can't find the peace. Because it preyed on my mind after you questioned me, I needed to respond to get it off my mind. It is done now, and nothing but time gone by, like the wind. I hope that answers the trump of the trunk for you, because I know I did.
Lubliner.
 
@ucvrelics I am sure you have watched this episode before;

This display of time displacement, such as transcendence, where reality and unreality mingle, where some dream may be interrupted by wakefulness, it is common in its agreement. The idea of trying to awaken and believe I have succeeded, only to find out I am still in bed asleep, with the same lurking danger imminently on hand, is forceful. To finally pull myself out of the dissociation of time and place and danger, only to awaken in a cold sweat in my bed happened for many years. It is one of those that you can't just roll over and go back to sleep and forget about, because they reoccur under stress and privation. I have also been awake and been confronted with having my whole life flash in front of my face. Again, I had to overcome the 'spell' of danger that presented itself, and it was a struggle. It gets me nowhere to relate the incidents to others, whether they be common or not. It is what it is when the separation occurs. It takes many weeks or months before any sense can be made of it, and that is PTSD for those who still can't find the peace. Because it preyed on my mind after you questioned me, I needed to respond to get it off my mind. It is done now, and nothing but time gone by, like the wind. I hope that answers the trump of the trunk for you, because I know I did.
Lubliner.
I remember reading this short story, years ago.
 
Dreams are one thing, Night Mares are another. The term PTSD was Shell Shock in the early days. Have you ever seen the Elephant?
Have you ever seen the Elephant. Was that not the term used by Veterans to Rookies asking if they been shot at or shot back. Basically have you been in Combat. I read that long ago and used the same term on the Newbies over the years.
 
This is from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Private Charles Johnson was shot in the hip during the Battle of Antietam. The following day, he wrote this in his diary:

“Slept a little last night, and was troubled by a dream in which demons, rattlesnakes, Hell, brimstone, cannon-balls, and railroad iron, bayonets and pitchforks, powder and smoke were all conglomerated into one shapeless, endless whirl, with me in the midst, though suffering no particular harm.”

Image credit:
Self-portrait of Charles Johnson

View attachment 414491
Very interesting subject. Thanks for sharing.
I recently read that some of the Southern Soldiers at Bloody Angle would awake from a sleep several days after the battle on the 12th and just start firing their rifle for no reason - other than , I suppose, they awoke from a dream and thought they were still in that horrible battle.
 
and just start firing their rifle for no reason - other than , I suppose, they awoke from a dream
I think it is like when you’ve been in a very intense experience or accident and then when you start to fall asleep, your mind replays some of it and you jump awake. I’ve had that with a couple of riding accidents - I’ll jerk awake with heart pounding and it’s like it just happened again. I can well imagine if they had a rifle nearby they’d start firing it, not fully conscious and realizing what they are doing.
 
This is from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Private Charles Johnson was shot in the hip during the Battle of Antietam. The following day, he wrote this in his diary:

“Slept a little last night, and was troubled by a dream in which demons, rattlesnakes, Hell, brimstone, cannon-balls, and railroad iron, bayonets and pitchforks, powder and smoke were all conglomerated into one shapeless, endless whirl, with me in the midst, though suffering no particular harm.”

Image credit:
Self-portrait of Charles Johnson

View attachment 414491

This is a good question. Freud's Interpretation of Dreams stated that people either dream about their biggest fears or biggest desires. This seems to have some merit considering the description of that soldier's dream confirms the greatest fear dream theory. Being wounded would be on someone's subconscious. Through my own experience the majority of wounded people just wanted to go home, therefore, that great desire to go home could have been dreamed. Subliminal thoughts surface in dreams.
 
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