The Literature and Curiosities of Dreams (1865) by Frank Seafield is a fascinating Victorian-era compendium exploring the history, philosophy, and science of dreams across cultures and epochs. Seafield, drawing from classical texts, religious scriptures, and contemporary (19th-century) theories, catalogs dream interpretations from ancient Assyria to modern Europe, alongside anecdotes of prophetic visions, nightmares, and somnambulism.
The book reflects the era’s burgeoning interest in psychology and the occult, blending scholarly rigor with whimsical speculation. Chapters delve into topics like “Dreams in the Bible,” “Dreams of the Dying,” and “Animal Dreams,” revealing how dreams have been viewed as divine messages, psychic phenomena, or mere “digestive disturbances.” Though some theories are outdated, Seafield’s work remains a captivating time capsule of humanity’s enduring obsession with the mysteries of the sleeping mind.
A treasure for historians of psychology and lovers of esoterica, it predates Freud but anticipates modern dream science’s questions.
