The Western Gate

Terrors of the Night
Dr. Louise S. Milne
Atramentous Press

My first impressions were not good. it was a costly book, some £80 and assumed it would arrive as a near- deluxe and beautiful edition. It was in fact very disappointing. A brown glossy board cover with an equally dull cover text block. The inner description stated that this particular print run and edition would be gilded, and page ribbons etc… perhaps they changed their minds but forgot to alter the blurb?
I then began a quick speed read… and for a moment felt that sinking feeling of having in my hands another book of pretentious word regurgitation. i.e. Desire-distorted memories are integral aspects of ego-reassembly, And integral inflections in the signs of the dream.
…….But, you cant judge a book from a speed read just as you cannot judge someone by a three minute speed dating exercise. So ignore that prejudgement.
It would be impossible of course to create an exhaustive book on the nature of dreams, Its cultural differences and history, but we are promised a foray into this world by Dr.Louise Milne. There are extensive end chapter notes to each chapter and one the longest bibliographies I have seen all pointing towards the scholarly end of the writing style of the work as opposed to a gentle flowery wander so often adopted by the usual denizens of this genre.
There are despite the obvious well educated content some issues that have been raised by my enquiring mind.
Lucid Dreaming, of which plays a huge role in my life and experience is dismissed somewhat into a mere paragraph of the 390+ page book. It is delineated to be nothing more than the ‘dreamer subjectively believing they have autonomy within the dream-scenario.‘ In fact Dr.Milne explains again dismissing the whole subject, it is nothing more ‘than the observer ‘ constructing the dream text on waking’. I had hoped that this would expanded upon later in the book, but it never was, in fact, as I say, only a paragraph to the whole issue was included.
For want of time, and briefly, I lucid dream. Yes I will agree that this is at the time of REM cycle when naturally there is a merging of waking consciousness and sleep. However. If I lucid dream, and ask in that dream somebody a question I had in the previous night decided to pursue, and that question was answered, not in a subjective way, then how can it be constructed by myself as an instrument for the mind on waking?
I have had discourses in ‘lucid dream’ where the subject matter on research is found to be correct, and this obviously would lay claim that the information, even obscure must somehow have been present in my experience-past knowledge, even buried, which in itself is a remarkable avenue of discussion.
Many of the dream sequences discussed are often reduced to the mind creating a ‘dream text’ of sequence on waking.
I could say here I disagreed with the authors conclusions, and yet the work as a whole is a fascinating and engaging piece of work that I enjoyed.
If in a dream, yes returning to argue my case, I espy the whereabouts of an object my wife has lost and on waking find that object where the dream said it was, have I inadvertently recalled a repressed memory even if when the item was ‘lost’ I wasn’t even in the house. Perhaps, my wife relayed the events of the day and I subconsciously and logically created the answer? Regardless, that I would dream such a thing suggests more in our dreams than a compiled dream text sequence we create on waking.
And what of remote viewing. Nothing on that subject herein.

The book deals with subjects as diverse as, the dreams of the Inuit, Mermaids, hybrid metamorphic creatures, spells to ward off nightmares…etc. There is little in the way of scientific evaluation of dream in terms of experiments and validating thesis, instead relying on the imagery found in dreams from cultures and history and attempting to create a common thread.
One such detail recalls that people who go blind early in life do not dream after the age of 5-6. In fact young people before the age of 5-6 do not/cannot dream with themselves in the sequence?
Firstly, the issue of blind people do not dream is a fascinating detail that went no further than the sentence. What of deaf people? What of people whose environment changes, what do they dream? for instance if there is a noise outside, we are awakened not only by the external stimuli but also the minds interpretation, through dream, of what is happening. How can it be that I have dreamt of a figure walking towards me with a hammer and on striking I awake at the exact time a door slams downstairs? Have I recreated the dream sequence after the event and my mind convinces me the dream occurred before the event? Which in itself is fascinating. The disturbing issue of the mind knowing a door is about to slam would render my example in the realms of improbable, even though it is based on actual experience as I am sure many have encountered similar experiences, common experiences.
Also, the first ‘bad’ nightmare I had occurred during the first week I ever went to school, I would have been 4 or 5, I definitely was in the dream, because I saw myself desperately trying to save other children being swept up into a tornado that appeared in the playground.
The problem with the book is that there is little room for argument, conclusions are given as fact, and not as theory. As I came across many instances that I not only questioned but rejected, again, it would be , for me, a damning appraisal of this work. It, however is ironically as a result of the questioning a very good piece of work, there is enough in the history and art of dream dealt with anyway that appeases any negative issues I personally may have.

There are in conclusion, perhaps more vexing questions on completion than feeling more grounded in the subject of dream.
That nightmares are created by us, inherent within us is a concept that could be agreed upon, and different contexts are given from history and cultures.
My first lucid dream that I remember was being chased, I consciously stopped, turned around and ran straight into the ‘monster’ which became fluffy and cried. There were no other agents or extensions of myself involved in this scenario, just myself and the protagonist in the role of my would be nemesis. There are many examples based on my own experiences that differ from what is being offered here as a common rule for dreams and nightmares.

I looked forward to this book, not least because I expected Gold foil block cover and spine, Book ribbon, head and tail bands etc which didn’t happen, Smithsewn or not, the spine of this new book already is showing signs of distress and feels as sturdy as a Print-on-demand offering, albeit they wouldn’t be smithsewn with head and tail bands…. but then, they wouldn’t be £80 as this offering was. In that respect it is not worth the price asked. It would/should be nearer half that price, begrudgingly, and limited or not doesn’t justify the price, see picture below, the paper quality evident from the following image clearly seen
The content is engaging and I did enjoy the book despite having my own personal objections and wished some of those issues were expanded upon in the book. I cannot recommend simply because the quality of the physical book isn’t worthy of the price tag.